After a time of decay comes the turning point.
The powerful light that has been banished returns.
There is movement, but it is not brought about by force.
The upper trigram K’un is characterized by devotion;
The powerful light that has been banished returns.
There is movement, but it is not brought about by force.
The upper trigram K’un is characterized by devotion;
thus the movement is natural, arising spontaneously.
For this reason the transformation of the old becomes easy.
For this reason the transformation of the old becomes easy.
The old is discarded and the new is introduced.
~I Ching, Hexagram 24 (The Turning Point), Wilhelm-Baynes translation.
~I Ching, Hexagram 24 (The Turning Point), Wilhelm-Baynes translation.
I celebrated the Winter Solstice with a couple friends on the 21st, but since then I have been wondering about the meaning of the solstice beyond an excuse to drink adult beverages with old and new friends. At the same time I was wondering the same thing I am always wondering: how to contribute towards accomplishing a transition in this society towards wholeness, when I seem to be very much in the minority in my opinions, and the forces to be opposed are so powerful, implacable and relentless.
We had some sun for the first time in many days, and I was outside enjoying the garden. I even saw a bee of some sort, who had apparently poked his head above soil to go exploring for what limited sustenance my garden could provide in winter. I had decorated my garden with colorful ribbons for the solstice celebration, and as I gazed at one of these dancing in the breeze in the sunlight, I fell into a trance state.
Initially my thought was along the lines of, "I have fallen into a deep trance seemingly by accident. What is the purpose of this trance?" Very gradually that purpose became clear.
On one level, to see the world (and perhaps more than the world) as a stage of conflict between the powers of light and darkness seems an "un-animist" idea. After all, that was always seen in monotheistic terms in this culture, a conflict between God and the Devil. Animists often tend not to deal with things in such terms, as indeed much that seems bad can become good, and much that seems good can become very bad. Seeing things in different shades than merely black and white indeed makes sense, if one is tempted to oversimplify things. You need to be very perceptive to begin to make things out truly, and until then it is best not to jump to conclusions. This does not mean that Light and Darkness do not exist, but that their interplay is more complex than we generally like to believe.
Initially my thought was along the lines of, "I have fallen into a deep trance seemingly by accident. What is the purpose of this trance?" Very gradually that purpose became clear.
On one level, to see the world (and perhaps more than the world) as a stage of conflict between the powers of light and darkness seems an "un-animist" idea. After all, that was always seen in monotheistic terms in this culture, a conflict between God and the Devil. Animists often tend not to deal with things in such terms, as indeed much that seems bad can become good, and much that seems good can become very bad. Seeing things in different shades than merely black and white indeed makes sense, if one is tempted to oversimplify things. You need to be very perceptive to begin to make things out truly, and until then it is best not to jump to conclusions. This does not mean that Light and Darkness do not exist, but that their interplay is more complex than we generally like to believe.
And yet animists do have a model for the battle between Light and Darkness, and that indeed is the meaning of the Solstice. Yes, it signifies the literal turning point between night and day, when the days start to get longer again, but if that were all it was then we indeed might be justified in just having a few brews and leaving our recognition of the time at that. Instead, this has been the holiest time on the calendar, in many religions, for thousands and thousands of years. This holy day can teach us far more than that if we want to pay attention. The Solstice is not just about a very significant change in the seasons, it represents a very real spiritual battle between Light and Darkness. The I Ching, in Hexagram 24 (which can be seen as a symbol of the Winter Solstice in many ways), is not talking about visible electromagnetic radiation when it talks about "light." It is talking about spiritual light. Powers of wholeness, integration, love and compassion, coming into right relation to divinity and the universe, reverence, respect, truthfulness, courage, self-sacrifice.
For all of human history and beyond, we have been tracing an arc from the Summer Solstice (maximum light) to the Winter Solstice (maximum darkness). Each new progress in human history has been a progress towards the spiritual Darkness that we now experience at its full zenith today. However, the time when Darkness reaches it's greatest power is when it begins to diminish - Light Returns.
