Tag: Yin

Your Ancient Symbol Card for Dec. 12th is Balance

Your Ancient Symbol Card for Today

Balance

Balance denotes the benefits of keeping the use of your energies justifiably proportioned between your pursuits. The symbol Yin and Yang is used to represent the balance. Yin and Yang is possibly the most elegant and sometimes elusive definition of  Balance there is. While Balance is rarely if ever perfect, being far out of Balance means that while one part of you may be thriving tremendously, another part of your life may be wilting.

As a daily card, Balance indicates a need to find and maintain a level physical and spiritual state. It suggest you may be concentrating your energy on one or a few things so much that you are neglecting other important aspects of your life. While this is often necessary to make immediate gains it can lead to missing out on the diverse richness of life in the long term.

Your Ancient Symbol Card for December 5th is Balance

Your Ancient Symbol Card for Today

Balance

Balance denotes the benefits of keeping the use of your energies justifiably proportioned between your pursuits. The symbol Yin and Yang is used to represent the balance. Yin and Yang is possibly the most elegant and sometimes elusive definition of  Balance there is. While Balance is rarely if ever perfect, being far out of Balance means that while one part of you may be thriving tremendously, another part of your life may be wilting.

As a daily card, Balance indicates a need to find and maintain a level physical and spiritual state. It suggest you may be concentrating your energy on one or a few things so much that you are neglecting other important aspects of your life. While this is often necessary to make immediate gains it can lead to missing out on the diverse richness of life in the long term.

Understanding Negative Energy: Choose Your Words Wisely!

Understanding Negative Energy: Choose Your Words Wisely!

Author:   Ryan Hatcher   

How often, as energy workers, are we told that negative energy is ‘bad’? “Cleanse it of all negative energy!” “It’s been tainted by negative energy.” “I can feel a lot of negativity here” and so on. Personally I feel this use of the word ‘negative’ to be wrong.

Let’s look at the word negative, and then you might see what I’m getting at. The word negative is the opposite of the word positive. In terms of physics, negativity is a description of a charge, such as positively charged particles and negatively charged particles (protons and electrons respectively) . The poles of a battery are labeled + and – or positive and negative. However, as energy workers we generally consider ‘negative’ to mean ‘bad’, ‘harmful’ and, in an extreme, ‘evil’.

Does this mean that half of a battery is evil? Or since electricity is a flow of electrons and so has a negative charge, does that mean electricity is inherently evil? Well…no, if we think about it, they’re not inherently bad, harmful or evil, although electricity can be harmful if it is misused, like any other energy.

If we look to the Far East, we can look at the ideas of positive and negative from a more spiritual perspective. What I refer to is the concept of Yin and Yang from Taoism and traditional Chinese medicine. Yang, roughly meaning Sun, is positive, masculine overt and open in Chinese. In the Taijitu (the typical Yin-Yang symbol) , Yang is represented by the white section. The concept of Yang energy is that of active, dynamic, masculine aspects, the sun and fire are forces associated with Yang as well as the God principle. Yang is the positive side of the polarity.

In Chinese medicine the Yang part of our body is the right side of our body. There are also Yang organs in the body, associated with active and energizing attributes. Yang is the energy within us that drives us forward, is our passion, and keeps us energized. But if we have too much Yang in our lives, we can end up feeling hyperactive, aggressive, suffer insomnia and eventually burn ourselves out.

Yin is roughly translated as shade, moon, feminine, negative, lunar and hidden in Chinese. In the Taijitu, the black section represents Yin. The concept of Yin energy is that of the passive, stillness and the feminine. The moon and water are forces associated with Yin, as well as emotions, intuition and the Goddess principle. Yin is the negative side of the polarity.

In Chinese medicine, the Yin part of our body is the left side of our body and, as with Yang, there are Yin organs in the body associated with passive, fluid attributes. It is the serenity within us that keeps us calm, allows us to sit and just observe the world around us, are the deep waters of our mind and keep us grounded. However, too much Yin in our lives leaves us feeling lethargic, depressed, lonely and alienated, suffering from hypersomnia and getting nowhere in life.

