Not a day goes by where I’m not closely observing birds.
So that’s why I’m glad our next hexagram has my most favorite of nature images: birds!
We have three pet cockatiels and many birds visit our backyard throughout the day.
I understand why the ancients viewed birds as messengers of the invisible world. Once in a while our cockatiels will sit still and not move as they stare at me for as long as half an hour. I swear they can see things we humans can’t see.
James Hillman said this about birds: “The bird is like the physical force of the metaphysical.”
The Sun just entered the stretch of Cancer associated with I Ching Hexagram 62: Preponderance of the Small (Conscientiousness).*
Per Richard Wilhelm’s translation:
“The flying bird brings the message:
It is not well to strive upward,
It is well to remain below.
Great good fortune.”
A bird can soar into the sky but ultimately must descend to its nest on earth.
Nesting is a Cancer quality. The air sign of Gemini precedes Cancer; Cancer provides a counter-balance to Gemini where thoughts constantly take flight.
If you have ever watched a bird build a nest, they are exemplars of attending to the smallest of details.
Birds are also a constant reminder to remain true to your own nature and your own voice, because they are so good at that themselves.
For your own unique call to be heard, you need to fly closer to the ground and pay attention to details, creating a more sensitive connection with your world. When you come down to earth in this way, scaling down your aspirations, crossing over in small ways and doing small works, then you enjoy great good fortune.’
Hilary Barrett
What small things can you focus on in the next week?
What has been going on in the Cancer area of your life these past few weeks? We’re in the final stretch, with Leo just around the corner. Is there some “nesting” you can do this area?
At the very least, closely observe some birds this week and discover what messages they might have for you.
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*The 64 hexagrams of the I Ching are arranged along the ecliptic (the celestial equator) in Human Design. In astrology there are 12 zodiac signs along the ecliptic, so there are 5.3 hexagrams per zodiac sign. I’m contemplating these hexagrams as a way to engage with astrology, the I Ching, and Jungian psychology.
References:
I Ching: Walking Your Path, Creating Your Future by Hilary Barrett
Animals Presences by James Hillman
I Ching or Book of Changes translated by Richard Wilhelm
