Dragon & Phoenix

Day Pillar: Xin Hai (Yin Metal Water/Pig); last day of 1st Lunar month.

Damn water resricions…!

Well, as I was watering last night I had a good talk with the plants and they let me know about the differences between Heavenly energies and Earthly energies. It may sound weird… but then this kinda thing happens with me all the time.

What actually opened my awareness to the subtle differences was our Tomato plants. You can pump these guys full of water all you like – but a good dose of rain (no matter how light and short-lived) will always make them flourish and grow, and the fruits ripen. It was then that it all occurred to me.

When we water our plants, that water is coming up from underground pipes. It embodies Earth energies. Rain – even though it is water – has come from the sky; weather is known to be an expression or manifestation of Heaven’s energies. A tree requires energy from both Heaven (via the branches) and Earth (via the roots); and whilst sunshine is he obvious source of Heavenly energy, so is rain.

In fact, the trigram Dui/Lake is also related to the gentle watery qualities of rain (yin); as opposed to Kan/Water, which refers to fast-flowing or deep waters that are dangerous (yang).

Humans are as the Trees: we are the middle form of energy, taking in the archetypal energies of Heaven above and Earth below and combining them and releasing the alchemical energies outwards (horizontally), as well as exchanging the energies with each other (Heavenly energies downwards; Earthly energies upwards). We are the link between the two realms, standing between Yang and Yin (firm, yet yielding) and act as the catalyst.

In this sense also, we can make the parallel with the way acupuncture works. The internal, microcosmic environment of our bodies is akin to the Earth; the exernal, macrocosmic environment is Heaven; what links the two environments together is the strategically placed acupuncture needle.

This is a way that the wisdom of the I Ching can be utilised in Chinese Medicine.

I have been reading about the innimitable Carl Gustav Jung for Psych class. I have decided to write my essay on him and his theories, because it is he more so than any other theorist who seems to capture the energy and vision of all things esoteric.

As a youngster, he had a fascination with the occult, which is obviously apparent in his later work relating practices such as Alchemy with psychology.

My first real introduction to Jung and his writing was when I read his preface to Richard Wilhelm’s translation of the Yi Jing (I Ching). He actually used the divinatory aspect of the hexagrams to ask advice on what he should write about – the result is impressive.

According to Peter O’Connor, author of Understanding Jung, he was fascinated with reconciling opposites; this was due to his relationship between his mother and father, between himself and his father, and between his father and his faith (in the Christian myth, which Jung believed had not helped his father deal with the pressures or mysteries of life). Jung developed his theories on the Conscious-Unconscious because of his keen observation of polarities, and the need to make whole those opposites. He did a lot of good work early on with schizophrenia, and from here he developed his theories on the colective unconscious.

Is it no wonder that Jung would have been greatly impressed with the wisdom and depth of the ancient Book of Changes, with the symbolism of yin and yang. The reconciliation between these two complementary opposites is what Daoism and Chinese Medicine is all about. Jungian theory could be the key for Western minds to truly grasp the fundamentals of Daoist thought, especially in the context of Medical healing.

Even the concept of healing the shen (the Mind, or Spirit) in Chinese Medicine has many similarities with Jung’s concept of healing the rift between the Conscious and the Unconscious.

Jung was also highly impressed with the teaching/healing qualities of mythological stories. Myths provide for us important lessons and teachings, and are a fundamental aspect of healing within shamanic cultures. The Huang di nei jing can be seen as evidence of Chinese Medicine’s shamanic roots, as the structure of this textbook is in dialogue form – a form which is more akin to literature and story-telling than straight, dry didacticism.

I look forward to learning more about Jung and his theories – I feel that I will have plenty to learn from him: about myself and about others.

Please watch the video over at My 2.2 cents*

Vanishing Prayer is about the treatment of the Dineh (Navajo) people in SW-USA, and how they have been mistreated in order to mine resources for electricity.

What I found interesting was the comment by Roberta Blackgoat, when she described coal as the Liver of the Earth-Mother.

This is a remarkable statement from the CM perspective, as according to wu-xing (5 phase) theory, the Wood phase is associated with the Liver zang organ.

Too much Liver/Wood creates Liver-Fire, which rises upwards – manifesting as anger and aggression….

Too much burning of coal makes the climate get warmer….

Is there a connection here…?

The comment is also made that the Earth is undergoing constant surgery with this process – and isn’t this  indicative of the Western way? Our approach to ‘Health’ is exactly the same as our approaches to the environment, other cultures, politics, society, etc….

We either want to poison it, or cut it out!

Perhaps what is called for is the application of the Chinese Medicine/Daoist principles to these other aspects of modern life….?

Something to think about…..