Holding steadily to not knowing

Holding steadily to not knowing

The first half of life is “essentially a giant, unavoidable mistake,” according to author and Jungian analyst James Hollis.

I always chuckle when I reflect upon that. It helps me take some of my own past youthful folly less seriously.

Of course, first half of life habits and mistakes can happen during the second half of life, especially if the person is in denial about aging.

And sometimes people in the first half of life have second half of life type of wisdom, particularly if they have faced a lot of adversity.

Hilary Barrett refers to the I Ching Hexagram 4-Youthful Folly as “Not Knowing” and describes it as:

“Not Knowing literally means being covered over, like a young animal hidden away in the undegrowth by its mother. So you are ignorant, and cannot see as far as you would like to – but this is not such a terrible thing while you are still so small. To be small and ignorant is a creative harmonious way to engage with your world, and holding steadily to not knowing – and hence to learning – will bring good results.”

Problems arise if the “young ignoramous goes running after answers, as if it were embarrassing not to know. In his anxious persistence he shows a profound disrespect – for his teacher, and also for the answer he is seeking that he imagines can be had so quickly.”

That reminds of what Clarissa Pinkola Estés says: “One need not push it, the understanding will come. Some things must be accepted as being out of our reach, even though they act upon us, and we are enriched by them.”

This hexagram takes us through the next week of Leo.* It isn’t always so easy for Leo to swallow its pride and admit to youthful folly and not knowing.

You first have to admit that there is something for you to learn in order to be taught.

As the Tao Te Ching says: “Not to know the things you ought to know is folly. To know that there are some things you cannot know is wisdom. The wise recognize the limits of their knowledge; the foolish think they know everything.”

Here are some prompts you can ponder in the next week if you feel so inclinced:

What do you need to be to represent your authentic self in the world?

What kind of journey would you be willing to make without a map or GPS?

What are your favorite resources and tools for improving your self-awareness?

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*The 64 hexagrams of the I Ching, an ancient Chinese text, 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:

Women Who Run With the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estés

I Ching: Walking Your Path, Creating Your Future by Hilary Barrett

Continue ReadingHolding steadily to not knowing

Collective force and returning to the Self

Collective force and returning to the Self

War and armies would normally be about the last thing I would typically want to write about.

But, with astrology being a lectionary of sorts, and with the I Ching added to the mix, here we are with Hexagram 7: The Army/Collective Force.

This correlates with the next stretch of Leo season*, which seems contradictory at first, as Leo is more about individuality, whereas its opposite, Aquarius, is focused on the collective.

It makes sense, though, because we see here the necessity of a leader who can question established norms and help the collective move forward.

Such a leader also needs recognition by the community and must deeply understand their needs.

The first example that comes to mind for me is President James Garfield (1831-1881), who is the subject of the best history books I’ve read in the last few years: Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine, and the Murder of a President by Candice.Millard

Here are a few facts about him:

*All the rooms in his house were overflowing with books, even the bathroom.
*He was an ardent abolitionist.
*He ended up becoming the presidential nominee at the last minute even though he vigourously resisted it.
*His assassination only seven months into his presidency in 1881 brought people together in a way that would have been impossible before his death.
*He was a polymath. He even wrote “an original proof of the Pythagorean theorem during a free moment at the Capitol.” (Astrological fun fact: Virgo was his rising sign, natal Saturn was in Virgo, and he had a stellium in the third house of Scorpio, including Mercury.)

Millard’s description of Garfield as a leader is very much like how the I Ching and other taoist texts describe the ideal leader:

To his countrymen, a staggeringly diverse array of people, Garfield was at the same time familiar and extraordinary, a man who represented both what they were and what they hoped to be. Although he had been elevated to the highest seat of power, he was still, and would always be, one of their own.

In his commentary on hexagram 7, R.L. Wing says that such a leader has the “ability to call upon the COLLECTIVE FORCE in dangerous times.”

Garfield said: “Of course I deprecate war,” he wrote, “but if it is brought to my door the bringer will find me at home.”

In closing, R.L. Wing reminds us how to balance the self/collective (or Leo/Aquarius) axis: “Ultimately, in matters of your external relationships you must always return to the center of the Self for orientation and processing.”

In her commentary on hexagram 7, Hilary Barrett poses the below questions, which are good ones to ponder in the next week, if you so choose. If you know your Leo placements, and which area of life Leo represents for you, feel free to take that into consideration when answering them:

What are you aiming for?
How can you get more from your strengths?
With all your efforts, are you creating the life you want?