A balance between the two is imperative to be able to experience life to the fullest and to feel as present in the now as is possible for us as human beings at that moment. The Yin and Yang, together in the Taijitu, are inseparably linked, entwined together to form the whole, the perfect and infinite circle. One cannot exist without the other, just as a shadow cannot exist without a source of light. Also, if we look at the Taijitu we can see that the individual Yin and Yang parts contain a part of the opposite. This shows that opposites exist within everything and the importance of a balanced polarity.

There, polarity, that is the point I’m trying to aim for. Is it possible, looking at the Yin-Yang model to see negative as inherently bad as we have done for so long? If we did, it would mean that everything feminine, including the Goddess, would be bad, harmful and possibly inherently evil. I’m sure no one has any intention of doing that any time soon.

Positive and negative, light and dark. They are just opposites in the balance of polarity and have no sense of moral right or wrong, any more than do the poles of the aforementioned battery or the north and south poles of a compass, or even the earth. They’re just opposites of the same force.

So what do I propose we use instead of the word negative? Personally, I use the words ‘impure’, ‘unclean’ and ‘harmful’ when it comes to describing unwanted energy because that is really what we’re talking about isn’t it? Unwanted energy. Unwanted because it is harmful, impure and unclean. It is the energy that taints our work and our tools, whereas simply ‘negative’ energy could in fact be beneficial, providing a feminine aspect to our tools and working, and thus providing that balance of polarity which is what paganism and ‘the great work’ is supposed to be all about: unifying opposites to create a balanced whole.

Sometimes I feel that, though we understand thoughts and words have power, we still need to choose our thoughts and words more carefully when working directly with the energies of the universe. We need to make sure we know exactly what it is we are asking and that the words we use match our intention and directed will. The universe has a cruel, and sometimes ironic sense of humor (for a non-corporeal, non-specific entity anyway) , and sometimes you get what you’ve asked for, and if you’ve asked using the wrong words, then you’re likely to get a nasty surprise!

So from this moment I ask that we are all more mindful of the words we choose to use, both in our day-to-day lives as well as in our magical lives. Doing so we may just find things flow in the way we want them to and we can each live a happier, more peaceful existence.

Blessed be

Footnotes:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yin_and_yang
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taijitu

Living Life As The Witch – The Living Rede

The Living Rede

A lifetime of learning I’ve set to these pages,
Some learned from fools, and some learned from sages.

This tomb contains musings: some wisdom, some rant.
Some will find truth here, some won’t and some can’t.

If your eyes fall upon this page, it’s meant for you,
For the Universe offers what you’re meant to do.

The Secret of Magic quite often astounds:
There isn’t a Secret! Just look all around!

The Trees teach you lessons – the Willow that bends.
The challenge for you: learn the message it sends.

By Example and Symbol the Universe speaks.
It may happen quickly or take many weeks.

Be aware what you notice – it needs your attention
If you’re going to hear what it’s trying to mention.

For the Universe rarely speaks loudly and clearly,
But it speaks all the time if you listen sincerely.

You’re here for a reason – to heal, teach and learn.
The better you listen, the more growth you’ll earn.

The goal, it would seem, is reunion with Spirit.
Learn lessons while here, don’t run from, don’t fear it.

Though we travel our own paths, our lives interlace.
We must all grow together – this isn’t a race.

So be mindful of others, and help when you can,
A bird, tree or pebble, a woman or man.

Material, Ether and Astral involved,
Work them correctly, your problems be solved.

Magic is simple, has rules, like Mundane,
Push or pull with your Heart and direct with your Brain.

The Emotions you raise will determine its power.
The more you project, that much sooner its hour.

The Thoughts that you hold in your mind as you cast
Tell the power its job – where to go and its task.

If your thoughts falter or change while you work,
Your focus is lessened – your power will fork.

Dual aspects to work with, the God and the Goddess,
Called Yang and called Yin – the names matter not, honest!

Yang feels like anger – you feel in your chest.
It jumps to the hand and for quick work is best.

Yin is much softer – it’s felt at the womb.
The power of Love and the peace of a tomb.

Yang is aggressive – Male “Get It Done Now!”
If you’re in a hurry, Yang does it, and how!

Yin is more subtle, for delicate tasks.
If you’re working with love, it’s the one you should ask.

All genders have both, their intensities varied,
And strong you will be with both energies married.

