~ A dying oak tree, its trunk split and branches breaking, does not in any way resemble an acorn.<\/p>\n The new beginning\u2014despite growing directly out of the remains of the old\u2014does not resemble what it replaces.<\/p>\n While it is imperative to recognize endings before they arrive, it is self-defeating to dwell on them:\u00a0 Endings serve to direct our attention to the new beginning already starting to unfold.\u00a0 The Book of Changes<\/em> is not simply about the art of avoiding misfortune\u2014its deeper intent is to instruct us in the art of arriving ahead of time at the meeting place of good fortune.<\/p>\n <\/a>An acorn, bright and gleaming in the palm of a hand, does not in any way resemble the giant oak tree dominating the forest clearing hundreds of years later.\u00a0 And this is a critical lesson of the I Ching<\/em>\u2014one of context and chance and perseverance.\u00a0 For, the same acorn that falls in a level fertile field and grows to great height and prominence will grow stunted and gnarled should it fall among rocks on the crags of a cliff face.\u00a0 The same acorn.<\/p>\n Everyone recognizes that the old is ending.\u00a0 Everyone.\u00a0 Worldwide.\u00a0 The question of concern is, What kind of ground are we preparing for this seed of the new?<\/em><\/p>\n The ancients had an accurate sense of the length of time that the pendulum of change takes to swing out to its extreme and reverse the passions of human nature.\u00a0 Across numerous cultures, the ancients accurately foresaw that this<\/em> time, the historical epoch in which we<\/em> are living, would be the turning point for civilization to realize the dream of a Golden Age of peace and prospering for all.<\/p>\n That these<\/em> are The Beginning Times.<\/p>\n Among those prophesies is the Mayan calendar, whose 5,000-year Long Count of 13 baktuns comes to an end on the Winter Solstice of 2012.\u00a0 Because the Mesoamerican calendar itself was not in use 5,000 years ago (it is perhaps 3,000 years old, imaginably 4,000 years old), it means that the Maya chose a symbolic starting date for their calendar that would end<\/em> on a specific date.<\/p>\n A specific symbolic<\/em> date.\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n A date that would get our attention<\/em>.<\/p>\n This accomplishment of the ancients, to accurately set their calendar to end on the Winter Solstice several thousand years in the future, is a testament to their care and concern for the future.\u00a0 It is like a message in a bottle washing up on the shore of our island of the present, reminding us of the dreams that our common ancestors<\/em> carried in their hearts for the coming generations.<\/p>\n It is a symbolic date, not one to be taken literally.\u00a0 As the old saying goes, Don’t look at the finger pointing at the moon\u2014look at the moon<\/em>.\u00a0 It is meant to get our attention, not to become the object of our attention.\u00a0 As I have noted previously<\/a>, the actual turning point began to first show itself in 1998.\u00a0 The reversal of direction<\/em> that the Mayan calendar points to is this space of time<\/em>, wherein the old regime of conflict and competition withers and falls, collapsing under its own weight, no longer supported by the beliefs or actions of those it subjugates.\u00a0 This reversal of direction is predictable because the seasons of human nature are knowable\u2014it is not the direction of outer conditions that the 2012 date points to but, rather, the reversal of beliefs and values within human nature<\/em>.\u00a0 When the collective conscience of humanity can no longer be cowed into accepting the desecration of its own nature, then what emerges from the ashes of its old beliefs and values is a united humanity bent on no longer desecrating its relationship with nature and spirit.<\/p>\n Those who cannot believe that sudden and rapid change can, nearly overnight, reverse the course of whole nations simply do not understand the unconscious longings of the human heart.\u00a0 The longer that people’s true desires are repressed by force and intimidation, the more sudden and more profound the reversal of beliefs and actions.\u00a0 The dying giant is split and cracking\u2014but what we need to focus on is finding the common ground within which to plant and nurture civilization’s new beginning.<\/p>\n As I write here on my little hilltop in Southern Oregon, the Winter Solstice of 2010 has arrived.\u00a0 It is an auspicious event because it is the first Winter Solstice in centuries to coincide with a lunar eclipse.\u00a0 For those who have been trained to sense the Qi<\/em> of the world, the extreme of yin is sinking to its utmost depths, just on the cusp of the turning point back toward yang.\u00a0 At the apogee of the eclipse, the earth’s shadow moves on and the full moon’s light begins to wax again.