If the Human Race wants to survive the next few hundred years, it will have to turn towards the Light - it won't have a choice other than ultimate destruction. This means that the destructive ways of the last few centuries will have to be overturned. The environment will have to be healed. Humans have gone from mostly harmless parasites on the planet (hunter-gatherers, slightly dark) to very destructive parasites on the planet (modern agriculture, huge cities and development, extremely dark). The only way forward is to stop being parasites period. To make the evolutionary leap from agriculture to ecoculture, the management of ecosystems for the benefit of all their present and potential inhabitants, including but not limited to people, and the change in our values that will be necessary to do that. To make the spiritual leap from a money-centered species to a life-centered species.
I have over the last year been finding to my surprise that the world really is a stage for a battle between light and darkness. This was part of the teaching of my trance, and of dream-states I have been experiencing previously. This battle may not be confined to this world, or even this universe, it may be a feature of existence period, of everywhere and every time in existence.
What my old friend the I Ching is trying to tell me is that this transformation between darkness and light cannot be forced. We must act in accordance with the time and the limitations it imposes. So I actually need not worry about how to contribute to this change at this time when darkness is at it's fullest extent. I need only be myself, and whatever I can contribute will arise naturally, without forcing.
If the Human Race wants to survive the next few hundred years, it will have to turn towards the Light - it won't have a choice other than ultimate destruction. This means that the destructive ways of the last few centuries will have to be overturned. The environment will have to be healed. Humans have gone from mostly harmless parasites on the planet (hunter-gatherers, slightly dark) to very destructive parasites on the planet (modern agriculture, huge cities and development, extremely dark). The only way forward is to stop being parasites period. To make the evolutionary leap from agriculture to ecoculture, the management of ecosystems for the benefit of all their present and potential inhabitants, including but not limited to people, and the change in our values that will be necessary to do that. To make the spiritual leap from a money-centered species to a life-centered species.
I have over the last year been finding to my surprise that the world really is a stage for a battle between light and darkness. This was part of the teaching of my trance, and of dream-states I have been experiencing previously. This battle may not be confined to this world, or even this universe, it may be a feature of existence period, of everywhere and every time in existence.
What my old friend the I Ching is trying to tell me is that this transformation between darkness and light cannot be forced. We must act in accordance with the time and the limitations it imposes. So I actually need not worry about how to contribute to this change at this time when darkness is at it's fullest extent. I need only be myself, and whatever I can contribute will arise naturally, without forcing.
Thunder within the earth:
The image of THE TURNING POINT.
Thus the kings of antiquity closed the passes
At the time of solstice.
Merchants and strangers did not go about,
And the ruler
Did not travel through the provinces.
The winter solstice has always been celebrated in China as the resting time of the year—a custom that survives in the time of rest observed at the new year. In winter the life energy, symbolized by thunder, the Arousing, is still underground. Movement is just at its beginning; therefore it must be strengthened by rest so that it will not be dissipated by being used prematurely. This principle, i.e., of allowing energy that is renewing itself to be reinforced by rest, applies to all similar situations. The return of health after illness, the return of understanding after an estrangement: everything must be treated tenderly and with care at the beginning, so that the return may lead to a flowering.
The image of THE TURNING POINT.
Thus the kings of antiquity closed the passes
At the time of solstice.
Merchants and strangers did not go about,
And the ruler
Did not travel through the provinces.
The winter solstice has always been celebrated in China as the resting time of the year—a custom that survives in the time of rest observed at the new year. In winter the life energy, symbolized by thunder, the Arousing, is still underground. Movement is just at its beginning; therefore it must be strengthened by rest so that it will not be dissipated by being used prematurely. This principle, i.e., of allowing energy that is renewing itself to be reinforced by rest, applies to all similar situations. The return of health after illness, the return of understanding after an estrangement: everything must be treated tenderly and with care at the beginning, so that the return may lead to a flowering.
~I Ching, Hexagram 24 (The Turning Point), Wilhelm-Baynes translation.
