This is courtesy of my friend Bud, from Pipestone, Minnesota. He emailed it to me - thanks to the author, whomever they may be….

“For nearly a decade we’ve had that small pond in our yard. We’ve had fish in it, plants in it and I almost fell in it once. But I’ve never been able to grow flowers in it,” I said in frustration.

I stopped by a local garden shop to talk to one of the experts about why I can’t get our flowering pond plants to flower.

“Every year I try a new one hoping that this will be the year. My sister-in-law has beautiful flowers popping up from the lily pads in her pond. I think my fish are laughing at me,” I said to the young man.

“Well, you’ve answered one question for me. If you have fish in there you need to be careful. Adding fertilizer for the plants won’t necessarily be good for the fish,” he said. “Are the plants spreading like they should?”

“Yes, in fact they spread too much. I actually have to remove some leaves.”

“How big is this pond?”

“Oh, about five feet by three.”

“That’s not a pond, it a bird bath!” he said joking.

“I know. But we love it anyway.”

“What else do you have growing in it?

“Some tall plant this year that supposed to grow a gladiola-like flower on it.”

“Is that growing?”

“Yes, it just keeps growing these big leaves. I thought at first I bought a palm tree. I bet if I bought one more I could tie a hammock in-between. Okay, it’s not that big,” I said. “But every time a new shoot comes up we think “could this be the flower?” Then more leaves drop down.”

“Wait for a moment while I go get Bill. Maybe he can help.”

I stood nearby their display pond. It had at least a dozen beautiful lilies growing out of the water along with some smaller bush type plants along the water’s edge. They had flowers, too.

“You know it just needs time,” a voice said softly.

I looked around and couldn’t see anyone. I thought I was having heat stroke. Then just on the other side of the bushes near the pond, this wonderful looking older woman standing no taller than 4′10″, came walking out.

“Oh, there you are. I thought I was hearing voices,” I said.

“They need time. Everyone of those shoots has potential. It’s like life. You take time to nurture every part of your life and you never know what part is going to go into full bloom,” she said.

“That’s true. I never thought of it that way.”

“How many times did you try something that didn’t work out the way you wanted it to, but you discovered something else of value?”

“I’m in the business I’m in because of that. I never thought I’d be doing what I’m doing now. I started off wanting to be something else.”

“So keep on nurturing all that you have and stand back in anticipation of beautiful things popping up. Yes, there will be some weeds mixed in. Be grateful for the weeds. They help you to appreciate the flowers more. But don’t ever just focus on one part. You are one spirit with many parts. In order to find the flower you need to treat the whole growth.”

The young man returned. “Sir, Bill’s not here today. He’ll be in tomorrow if you’d like to come back.”

“My friend, I think I found the solution.”

“Excellent, what’s wrong with them?”

“I need to appreciate the leaves more,” I said.

Upon my return home I walked out by the pond and took a second look at those plants. There springing up from the water was a whole bunch of potential. That evening Marianne and I sat on our deck and talked for about an hour. I told her we need to love the plants more and appreciate the beauty of their leaves.

“So, you’re saying we won’t have flowers again this year!” she said with a smile.

“Well, let’s be grateful for how tall this one grew. It has potential,” I said.

When we came out to feed the fish this morning one of the tallest, tightly wrapped shoots started to open. Behold, a flower is coming!

“I believe in You!”

In the sci-fi series Babylon 5, J. Michael Straczynski wove the archetypal struggle between good and evil into the plot; the agents of the Shadows (the ancient evil) always approached people by asking them, “What is it you want?” and then granting them that wish like a genie out of a bottle. From then on, these people became part of the Shadows, their Hearts growing colder and darker and leading them to perform acts that their previous morality would blanch at - but now having no choice but to do what they had to do in order to maintain “that which they wanted.”

This is courtesy of The Daily Om, forwarded on to me by Bud in Pipestone, MN:

We all encounter obligations in life, from spending time with family and friends to being present at important functions in the lives of the people who form our community. Many times, the obligations are actually fun and fulfilling, and we want to be there. At the same time, we all sometimes experience resistance to meeting these obligations, especially when they pile up all at once and we begin to feel exhausted, longing for nothing so much as a quiet evening at home. At times like these, we may want to say no but feel too guilty at the idea of not being there. Still, our primary obligation is to take care of ourselves, and if saying no to someone else is what we have to do, then we do not need to feel bad about it.

There is a skill to balancing our obligations, and it starts with simply becoming aware of our schedule. We may notice that three invitations have arisen in one weekend, and we know that we will pay energetically if we attempt to fulfil all three. At this point, we can take the time to weigh the repercussions of not going to each event, considering how we will feel if we miss it and how our absence might affect other people. Most of the time, it will be clear which obligation we can most easily let go and which one we simply can’t miss. Sometimes we have to miss something really important to us, and that can be painful for everyone concerned. At times like this, reaching out with a phone call, a thoughtful card, or a gift lets people know that you are there in spirit and that your absence is by no means a result of you not caring.

Meeting our obligations to others is an important part of being human and not one to take lightly. At the same time, we cannot meet every obligation without neglecting our primary duty to take care of ourselves. We can navigate this quandary by being conscious of what we choose to do and not do and by finding concrete ways to extend our caring when we are not able to be there in person. What do you think?