\u00a0 At the height of Winter’s cold and dark, Spring’s warmth and light is born.<\/p>\n A full season ago, on the Autumnal Equinox, I consulted the Oracle, asking this question:\u00a0 What can humanity expect with the approach of 2012?<\/em> In the Oracle’s answer<\/a>, the events around the 2012 turning point<\/em> predict a time of growing authoritarianism that, once transcended, will usher in a prolonged period of global reconciliation.<\/p>\n More specifically, it points to a crisis that we, as humanity, have confronted before and failed to resolve in a beneficial way for all.\u00a0 With the approach of 2012, we have the opportunity to face that collective dilemma again.\u00a0 Although the official reaction will reflexively try to repeat the same mistake as before, a groundswell of enlightened goodwill that transcends borders will unite people everywhere in a positive and constructive response\u2014one that overrides the authoritarianism of religions and governments and sets in motion those metamorphic forces of nonviolence and noninterference that give rise to the harmonious and creative civilization our collective ancestors dreamed for us.<\/p>\n In my ongoing effort to expand<\/a> on this message and present its ramifications as transparently as possible, I have executed the classic transformation of the reading’s hexagrams into their nuclear hexagrams<\/a>.\u00a0 This transformation produces a new pair of hexagrams that represent the underlying forces at work beneath the surface of events.\u00a0 The hidden motivations, the unconscious currents, the dreams demanding expression.<\/p>\n The primary hexagram of the 2012 reading<\/a> is #54 Repeating Test.\u00a0 Its nuclear hexagram is #63 Awakening Self-Sufficiency.<\/p>\n This is interesting because this same hexagram appeared as the future outcome in my June 2009<\/a> reading as the answer to my question, At what crossroads does our global civilization stand now\u2014and in what direction does good fortune lie?<\/em> <\/em><\/p>\n For those not yet familiar with the Toltec spirit warrior<\/em>, it is defined as a woman or man who trains to defeat their own enemy-within<\/em> (which is in turn defined as their self-defeating habits of thought, emotion and memory<\/em>).\u00a0 We can see that there is a growing movement of individuals worldwide who have taken up such training\u2014which appears under different names\u2014in order to restore humaneness to our collective life.\u00a0 It is this metamorphosis of individuals that is striking the spark to the kindling-nest so that the phoenix might arise more glorious from its ashes.<\/p>\n As a nuclear hexagram, #63 speaks to the unconscious desire to free ourselves from those baser instincts that divide us as a people from ourselves, nature and the sacred.\u00a0 As its text illustrates, this hexagram seeks autonomy from that which trivializes human nature by seeking to restore its full creative power.\u00a0 It is a nuclear hexagram that overcomes outer conflict by understanding that the instincts dividing us are universal to all people and, so, constitute the very source of our inevitable unity.<\/p>\n Image:\u00a0 A great feathered serpent hatches out of the earth as if from an egg.\u00a0 Its feathers are adorned with conch shells and it senses its surroundings with its bifurcated tongue.<\/span><\/p>\n Interpretation:\u00a0 This hexagram represents the great forces released by the accumulated efforts of spirit warriors over the ages.\u00a0 The feathered serpent symbolizes the collective intent and vision shared by spirit warriors in every time and every place.\u00a0 That it hatches from the earth as if from an egg means that the community of spirit incubating within the material world emerges as a living, dynamic force of creation. \u00a0The conches adorning its feathers symbolize the call for all to join the community of spirit.\u00a0 Its bifurcated tongue symbolizes the duality that is one.\u00a0 That it uses its bifurcated tongue to sense its surroundings means that you are attuned to the universal presence of the masculine and feminine creative forces.\u00a0 Taken together, these symbols mean that you align yourself with those whose only need<\/em> is to bring benefit<\/em> to their surroundings.<\/span><\/p>\n Action:\u00a0 The spirit warrior reverses the flow of power, channeling it inside instead of outside:\u00a0 by storing up power internally rather than expending it externally, we are able to both free ourselves of habits and gain control over our actions.\u00a0 This inner autonomy also extricates us from social influences that strive to mold us into obedient marionettes even as it allows us to be more tolerant of the deeper motives of those social influences.