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*The 64 hexagrams of the I Ching, an ancient Chinese text, 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:

The I Ching Workbook by R.L. Wing

Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine, and the Murder of a President by Candice Millard

I Ching: Walking Your Path, Creating Your Future by Hilary Barrett

Continue ReadingCollective force and returning to the Self

The case for hiding

The case for hiding

While reflecting on the necessity of retreat, two poles quickly become apparent.

On the one hand, as James Hillman exhorts us to “make soul by living life, not by retreating from the world into ‘inner work’ or beyond the world in spiritual disciplines and meditation.”

A fair point.

Then on the other hand we have Marcus Auerlius with his reminder that “But it is within your power to find solace at any time, by retreating into yourself. When your thoughts are orderly and tranquil, there is no place quieter and more peaceful than your own soul. There, you are free.”

Aaahhh. I like that one.

Hexagram 33: Retreat from the I Ching is what is in play right now for these next several days of Leo season.*

One might not normally associate the bright and bold sign of Leo with retreat. But then again, I did a fair amount of retreating last week due to extra hot weather.

Toss in the Scorpio moon we had for 2.5 days of that and it was a festival of retreating.

The first thing that came to mind as I considered retreat is poet David Whyte’s brief reflection on Hiding:

“Hiding is an act of freedom from the misunderstanding of others…from mistaken ideas we have about ourselves, from an oppressive and mistaken wish to keep us completely safe, completely ministered to, and therefore completely managed. …Hiding leaves life to itself, to become more of itself. Hiding is the radical independence necessary for our emergence into the light of a proper human future.”

David Whyte, Consolations p. 114-15

That seems to strike the proper balance between the two poles discussed earlier – retreat that leads to purposeful emergence.

I’m also making a mental note to revisit that quote during August’s Scorpio moon visit.

Should you find yourself with some time to retreat in the next week, here are a couple of things you could ponder:

*R.L. Wing says that “your retreat should be confident and powerful.” How can you retreat in this way?

*What do you need to do to stay safe and whole in mind, body, and spirit this week?

_____
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*The 64 hexagrams of the I Ching, an ancient Chinese text, 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:

The I Ching Workbook by R.L. Wing

The Meditations by Marcus Aurelius, Sam Torode translation

We’ve Had a Hundred Years of Psychotherapy and the World’s Getting Worse by James Hillman

Consolations: The Solace, Nourishment and Underlying Meaning of Everyday Words by David Whyte

Continue ReadingThe case for hiding

Influencing by being influened

Influencing by being influened

Influence is something I thought a lot about back in the day when I wrote marketing copy for clients.

When I was in the marketing world, it quickly became apparent that influence is something that applies to all our interactions, not just with those we are trying to influence through marketing.

The less you try to persuade and convince someone, the easier it is to attract them to you or your ideas.

Jung said sommething interesting about influence: “The personalities of doctor and patient are often infinitely more important for the outcome of the treatment than what the doctor says and thinks….In any effective psychological treatment the doctor is bound to influence the patient; but this influence can only take place if the patient has a reciprocal influence on the doctor. You can exert no influence if you are not susceptible to influence.” [emphasis mine]

R.L. Wing emphasizes the same point in his commentary on Hexagram 31: “In social matters, your willingness to be influenced, even though you may be altogether self-sufficient, attracts others to you and creates an atmosphere for the exchange of ideas.”

Being susceptible to influences doesn’t mean setting aside healthy boundaries.

Rather, it is about making ourselves more vulnerable by taking off the armor, removing projections as best as we are able, and becoming more clear about who we are.

I’m writing about influence today because the Sun just entered the stretch of Leo associated with I Ching Hexagram 31 – Influence/Attraction.*

Do you have Leo Sun, Moon, or rising sign? Leos can have that ability to lead and influence, even if not in a formal position of leadership.

That is because the Sun is the planetary host of the fixed fire sign of Leo. People sometimes turn to Leo in the same way they like to bask in the Sun.

Even if you don’t have planets in Leo, the Leo house of your birth chart is lit up this month. The area of life it represents is an area where you might have some influence in the next few weeks.

Some questions to ponder:

Are you willing to be influenced by those you lead or in your personal relationships?

What type of situations or people do you tend to attract lately? Do they tend to enlarge your life or diminish it?

When you find yourself drawn to a person, can you see the positive characteristics in them that are hidden within you?

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*The 64 hexagrams of the I Ching, an ancient Chinese text, 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:

The I Ching Workbook by R.L. Wing

Continue ReadingInfluencing by being influened

Traveling to meet yourself

Traveling to meet yourself

I noticed that a recent New Yorker article with the title “The Case Against Travel” received a lot of push back in the comments on Instagram.

