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!
Mystic Messages 
5 Steps to the First Step – Richard’s Commentary
September 10, 2014 — RichardYou know that old expression – “watch that first step; it’s a doozy”? Well, Rosemary assures us not to worry too much about it because that step can be divided up into five! And I know how well this works.
A few years ago, we were still in Colorado, when Rosemary offered a weekend seminar in her program, The Intuition Edge. Across two days of a workshop setting (more like a playshop!) we learned her system to determine that next, first step. It included these five lead-up steps Rosemary outlined in her post on Friday. As a quick reference here they are again:
As you might guess I really like that first step. I do a lot of breathing; it’s part of my Qigong practice, my Yoga practice, my meditation practice. When awareness needs centering, breathing is the best approach.
It is the breath that helps us connect with anything, and everything. It is essential to connect within. And where does that vision of where we want to go next reside? Within!
How do you “see” your vision? I think we in the west call this direction we are headed a “vision” because we are such a visual culture. But can you sense your vision in other ways? Can you taste it, smell it, hear it, touch it? If you truly want to activate your vision apply all of your senses; begin to experience the vision in your whole body, as if it is real. It is real!
What blocks stand between you and your vision? Do you fear attaining that vision? Do you hesitate because you are unsure if it is the “right” vision? Are you confident you have the resources needed? There are many ways we sabotage ourselves. This may be the most important and the most difficult step of the five. Do the inner work here, whether it’s to dispel limiting beliefs, move through inner-child fears or gain trust in yourself and the Universe.
Commitment is a requirement. If you are not truly committed to your vision then no “first step” will appear. If the commitment is weak, go back to step 2 and connect or re-connect to that vision. This is a process. It is likely not a linear one but circular; view it as a spiral as you get closer and clearer about your vision.
When you are committed go for the guidance. Once again this is inner guidance and once again we get there, seek it through the breath. See why I like this process so much? We get to breathe!
And then there are many tools to use to stimulate and listen to the inner guidance, that intuitive side of our consciousness, our intuition edge. Use as many as you need and are comfortable with. Use divination tools like a pendulum, oracle cards, Tarot cards, astrology, numerology. Test your vision using these tools and ask for the next step toward that vision. Remember, you only need the NEXT step.
Then TAKE it…”step out in innocence and trust.”