I love that Hexagram 20: Contemplation of the I Ching correlates with the beginning of Gemini season.
As I wrote about last year, Mercury’s sign of Gemini has a lot more depth than one might think. It is perfectly suited to help us with the three levels of contemplation that Richard Rudd describes in his commentary on this hexagram in The 64 Ways.
The first level is simply viewing. We have to learn to train our lens on the present and on our current life situation. This helps us to make the connection that “our outer life is built upon the foundation of our inner life.”
The second level “is about viewing oneself in relation to the world. The self awareness really deepens now.” Seeing the effects of our actions has a preventative effect in us. Bad habits start to fall away. As we start to become more integrated in the world it brings a sense of calm. Note that it is becoming more integrated in- and not detached from – the world that brings this calm. “Allow this calm to settle deeply into your soul.” Cultivate it and make space for it to grow.
The third level is when the contemplation ceases of its own accord. “Everything you do or feel becomes an aspect of your contemplation. You use everything that happens in your life. This is the subtle art of contemplation.”
Using everything that happens in your life reminds me of what Jungian analyst Robert A. Johnson said:
Becoming whole is a game in which you get rid of nothing; you cannot do without these diverse energies any more than you can do without one of the physical organs that make up your body. You need to draw upon everything that is available to you.
Living Your Unlived Life by Robert A. Johnson
Isn’t that a wonderful alternative to the all-too prevalent notion that you have broken parts that need fixing?
Jupiter entered Gemini yesterday and will spend a year there. I look forward to having that in the background as we move through all the zodiacal seasons. It will be in Hexagram 20 for several months.
Jupiter, combined with the Mercurial nature of Gemini, brings a positive outlook, eloquent communication skills, ability to see the big picture, and ability to synthesize a lot of ideas. It will also help remind us that, as Rudd says, “Contemplation gives you true power.”
From a personality type perspective, hexagram 64 contains Earth (extraverted sensation) and Wind (extraverted feeling). You can see this combination in our closing quote:
When you learn the art of contemplation you have more influence on the direction of humanity than the President of the United States. You may not see this on the surface, but it’s true. A person living in presence affects the very air around them. They send off radiations of harmony that touches all quadrants of the universe. They are like the gentle wind blowing across the earth.
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