Happy Solstice Day to everyone!

(Summer if you’re in the South; Winter if you’re in the North).

But given I am situated in Australia, of course I celebrate the longest day of the year, the peak of the King of Light’s rule, and the inevitable birth of the dark prince. The wheel of the year turns again, and from now on our days begin to shorten.

Whilst many people are celebrating Christmas at this time of year, it is well of us to remember that the myth of Christ’s birth is steeped in ancient pagan tradition, where the birth of the Son of Light is celebrated at the Winter Solstice (December in the North). In Australia most of us are about to go on holidays, a time when we enjoy the summer sun and heat, and celebrate with friends and family. Many go on road trips, and travel to different places.

Now is a time for moving forwards and seeking that which our hearts desireth. But it is also a time for introspection - but not too much, as if we always and with much intensity gaze inwards we run the risk of getting trapped within ourselves, and missing the wonderful world that exists ‘out there’. Keep in mind that at this time, introspection should be pointed to our objective world (if you can grasp that oxymoron, paradoxical as it is). Enlightenment comes when we look without from the centredness of within. Being centredness, and pointing our introspective gaze outwards, means we have control over that vehicle which propels us along our own personal journeys.

I just got shown this video.

This is truly amazing, and even blew me away - and I am no sceptic when it comes to the immeasurable power of Qi.

What is even more amazing is the complete humility of this healer - the ending is inspiring, and has renewed my own faith and intention to study Chinese Medicine. This is Truth, from my perspective. This is why we go through years of study and stress. It all pays off in the end. As a budding Qi Gong/Tai Ji practitioner, this has toughened my own resolve to find the discipline and strength and patience needed to do what I need to do on a daily basis: practice, perfect, and meditate!

Enjoy the video!

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…..

• 10:00am 

Today is Jia Xu according to the Four Pillars system (Bazi Chinese Astrology, also known as the Energy Almanac in the Huang di nei Jing).

It is a Yang day. The image is of Yang Wood from Heaven, and Yang Earth from Earth.

According to the Yellow Emperor’s Classic, Jia is an energy likened to that of a sprout breaking through the soil; whilst Xu is “the image of retreating from the visible excitement of life,” (ch.66, p.238).

These energies are seemingly contradictory, and I expect to notice that struggle between wanting to emerge and break out, and wanting to retreat.

In observing the energies of the Celestial Stems & Earthly Branches, I have noticed that my moods have fluctuated - unfortunately I haven’t observed my pulses and tongue over this period to see any signs of internal changes, but I know that they are there. Over the Summer break, my health has fluctuated quite a lot. Nothing too serious, but I have had lower back pain (Qi/Xue xu), and some digestive/middle jiao issues (including abdominal distention and bloating), not to mention putting on of weight. It could be because I have been fairly sedentary, and not out and about as much as I’d like. My diet is generally very good: balanced, organic and regular (more or less - there is still room for improvement…)

• 18:50 pm

I have had a very interesting day: I have spent a great deal of today doing Tarot readings for others (a very busy day). This kind of endeavour - like any form of healing - requires a great deal of energy, because you are constantly in a process of healing and helping others; being that I work a lot on an intuitive manner, this is more so. This is no different to practising Chinese Medicine - the doctor needs to be healthy and happy also, with a good reserve of energy (jing-qi) to be able to help one’s patients.

The fact that today was a yang day would have helped me a lot, considering the volume of readings I did. The majority of readings were for students beginning their new courses (orientation day at the Victorian College of the Arts) and all the readings I did were concerned with ‘new beginnings’: very much the young sprouts breaking through the earth…

But it is also the end of some 3 months of holidays for these kids: very much the retreat from the excitement of life, especially since most of them would have spent their holidays celebrating the end of their school days, and looking forwards to the new journeys they would be starting with these courses which may lead them onto their future careers.

So I can now see what today’s energy was about…

As of yesterday, I have begun a program of observing the energetic qualities of each day, based upon the information given in chapter 66 of the su wen.

This ‘energy almanac’ as also known in Chinese Astrology as the ‘Four Pillars’ or the ‘Eight Characters’. It is based upon the combination of the ten Heavenly Stems and the twelve Earthly Branches. The descriptions of these are given in this chapter. There are 60 combinations.

My own doctor/mentor (who is a Daoist) incorporates this cycle into his own practice, in so far as he brings together his observations of nature, and his observations of his clients’ health. He tells me that there is also a system of acupuncture associated with all this too.

Yesterday was the first day of the cycle: jia-zi - yang wood/water, which amongst other things is a good day for spiritual cultivation. The energy of this day is about the absorption of vital energy (water) and then using that energy to help a sprout break through the surface (wood); thus clearly a quality of yang.

Today is actually yi-chou - yin wood/earth. It’s still early in the day for me to have come to a picture of what this is about.

I am hoping that learning about these macrocosmic influences, and observing how they affect me (the microcosm) will assist me in learning the subtle, energetic aspects of Chinese Medicine. So, no more geeking on the computer - its time to hit the outer world and do some exercises….