People love to travel. But the article challenges us to question why we think travel is such a significant endeavor:

“They may speak of their travel as though it were transformative, a ‘once in a lifetime’ experience, but will you be able to notice a difference in their behavior, their beliefs, their moral compass? Will there be any difference at all?”

I’m not much of a traveler myself, so I appreciated this, as well as the recent “Reconsidering the Staycation” article in the New York Times. Staycations tend to be my preferred form of “travel” because they foster inner voyages.

The writer didn’t enjoy staycations until she started approaching them by pondering this question:

“If I were moving away soon, what would I most want to do, and who would I most want to spend time with?”

All of this leads us to Hexagram 56: The Wanderer/Traveling. The Sun entered the fire sign of Leo today. This hexagram is associated with this beginning portion of Leo and also the last stretch of Cancer we experienced in recent days.*

The hexagram image is a fire on a mountain. Fires here don’t linger long and move on quickly to find another fuel source, which represents traveling/wandering,

Now that Leo season has begun, traveling might be on our minds. But R.L. Wing reminds us that traveling “is primarily a state of mind, yet it leads the traveler into very real spaces.”

When you are in situations that you know won’t last long, you won’t be able to change your surroundings much – and your surroundings shouldn’t change you.

As Wing says: “The traveler should hold to modest goals and behave with good grace and propriety. People on the move are moving targets, therefore caution and reserve should be exercised in your dealings with those you meet on the way.”

These periods of being a wanderer are a good time for an “inner voyage” where you explore new ideas, career opportunities, and experiences.

Maybe there are certain areas in your life where you are perpetually a wanderer, so as to get the substance while avoiding drama and potential entanglements with others.

However you prefer to travel, whether farflung adventures, a state of mind, or staycations, Marion Woodman’s insight is worth pondering: “But if you travel far enough, one day you will recognize yourself coming down to meet yourself. And you will say – yes.”

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*The 64 hexagrams of the I Ching, an ancient Chinese text, 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:

The I Ching Workbook by R.L. Wing

The Case Against Travel from The New Yorker

Reconsidering the Staycation from The New York Times

Continue ReadingTraveling to meet yourself

Birds bringing us back down to earth

Birds bringing us back down to earth

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

Continue ReadingBirds bringing us back down to earth

Adaptable and penetrating gentleness

Adaptable and penetrating gentleness

One of the things I like about the I Ching, an ancient Chinese book of wisdom, is that the images all come from nature. There aren’t references to mythology or complicated symbols.

The Hexagram 53: Development (Gradual Progress) image is a tree on a mountain. Such a tree is visible from afar and its growth is gradual. Richard Wilhelm says this about Hexagram 53, which is associated with the section of Cancer* we are currently in:

No sudden influence or awakening is of lasting effect. Progress must be quite gradual, and in order to obtain such progress in public opinion and in the mores of the people, it is necessary for the personality to acquire influence and weight. This comes about through careful and constant work on one’s own moral development.

One doesn’t often hear this kind of advice in this age where we are regularly bombarded with “7 quick and easy steps to become more influential!” type of content.

Wilhelm again: “Within the personality too, development must follow the same course if lasting results are to be achieved. Gentleness that is adaptable, but at the same time penetrating, is the outer form that should proceed from inner calm.” [emphasis mine – I love that sentence and am going to write that one down on a notecard.]

As this quieter energy of Cancer continues, here are some questions to ponder:

  • Describe something you are better at today than you were a year ago.
  • What is currently evolving in your life?
  • How can you be more patient with the process?

____________________
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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 or Book of Changes translated by Richard Wilhelm

Continue ReadingAdaptable and penetrating gentleness

The obstacle is the way

The obstacle is the way

The obstacle is the way, as the Stoics say.

It’s good that we stilled ourselves, because now there is an obstacle to face. Such is the cadence of life. We have now arrived at the Hexagram 39: Obstacles section of Cancer*.

Many of our external obstacles are generated internally. We are blocking our own progress, yet we tend to blame other people, circumstances, genes, the environment, and more. This is what is known as projection.

Even if the obstacle is self-inflicted, the work on getting through it need not be done alone. Other people can help us look at the problem from a new angle. You are never alone.

Here are a few questions that Hilary Barret invites us to ponder regarding this hexagram and an obstacle you may be facing:

*Where can you find help?
*How could you see the obstacles differently?
*Can you imagine going a different way?

I’ll close with a quote from Ryan Holiday’s book The Obstacle is the Way:

It’s an infinitely elastic formula: In every situation, that which blocks our path actually presents a new path with a new part of us. If someone you love hurts you, there is a chance to practice forgiveness. If your business fails, now you can practice acceptance. If there is nothing else you can do for yourself, at least you can try to help others. Problems, as Duke Ellington once said, are a chance for us to do our best. Just our best, that’s it. Not the impossible.