Be Humble and True, though, whatever your power. Sometimes you’re the lightning, sometimes you’re The Tower.

The Cards hold no magic, the Runes have no secret
That’s not found within you – if only you’ll seek it.

Negative or Positive? Sometimes you must give.
The Antelope dies so the Lion may live.

Remember, when tragedy breaks down your door:
Whatever you lose, you will gain so much more.

I know it sounds hard, when loss brings pain and sorrow,
But you will know joy again – next year, or tomorrow.

One thing that I’ve found, and I hope you will heed:
Ask not what you want from life. Ask what you need.

Ask what you want and it may come to you,
But ask what you need: What you came here to do.

This far through my Rede you have stayed and have read.
Down paths much like mine you are likely to tread.

I welcome you, joyful, a companion to walk,
For someone to listen to, someone to talk.

These pages are yours to accept or critique.
May your road straight to Spirit unfold at your feet.

Stay if you will, here, or leave if you must.
Blessed Be, One and All. Perfect Love. Perfect Trust.

– Brian Gallagher – author of this rede

The Living Rede

The Living Rede

A lifetime of learning I’ve set to these pages, Some learned from fools, and some learned from sages.

This tome contains musings: some wisdom, some rant. Some will find truth here, some won’t and some can’t.

If your eyes fall upon this page, it’s meant for you, For the Universe offers what you’re meant to do.

The Secret of Magic quite often astounds: There isn’t a Secret! Just look all around!

The Trees teach you lessons – the Willow that bends. The challenge for you: learn the message it sends.

By Example and Symbol the Universe speaks. It may happen quickly or take many weeks.

Be aware what you notice – it needs your attention If you’re going to hear what it’s trying to mention.

For the Universe rarely speaks loudly and clearly, But it speaks all the time if you listen sincerely.

You’re here for a reason – to heal, teach and learn. The better you listen, the more growth you’ll earn.

The goal, it would seem, is reunion with Spirit. Learn lessons while here, don’t run from, don’t fear it.

Though we travel our own paths, our lives interlace. We must all grow together – this isn’t a race.

So be mindful of others, and help when you can, A bird, tree or pebble, a woman or man.

Material, Ether and Astral involved, Work them correctly, your problems be solved.

Magic is simple, has rules, like Mundane, Push or pull with your Heart and direct with your Brain.

The Emotions you raise will determine its power. The more you project, that much sooner its hour.

The Thoughts that you hold in your mind as you cast Tell the power its job – where to go and its task.

If your thoughts falter or change while you work, Your focus is lessened – your power will fork.

Dual aspects to work with, the God and the Goddess, Called Yang and called Yin – the names matter not, honest!

Yang feels like anger – you feel in your chest. It jumps to the hand and for quick work is best.

Yin is much softer – it’s felt at the womb. The power of Love and the peace of a tomb.

Yang is aggressive – Male “Get It Done Now!” If you’re in a hurry, Yang does it, and how!

Yin is more subtle, for delicate tasks. If you’re working with love, it’s the one you should ask.

All genders have both, their intensities varied, And strong you will be with both energies married.

Be Humble and True, though, whatever your power. Sometimes you’re the lightning, sometimes you’re The Tower.

The Cards hold no magic, the Runes have no secret That’s not found within you – if only you’ll seek it.

Negative or Positive? Sometimes you must give. The Antelope dies so the Lion may live.

Remember, when tragedy breaks down your door: Whatever you lose, you will gain so much more.

I know it sounds hard, when loss brings pain and sorrow, But you will know joy again – next year, or tomorrow.

One thing that I’ve found, and I hope you will heed: Ask not what you want from life. Ask what you need.

Ask what you want and it may come to you, But ask what you need: What you came here to do.

This far through my Rede you have stayed and have read. Down paths much like mine you are likely to tread.

I welcome you, joyful, a companion to walk, For someone to listen to, someone to talk.

These pages are yours to accept or critique. May your road straight to Spirit unfold at your feet.

Stay if you will, here, or leave if you must. Blessed Be, One and All. Perfect Love. Perfect Trust.

– Brian Gallagher – author of this rede

Understanding Negative Energy: Choose Your Words Wisely!

Understanding Negative Energy: Choose Your Words Wisely!