\u00a0 From the spirit warrior\u2019s perspective, the original intent of religion is to awaken the higher soul to its potential freedom while purifying the lower soul of fear, greed, envy, and hate\u2014just as the original intent of government is to awaken the higher soul to its responsibility to others while instilling in the lower soul the capacity for self-control.\u00a0 From this perspective, the fact that religion and government acquire ulterior motives over time and begin to act in their own self-interest merely demonstrates that they are managed by human beings and must be viewed accordingly.\u00a0 Similarly, the fact that all religions and governments strive to awaken the higher soul and purify the lower soul\u2014even when they have forgotten how and why\u2014simply demonstrates that the quest for metamorphosis is a universal and irresistible force.\u00a0 Just as our inner autonomy releases us from the trap of depending on social influences for our sense of self, in other words, it also releases us from the trap of not seeing how those social influences contribute, however unintentionally, to the gradual unification of humanity.\u00a0 Reversing the flow of power, we gain inner autonomy and, paradoxically, become one with the universal civilizing force.<\/span><\/p>\n Intent:\u00a0 The wise become independent even from what they revere.\u00a0 Like children who are grown up and independent of the parents they love and admire, spirit warriors take their place among the community of spiritual equals.\u00a0 Because you use this lifetime to bring the most benefit<\/em> to others, you incubate the higher soul that is preparing to hatch from the lower soul:\u00a0 joining in the collective labor shared by spirit warriors in every time and every place, you contribute directly to both the fulfillment of humanity\u2019s destiny and the creator\u2019s vision.\u00a0 Becoming part of the universal civilizing spirit, you contribute directly to the founding of a free and harmonious world of equals right here within this world.<\/span><\/p>\n Summary:\u00a0 Only the body marks the passage of time\u2014for the soul, there is only this everlasting moment of growing.\u00a0 Let five rivers of energy come in through the senses, let them run together into a sea of growing power.\u00a0 Do not expend it on petty thoughts, moods, or goals.\u00a0 Send forth your rain clouds only to water the valuable.\u00a0 Condense intent into actions that foster peace and prosperity for all.\u00a0 Your success is inevitable.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n The derived hexagram that appears in the 2012 reading<\/a> is #2 Sensing Creation.\u00a0 Its nuclear hexagram is #39 Reviving Tradition.\u00a0 As the future outcome, #2 Sensing Creation is profoundly inspirational.\u00a0 It presages a time of worldwide reconciliation and heartfelt collaboration towards an emerging vision of what civilization might become.<\/p>\n As its nuclear hexagram, #39 Reviving Tradition reminds us that our common ancestors lived closer to the time of creation than we do.\u00a0 It shows that the underlying forces of #2 Sensing Creation are part of the emerging reversion to values and beliefs grounded in a more traditional\u2014and meaningful\u2014lifeway.\u00a0 This could have evolved into a time in which the reversion to traditional values and beliefs led to greater conflict and confrontation, but the movement into #2 assures us that the mistakes we have made in the past will no longer be repeated.\u00a0 This is because the general amnesty and forgiveness of past wrongs is based not upon the surface differences between traditions but, rather, upon their shared foundation in the sacredness of everything.<\/p>\n Image:\u00a0 The ancient spirit of fire takes the form of a male warrior, who is made part of the land by the roots growing like veins through his body and the earth.\u00a0 His arm is raised, greeting the long line of people in shadow that approach him.\u00a0 Another line of people, their torches rekindled, depart in light.<\/span><\/p>\n Interpretation:\u00a0 This hexagram depicts the ancestors\u2019 inheritance passing from individual to individual and from generation to generation.\u00a0 The ancient spirit of fire symbolizes the universal tradition of fire-making, whose timeless ritual unites all people in a common heritage.\u00a0 The male warrior symbolizes the self-discipline and training needed to stand against greed, ambition, and materialism.\u00a0 That he is made part of the land means that you find your spiritual home in the site of your own lifetime.\u00a0 The long line of people in shadow is a symbol of those seeking to find their way back to a balanced and harmonious way of life.\u00a0 The line of people departing with torches rekindled is a symbol of those who find the light of the ancestors inside their own hearts and carry it through the darkness of their own time.