_______________________________________________________
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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 H ilary Barrett

The Obstacle is the Way by Ryan Holiday

Continue ReadingThe obstacle is the way

Stilling yourself into your own right place

Stilling yourself into your own right place

Now that we are fully into Cancer season, it’s the perfect time to think about keeping still.

Hexagram 52: Keeping Still is associated with this section of Cancer.* I like how Hilary Barrett refers to this hexagram as “stilling,” which is a verb. This emphasizes that stillness is a process and is active.

Here is some more of her commentary:

“To still yourself is to come to rest in your own right place. …Attaining this kind of stillness means firmly, even stubbornly, resisting the forces that would disrupt your equilibrium”

She goes further to say that even if you feel you ought to be constantly sensitive to others and their needs, “in a time of Stilling it is no mistake to exclude all these things, and be quiet within your self.” It’s like you “simply not see the other people there, because you hold yourself still and do not resonate with them.”

In typology terms, it is dialing down the extraverted feeling (the “friendly hosting” function per Dario Nardi) and tuning into your introverted feeling (the “appraising” function per John Beebe). This helps you focus more on your inner perspective.

It can help to ponder questions during stilling periods, which will also help you get into that state. Here are just a few prompts:

  • How well are you able to live in the present moment? How often are you instead preoccupied with the past and the future?
  • As you still yourself, do you have an increased awareness of purpose in your life guided by your inner wisdom?
  • How much of your life is in response to external demands? Reflect on how you can make a stronger connection between your outer and inner life.

If you have natal planets in this section of Cancer (my ascendant ruler Jupiter is here), you can include that as part of your journaling and reflecting as well. If you don’t have natal planets there, the Sun is currently visiting there and shining light into that area of your life as indicated in your chart.

When we retreat from others to strengthen the connection to our inner wisdom, we emerge with more compassion for, and understanding of, others. As Henri Nouwen said, “solitude is the ground from which community grows. …In solitude we discover each other in a way that physical presence makes difficult if not impossible.”

_______________________________________________________
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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

You Are the Beloved by Henri Nouwen

Continue ReadingStilling yourself into your own right place

What moderation is really about

What moderation is really about

Even a mountain can be brought back down to earth.

That is the image of Hexagram 15 in the I Ching: the earth and mountain balancing each other out; the valleys are filling up and the mountains are wearing down.

This is a reminder to bring ourselves back down to earth when we are caught up in the heights, so we can better fill in our own depths.

We can all probably think of times when not attending to a small issue in the physical world led to a bigger problem, such as an expensive repair. That is certainly true of me with my inferior sensation function! (INFJ, INTJ, ENFP, and ENTP types all have inferior sensation).

If nothing else, the inferior function will help do the job of bringing us back down to earth. Author Michael Pierce correlates introverted sensation to the Mountain trigram and extraverted sensation to the Earth trigram. So there is some serious sensation energy in this hexagram.

What is especially intriguing is the idea that moderation can come through experiencing something new; it isn’t just about restriction.

As R.L. Wing says in his I Ching Workbook: “It must be understood that acting with MODERATION means not only limiting the obvious excess, but also exposing yourself to new areas of experience. Through MODERATION you can now gain some real control over your destiny. In this way you use the balancing tendency of the current forces to center yourself.”

Which reminds me, the Sun entered Cancer today, but this hexagram also applies to the last few days of Gemini*. Gemini is curious and loves new areas of experience.

The rhythm of our Gemini journey was as follows:

Hexagram 20 – Contemplation
Hexagram 16 – Enthusiasm
Hexagram 35 – Progress
Hexagram 45 – Gathering
Hexagram 12 – Stagnation
Hexagram 15 – Moderation

This moderation now carries us into Cancer season. It’s interesting how we hit the brakes a bit with Stagnation and Moderation before entering the feminine water sign of Cancer.

When we are talking about Cancer we are really talking about the Moon, its planetary host. The Moon prefers the comfort of Cancer, which is conducive for moderation.

The last gasp of Gemini, especially with that recent Gemini New Moon, and Mercury being in Gemini for a couple more weeks, hopefully has us thinking about and experiencing new things, which we can now more quietly actualize as we center ourselves in Cancer season.


_______________________________________________________
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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:

Motes and Beams by Michael Pierce

I Ching or Book of Changes translated by Richard Wilhelm

The I Ching Workbook by R.L. Wing

Continue ReadingWhat moderation is really about