Author: Ryan Hatcher

How often, as energy workers, are we told that negative energy is ‘bad’? “Cleanse it of all negative energy!” “It’s been tainted by negative energy.” “I can feel a lot of negativity here” and so on. Personally I feel this use of the word ‘negative’ to be wrong.

Let’s look at the word negative, and then you might see what I’m getting at. The word negative is the opposite of the word positive. In terms of physics, negativity is a description of a charge, such as positively charged particles and negatively charged particles (protons and electrons respectively) . The poles of a battery are labeled + and – or positive and negative. However, as energy workers we generally consider ‘negative’ to mean ‘bad’, ‘harmful’ and, in an extreme, ‘evil’.

Does this mean that half of a battery is evil? Or since electricity is a flow of electrons and so has a negative charge, does that mean electricity is inherently evil? Well…no, if we think about it, they’re not inherently bad, harmful or evil, although electricity can be harmful if it is misused, like any other energy.

If we look to the Far East, we can look at the ideas of positive and negative from a more spiritual perspective. What I refer to is the concept of Yin and Yang from Taoism and traditional Chinese medicine. Yang, roughly meaning Sun, is positive, masculine overt and open in Chinese. In the Taijitu (the typical Yin-Yang symbol) , Yang is represented by the white section. The concept of Yang energy is that of active, dynamic, masculine aspects, the sun and fire are forces associated with Yang as well as the God principle. Yang is the positive side of the polarity.

In Chinese medicine the Yang part of our body is the right side of our body. There are also Yang organs in the body, associated with active and energizing attributes. Yang is the energy within us that drives us forward, is our passion, and keeps us energized. But if we have too much Yang in our lives, we can end up feeling hyperactive, aggressive, suffer insomnia and eventually burn ourselves out.

Yin is roughly translated as shade, moon, feminine, negative, lunar and hidden in Chinese. In the Taijitu, the black section represents Yin. The concept of Yin energy is that of the passive, stillness and the feminine. The moon and water are forces associated with Yin, as well as emotions, intuition and the Goddess principle. Yin is the negative side of the polarity.

In Chinese medicine, the Yin part of our body is the left side of our body and, as with Yang, there are Yin organs in the body associated with passive, fluid attributes. It is the serenity within us that keeps us calm, allows us to sit and just observe the world around us, are the deep waters of our mind and keep us grounded. However, too much Yin in our lives leaves us feeling lethargic, depressed, lonely and alienated, suffering from hypersomnia and getting nowhere in life.

A balance between the two is imperative to be able to experience life to the fullest and to feel as present in the now as is possible for us as human beings at that moment. The Yin and Yang, together in the Taijitu, are inseparably linked, entwined together to form the whole, the perfect and infinite circle. One cannot exist without the other, just as a shadow cannot exist without a source of light. Also, if we look at the Taijitu we can see that the individual Yin and Yang parts contain a part of the opposite. This shows that opposites exist within everything and the importance of a balanced polarity.

There, polarity, that is the point I’m trying to aim for. Is it possible, looking at the Yin-Yang model to see negative as inherently bad as we have done for so long? If we did, it would mean that everything feminine, including the Goddess, would be bad, harmful and possibly inherently evil. I’m sure no one has any intention of doing that any time soon.

Positive and negative, light and dark. They are just opposites in the balance of polarity and have no sense of moral right or wrong, any more than do the poles of the aforementioned battery or the north and south poles of a compass, or even the earth. They’re just opposites of the same force.

So what do I propose we use instead of the word negative? Personally, I use the words ‘impure’, ‘unclean’ and ‘harmful’ when it comes to describing unwanted energy because that is really what we’re talking about isn’t it? Unwanted energy. Unwanted because it is harmful, impure and unclean. It is the energy that taints our work and our tools, whereas simply ‘negative’ energy could in fact be beneficial, providing a feminine aspect to our tools and working, and thus providing that balance of polarity which is what paganism and ‘the great work’ is supposed to be all about: unifying opposites to create a balanced whole.

Sometimes I feel that, though we understand thoughts and words have power, we still need to choose our thoughts and words more carefully when working directly with the energies of the universe. We need to make sure we know exactly what it is we are asking and that the words we use match our intention and directed will. The universe has a cruel, and sometimes ironic sense of humor (for a non-corporeal, non-specific entity anyway) , and sometimes you get what you’ve asked for, and if you’ve asked using the wrong words, then you’re likely to get a nasty surprise!

