Keep your mind calm and detached so that you are not overwhelmed, swamped or unable to function as you normally do. Though things continue to heat up, and the chaos grows, keep your mind focused on the greater good and the goodness and kindness that lies in the hearts of all beings. It may not seem that way, but when all is said and done, and there is no longer any human form to worry about, this will become clear. As one is upon the earth, during any one earth life, may not at all be what one is in one’s spirit life.
Please Note: My next weekly blog will be published on July 8th, as I am taking time off from my writing schedule. Jan’s Soulbytes, however, will continue to be posted daily.
Recently, I consulted the I Ching to provide clarity and guidance for my readers as they navigate the next couple of weeks of these uncertain times. I was presented with hexagram #50, The Caldron, with a moving line in the second place. The future of this configuration is hexagram #56, The Wanderer, or the state of being in transition.
A caldron is a cooking vessel used to prepare food over an open fire. In ancient China, huge metal or ceramic caldrons were used in temples to prepare food offerings to honor the ancestors, as well as heads of state and those of wisdom, who contributed their guidance on such an important occasion as the birth of a new dynasty. This huge cooking vessel served the spiritual transformation of a nation, a metaphor quite apropos for our time.
The Caldron is also an alchemical vessel that contains and transforms a volatile mix of opposing energies into a delicate balance. The elements that build the pictogram of The Caldron are fire beneath water. Fire is the active, heated masculine energy that is absorbed and tempered by the calm, receptive feminine energy of water. This artful womblike handling of polarity gives birth to new life in the form of steam.
Steam is the resultant transformation of water into a new state of energy that can power an engine or provide cleansing in purification practices. Psychologically and spiritually, the water of the subconscious mind, heated by the fire of suggestion—coming from the masculine ego of the conscious mind—provides the energy and construction materials for new life.
The Caldron is an apt symbol for the subconscious mind. All knowledge and wisdom is contained in the subconscious with its additional ability to divinely manifest into the flesh any suggestion it absorbs. The collective caldron of now is manifesting extreme volatility, at the behest of the dominating masculine ego, whose powerful suggestions it absorbs and dutifully produces.
But these manifestations cannot cancel the karma they generate. Regardless of how things play out on the surface, the karma of now is irrevocably to become the greater good for all, the absolute consequence of the unbounded narcissism and one-sidedness of now.
The existence of this karmic shift is fully formed at the subtle, purely energetic dimension of reality. Physical reality is always preceded by mental activity that, when fully complete, delivers its dictum to the subconscious mind for physical manifestation. The transient revolutions and chaos of now are simply the later stages fueling the coming karmic shift.
The moving line that presents in the second place of The Caldron, as well as its resultant hexagram of The Wanderer,contains powerful guidance for now: While we are in a fine position for good and necessary change, we must exercise caution and avoid arrogance. Humility and proper conduct cannot be overstressed.
The Wanderer depicts the state of a journeyer who arrives as a stranger in a strange land. Firstly, the journeyer should maintain integrity and clarity in interactions with others. Humility and modesty dissuade distrust and aggression. The journeyer does well to suggest to the subconscious mind that it be provided signs to direct right action, which enables the journeyer to be adaptive and go with the flow.
The journeyer has clear thoughts and the resilience to patiently wait for the world to transform for the greater good. The journeyer is nourished by the wisdom provided by The Caldron, and submits willingly to the containment and refinement of heated transformational processes that must be endured for transformation to complete. The Wanderer maintains loving compassion for all as the world is born anew.
In summary, take solace in knowing that the stupendous change toward the greater good is but a step away. Of course, cosmic time is a bit more relative than our earthly clocks! Be patient, humble and full of gratitude. Believe, believe, believe! Throw your intent daily behind the absolutely inevitable karmic shift to the greater good destined to befall us all.
The world is in chaos. There is no doubt about that. But really, when is the world not in chaos of one sort or another? There is always going to be chaos around you. How you decide to react to that chaos is what matters.
Stay on your chosen path no matter what comes to disrupt your equilibrium. There are many forces in the universe that seek places to land, that need attention in order to thrive. Only give attention where attention is warranted. Steer clear of any interactions that are not energetically conducive and enhancing. Of course, you have to deal with what arises in daily life that needs attention, for you cannot live wholly in the world of spirit and spiritual intentions, but you can hone your attention, saving your energy for what matters the most. Daily life is a tug-of-war between the must-doing of the outer world and the must-doing of the inner world. Find your balance and hone it so that you are not drawn off your course and away from your inner self too often.
A journey of the soul is a journey that everyone is on. Can you accept this about everyone, that each person needs to have the experiences in life that will teach them and help them to evolve? Just as you once were young and naïve so must others be allowed to be. Just as you once thought you knew so much and were certain you could take on anything so must others be allowed to have the same dreams and illusions. Life itself teaches the lessons that must be learned. But don’t forget that just as you are evolving so are others. With understanding, and with the knowledge that all are capable of taking life’s tremendous journey, let those who are closest to you take the journey that they must, while you do the same. There is no separation, there is only progress on another level, in synch with all of creation.
