One of the thoughts that caught my attention in Rosemary’s “Exploration” yesterday is:
“And what new stimulus is there in your environment to keep you growing? Or are you content with the status quo and resisting forward motion?”
We live in a totally dynamic Universe supplying our need for new stimulus constantly. All we have to do is pay attention to what’s going on and assess and respond to the stimulation around us. For example we are just now in New Moon energy (as of April 10, 2013 at 5:36 AM EDT) and we are just now in a new astrological year with the Sun in Aries. And Aries, the House of newness and action, is really full of stimulating planets right now. This is from our friend Gloria Hesseloff:
“The New Moon in ARIES holds special promise because 5 other celestial bodies are also in Aries! It can rock your world!
“(Note: Seriously, you may have noticed this unique Aries time is impacting many of us or our friends and family, especially those who have prominently in their charts Aries, Libra, Capricorn or Cancer. This energy can feel aggressive, angry, domineering, etc…)”
There is plenty here to stimulate growth, change, expansion, evolution. With all this energy in Aries, Spring time in the North, New Moon, it will be difficult to remain content with the status quo! It is a great time now to capture this energy to assist us in moving forward! Gloria goes on to say now is the:
“Time to reflect on:
- What am I ready to bring to life at this time?
- Where do I need to take a stand?
- How can I take advantage of the unlimited possibilities available to me?
- How can I make changes that are real, not just superficial?
- The Universal energies are supporting courageous action with this New Moon.”
It is with all this Aries energy supporting me that I cast my I Ching Gua for this New Moon to take a look at how the month may play out and how I can best interact with these energies. And I received a surprising pair of Gua. Here is the first:
Note that the second line is a changing line (a nine) which yields a new “Approached Gua”. The initial Gua tells us something about the current energies, the status quo if you will, and the approached Gua tells us something about the changes we can expect. Since I cast these Gua for the month (the next
moon cycle, or “moonth”) we start out with the energy of Gou (Encountering) and end with Dun (Retreat). Here’s the Approached Gua:
And here is my interpretation:
Gou is about encounters with other people. The I Ching expresses caution here, to be careful of these encounters, to not take people as they first appear; not to distrust, necessarily but to reserve judgment. And it is better to meet people in person rather than at a distance (indirectly, e.g. via email!).
The Approached Gua, Dun, indicates a retreat after this or these encounters. This is a positive retreat, one to gather strength for another time (next month perhaps).
Both of these Gua offer caution about “little people” and to avoid inappropriate or unproductive encounters with them. The wise retreat to gather strength and reinforcements. This tells me to not get bogged down with small stuff. Advance by retreating!
And note that if you are following my I Ching readings each moonth that my last Gua was Heng/Long Lasting, which is the Gua immediately preceding Dun. So, after remaining steadfast during the previous month it may now be time to step back to assess and regroup!
With the I Ching timing is everything. I also note that while both of these Gua this moonth urge caution, Gou corresponds to the 5th month (June) and Dun corresponds to the 6th month (July). These will be very productive months for the year. Now is a time to be watchful of encounters and to retreat into planning to prepare for the summer months.
Considering all this energy in Aries, these are very cautionary Gua to received. I will be storing up this energy, putting it into plans and getting ready for a big summer!
Do you use any divination tools in your life? They can help you with the ever-present influences from the environment, help with interpretation and with guidance on using the energies for forward motion, but only when it is advisable!




ROSEMARY’S EXPLORATION: The Story is Not the Person!
April 17, 2013 — RosemaryEveryone around you has a story and you have only heard the part of the story that they want you to hear. Everyone has a part of themselves that is hidden away, being protected, staying safe by not being revealed. Behavior is not the story. Behavior is often the cover-up for the story.
When you understand this about the people around you it is easier to be gentle with those folks. What if that person just lost a loved one and doesn’t feel comfortable sharing that with you? What if that person was so horribly abused as a child that they cannot bear to be hugged by anyone because it re-traumatizes them? What if that person just got off the phone from a very disturbing conversation and they are in the middle of processing the information when you try to talk to them?
There is an endless list of possibilities for what is going on in another person’s life and most items on that list have nothing to do with you. Do you keep this in mind when you interact with other people? Can you be sympathetic to the part of the story that they are protecting from exposure and give them the benefit of the doubt?
Each of us has a responsibility to ourselves and to others to learn how to live in community with the people around us. We are not private islands with ‘No Trespassing’ signs on our foreheads! The most important lesson to learn about living in a civilized society is to learn what healthy boundaries are. Learn what to let in and what belongs to the other person.
Asking others to respect your boundaries includes allowing them to ask the same of you. Some people have very private stories behind the fence of their boundary and that is theirs to protect. By the same token, you are allowed to hold parts of yourself private from public scrutiny and anyone who doesn’t respect that boundary does not get the privilege of interacting with you.
In learning how to interact with others in a healthy way it is important that you know your own story. What motivates you? What has happened in your past that is influencing your present? What parts of you have you disowned that are lurking in your shadow bag waiting to be rediscovered and reintegrated? With whom have you had an interaction that might influence your current relationships with baggage from the past connection?
Study your story. Write it out. Do a timeline of your own life. It can be useful to do a timeline of your parents’ lives as you know them, or as they can share with you, and compare that with your own. Sometimes we can uncover hidden beliefs about ourselves by noticing what has moved onto our timeline from our parents.
Notice when you get stuck in your story instead of continuing to create it. Are you in a loop that has you repeating a part of your past story that is holding you back from growing in the present? Are you re-traumatizing yourself by repeating that story over and over again and never giving yourself a chance to open to new possibilities that allow you to release that old story?
What parts of your story are you hoping no one else will discover? Why?
Part of being on the path of personal growth is expanding your consciousness to encompass ALL of who you are. Every part of your story is important in shaping you to be the person that you are today. And this is true for everyone around you.
Own your story but do not be governed by it. Be conscious of your responsibility to continue to grow. Help others to grow by allowing them to have their own stories while keeping healthy boundaries for yourself.
And you can change your story! There are many techniques available to help you to do this. Empower yourself by taking the first step – write your story. Then the work can begin.
PS: Spring Book Special: Get Your Woman On! Embracing Beauty, Grace and the Power of Women – The Amazon Best Selling book that I co-authored with some amazing women – is available this month at a very special price – $12 with free shipping in the US and some great bonuses! This would be an inspirational gift for Mother’s Day for a woman who would like to read 39 stories of transformation. Here’s how to get your copy: Book Sale