A watched pot always boils
Have you ever put on a pot of water on the stove to boil, walked away for a bit, then totally forgot about it until the pot boiled over? It’s possible I’ve done that a time or two (ahem).
That metaphor is inherent in Hexagram 63 in the I Ching, which is called “After Completion.” It consists of the trigrams Water over Fire, which symbolizes the image of water rising above fire. This hexagram represents the idea of reaching a state of completion or fulfillment after a period of effort and struggle.
Conditions are perfect and there is equilibrium. That also means, however, the slightest inattention can cause disorder to begin again, so caution is warranted. As Wilhelm says in his translation, “…it is only in regards to details that success is still to be achieved.” Constancy bears fruit.
This is similar to when a pot is above the fire waiting to boil and there is a meeting of opposites: water and fire. In the best scenario, a small amount of the water is transformed into vapor, and the rest remains behind to cook whatever is inside the pot. But if you get bored and stop paying attention even for a few minutes, the pot overflows, there is a noisy splashing of water, and the pot and food can get scalded.
This resonates with the end-of-cycle energy of Pisces, where one might reflect on the lessons learned, the growth achieved, and the closure of certain chapters of life. Pisces is the end of the astrological new year; the new year will begin with Aries.
Pisces is a time when emotions may run deep, and its energy encourages introspection, spiritual exploration, and connection with the unconscious. It favors embracing the endings and transitions that come with the conclusion of a cycle, while also looking forward to the possibilities of new beginnings as the wheel of the zodiac turns.
I’m reading Marion Woodman’s book Addiction to Perfection and she writes about how journaling “fulfills the need to pour out the heart” and is “crucial to recognizing those parts of ourselves that we have shunned.” Pisces season is a perfect time to start looking at those neglected parts of us, so that we don’t have a boil over, so to speak.
“Journal writing is a way of taking responsibility for finding out who I AM.” There’s no better time to start doing that than now, before the astrological new year begins. May your cup runneth over (instead of your pot).
REFERENCES:
I Ching or Book of Changes translated by Richard Wilhelm
Addiction to Perfection by Marion Woodman
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