So from this moment I ask that we are all more mindful of the words we choose to use, both in our day-to-day lives as well as in our magical lives. Doing so we may just find things flow in the way we want them to and we can each live a happier, more peaceful existence.

Blessed be

Footnotes:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yin_and_yang

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taijitu

Yin and Yang: The Key to a Balanced Home

Yin and Yang: The Key to a Balanced Home

  • Erica Sofrina

Have you ever been in a room that didn’t feel good to be in but you couldn’t figure out what was wrong? Chances are the Yin/Yang components were out of balance.

Yin and Yang is at the foundation of the Ancient Practice of Feng Shui. It has to do with the recognition that the universe is made up of opposite forces of energy, which cannot exist without each other. They are finely balanced and, like polar sides of a magnet, are innately attracted to each other.

The Yin/Yang symbol (picture at top) depicts two fish gliding together in perfect balance. Each carrying components of the other; the black fish with the white eye and the white fish with the black eye. The two swim together in perfect harmony creating a circle, the most ancient symbol depicting wholeness.

Feng Shui acknowledges that we are ancient creatures who naturally seek balance. If our living spaces are not balanced, our lives feel out of balance as well. By learning to work with the Yin and Yang components in our homes, we create supportive spaces that bring our lives back into harmony as well.

The concept of Yin refers to the feminine principle, which is passive, dark and yielding. Yang refers to the male principle, which is bright, active and extroverted.

In physical environments Yin objects would be reflected by circular shapes, darker more muted colors, lower darker rooms, upholstered furniture of soft chenille, velvet and corduroy fabrics, carpeting and area rugs, and smaller detailed prints. In building materials adobe, brick and stucco would be considered more Yin materials. In design history, the eras that incorporated Yin qualities would be the Victorian era, Louis IV and VI and the Baroque period.

In architecture the Bauhaus period in Germany from around 1919 – 1933 was the beginning of modernist design utilizing more Yang components. Slick glass and mirrors, metal and plastics, high, vast ceilings, bright angular spaces, bold stripes and geometric patterns, square, hard angular furniture without detail, flooring of hard woods, cement and tile, all reflect Yang design materials and features.

In balancing a home we want to first determine the use of the space and then incorporate the Yin and Yang qualities appropriate for it. Passive spaces should incorporate more Yin features and active spaces more Yang features. The key, however, is to make sure we always have some of both qualities and not an over abundance of either.

Yin rooms are the places you want the energy to calm down to support rest, relaxation and rejuvenation. Yin rooms would be bedrooms, dining rooms, living rooms, possibly family rooms and bathrooms.

In these rooms we would want to bring in more Yin features such as comfy furniture, more muted colors and lighting, plush fabrics and more detailed patterns and accessories. Having a bright, light ultra-modern bedroom with high ceilings and slick fabrics would not serve the occupants and will often translate to sleep disorders.

Yang spaces are the more active spaces such as children’s playrooms, kitchens, gyms, home offices, laundry rooms, family rooms (depending upon the use), hallways and garages. These spaces should incorporate more Yang components with brighter lighting, whites and/or bolder colors, more angular shaped furniture and accessories with less detail.

In using modern Yang qualities make sure to choose furniture with more rounded edges. Sharp-edged furniture is considered weapon-like in Feng Shui. It may be subtle, but you will never fully relax in a space that has objects that can injure you. Our homes always need to be ‘people friendly’ no matter the style of decor you are drawn to.

We also want to bring in all of the Five Elements, which include plants and things that are either from the natural world or represent nature. Ultra modern homes devoid of nature will never allow us to feel truly ‘at home’ because of our deep innate connection to the natural world.

The key is to have a balance of both Yin and Yang qualities in every room, emphasizing more Yin or Yang features depending upon the use of the room. Yang features will make the space more active and Yin features generate a more restful atmosphere. Make sure your design choices and styles are serving the people who need to occupy the space, and not the other way around!

Once we have achieved an appropriate Yin/Yang balance in each room, we will be well on our way to creating a balanced and harmonious home that supports, uplifts and nurtures our lives!