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.
