It is difficult as it is to be stuck inside, once again, by government mandate. It can be endlessly frustrating and depressing. However, for those who choose to take it, it can provide a fantastic opportunity to harmonize with the energetics of nature that occur during this time of year. Look outside. Where I am it is currently -20 C. The world around us is locked down. The turtles are locked down under the lake ice. The mammels are locked down under the frozen earth in hibernation, and the trees energy is locked down unstirring, in the roots. For the vast majority of human history on Earth, this is the time that we would be locked down in our abodes where we sleep through all the dark times of the day and move slowly during the brief shining sun.
This time of year is associated with trigram mountain. This trigram has many meanings. One is a fortress. The perfect place for weathering a viral blizzard. Isolated and away from others. Another is reflection. This is the period before the lunar new year. A perfect time for reflecting on the past and judging the decisions and actions that brought us to this point. A process of winnowing the wheat from the chaff in deciding what aspects of our past and history will serve us moving forward and what should be excised from our lives. Trigram mountain also represents stillness. A state of being that is lacking in almost every aspect of modern society. So with this lockdown we have been given an opportunity to fully investigate the benifits of non-action. The Dao De Jing states, "no one can make the muddy water settle but if you allow it stillness it will gradually clear itself." How are you going to invest in stillness.