\u00a0 Taken together, these symbols mean that you resist spiritual erosion the way a mountain of righteousness stands against the wind of corruption and the rain of meaninglessness.<\/span><\/p>\n Action:\u00a0 The masculine half of the spirit warrior views everything as a buried treasure left behind by the spiritual ancestors for their descendants.\u00a0 It is a time for holding fast to what lasts rather than getting distracted by the novel or overwhelmed by the fleeting.\u00a0 Avoid participating in the fads and fashions of the day, seeking instead to uphold the values and world view of a more spiritual time.\u00a0 This means, first and foremost, respecting and honoring all that is not human:\u00a0 when matter is seen as devoid of spirit, then nature can be desecrated without a second thought; when one form of nature is seen as devoid of spirit, then all forms of life can be desecrated without a second thought; when one form of life is seen as devoid of spirit, then human beings can desecrate one another without a second thought.\u00a0 For this reason, the spirit warrior sees the world as the divine homeland shared by the living and the dead and those not yet born.\u00a0 Recognizing that meaningfulness is hidden from those who attack it, you look into the secret heart of things and see the One Spirit of creation everywhere you look.\u00a0 Recognizing that meaningfulness is an open secret to all but the greedy, ambitious, and materialistic, you bury the treasure again in your own turn so that your descendants will find their secret heart.<\/span><\/p>\n Intent:\u00a0 Even though you feel out of step with the wounded spirit of the time, you are actively involved in healing it:\u00a0 recognizing that its illness is meaninglessness, you feed it the medicine of meaningfulness day and night throughout your life.\u00a0 Just as the fire of light and warmth must be fed wood and air to continue burning, the spirit of the time must be fed the joy and insights born of meaningfulness if it is to continue living:\u00a0 without the tradition of meaningful consecration to feed it, the spirit of the time will eventually die and be replaced by that of meaningless desecration.\u00a0 For this reason, the spirit warrior keeps alive the ancient tradition of training every thought and feeling to reflect the hidden sacredness of every moment.<\/span><\/p>\n Summary:\u00a0 The more you put the world view of the ancients into practice, the more you have to offer others.\u00a0 Be generous with what you have learned but do not stop learning:\u00a0 just as people depend on a well for their water, the well depends on the invisible river below ground for its water.\u00a0 Assume that you will understand matters better in the future and act with a corresponding degree of humility.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n The 2012 reading, with all its associated meanings, reminds us to reject utterly the paranoiac heart-mind of this wounded age that would have us dwell in the irrational belief that unseen forces are conspiring to do us ill.\u00a0 Rather, it reminds us to keep in mind the definition of the word Pronoia:\u00a0 the irrational belief that unseen forces are conspiring to do us good<\/em>.\u00a0 It is irrational only in the sense that spirit warriors do not confine their efforts to the rational world.<\/p>\n It is two years exactly now until the Winter Solstice of 2012 arrives.\u00a0 Priest-diviners everywhere are focusing the generative energy of their intent on plowing the field of the World Soul to receive the rain of spirit seeds already falling and taking root in the open heart of human nature.<\/p>\n ~<\/p>\n Across the imaginary distance of culture and borders, I honor your contribution to the Beginning Times.<\/em><\/p>\n ~<\/p>\n The Toltec I Ching<\/em>, by Martha Ramirez-Oropeza and William Douglas Horden has just received a Silver Award in the 2010 Nautilus Awards<\/a>.\u00a0 It recasts the I Ching in the symbology of the Native Americans of ancient Mexico and includes original illustrations interpreting each of the hexagrams.\u00a0 Its subtitle, 64 Keys to Inspired Action in the New World<\/em> hints at its focus on the ethics of the emerging world culture.<\/p>\n Click here<\/a> to go to the main site to see sample chapters, reviews and the link to Larson Publications<\/a> for ordering the book.<\/p>\n ~<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Across the imaginary distance of culture and borders, I honor your contribution to the Beginning Times. ~ A dying oak tree, its trunk split and branches breaking, does not in any way resemble an acorn. The new beginning\u2014despite growing directly … Continue reading
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<\/a><\/p>\n2012 Metamorphosis<\/h2>\n
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