iching

by: Quan Tracy Cherry
Category: IChing

It seems as though I've taken on a daunting task. I have. Although it would be more
correct to say that a daunting task has taken on me. To think to be as lofty as I can be,
to bring together an ancient Chinese oracle based on a system of binary computations,
yin and yang, and then the Western character me-driven astrology. After all, Western
astrology is based on the seasons and it is geocentric, and we know the sun is the
center of this planetary system. But, this unification can be done. Suffice it to say, it's
my gift to the world (how lofty is that?). And, it's this very loftiness that makes all the
differences in making my individual world go 'round. Know this: You keep on
incarnating until you enjoy being here and you teach at least one other soul what you've
learned. Hey, been around for life after life after life, truly I say to you, it ain't that deep.
And, then it is that deep. Begin to understand the soulfully paradox, my passion for
interconnecting systems of thought and you get why I'd even bother. Maybe, just
maybe, I have a wish to demonstrate how just 10 minutes a day can really change your
life. To reflect, to reevaluate and to recreate, in the same vein of Timothy Leary's 'tune
out, tune in and drop out', although I'm not suggesting taking any psychedelic drugs.
But I am suggesting you give up excessive linear thought and the intellect to get to the
true nature of your soul.

There's a word full of complexity, soul. Sure, there will be a glossary at the end of the
text, but for now, I define the soul as "a witness, a witness to your thoughts, feelings
and actions are they in unity or not; it can behave like a conscience, but it doesn't have
to." Our souls teach through paradox. How many times have you heard the statement
that you cannot find love (or hurry it for that matter), love has to find you? Or if you want
more power, money or love, you've got to share what you have first? Sounds
contradictory and paradoxical, well, no matter where you live on this planet, the soul
speaks through contradictory and paradoxical elements. And, that's how the I Ching
and Western astrology mate, through the soul and the planets.

However, before you can get to study the planets and the I Ching you'll have to know
what each system of divination can do for you.

If you are in Beijing, San Francisco, or Cancun, Venus will still be Venus. As I have
studied the I Ching, Chinese Medicine, Feng Shui, and most extensively, Astrology, I
have seen the overlap between all of these disciplines. It is the planets. The planets
connect to the 5 elements in Chinese Astrology. The planets bring the organs in the
body in both Chinese and Western Astrology. The planets relate to the four directions
in Chinese Astrology. The five classical planets plus the Sun and Moon (from here on
out they will be described as planets too), relate to different sections of the Ba-Gua,
organs in the body and they rule different times of day and zodiac signs. The circle of
animals, also known as 'the zodiac' and the 9 sections or guas won't ever look the same
to you again.

Yin and Yang; East and West; Collective and Individual

The I Ching has been around five thousand years or so. Truthfully, after a couple of
thousand of years or so, we know exactly the moment of the I Ching's creation?
Western astrology can speak of an existence of approximately half that time. Because
of historical and eminently pragmatic aims, the culture behind the I Ching is more
community centered, hence, relationship oriented. Through the five element model, the
I Ching speaks more to the relationship between the destructive qualities of fire to metal,
or you could say the tempering qualities when fire heats metal. Even today with the
number of Chinese people past one billion, it is a necessity to be concerned about your
effect on others. Western culture, particularly America, exports its young culture build
on individualism. Manifest destiny, pioneers and the Bill of Rights all conclude in a
materialistic and self-absorbed people. It may be argued that the collective resonates
through the yin or feminine energy, while the yang supports individualism. As with
anything, there is a definite need for balance. Whenever one end of the continuum is
emphasized in the extreme, it naturally reverts to its opposite or compliment. Too much
individualism will land you all alone in a jail, taken care of but outside of society, and too
much collectivity will have you jumping through hopes not of your own creation, a
hyper and codependent person.





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