Welcome to this contemplation on family through the hexagram number 37 of the I Ching.
To help us prepare for receiving this teaching and also to receive our own insights,
Please give yourself a minute or two to relax using the breath,
Perhaps changing the position that the physical body is in.
So do what you need to to make yourself comfortable.
Sending the breath down,
Relaxing the body down.
Grounding down,
Exhaling,
Softening,
Quietening,
Trusting.
Let's breathe into the heart center as we set an intention to trust.
I trust the wisdom I'm receiving from these ancient teachings,
Along with my own inner guidance,
Is in alignment with my highest good and for the greater good of all.
You can affirm that by saying I trust.
And let's consider now the elements of fire and wind.
So imagine a beautiful large fire,
Brilliant light,
Golden flames flickering,
And this gentle wind that's blowing around it.
Perhaps the wind is helping the flames to dance,
Making it even more captivating and inviting.
And this is what the fire symbolizes,
An invitation for everyone to gather round.
And so the fire is this symbol of connecting,
Social connecting.
We call it the family connector,
But of course it reaches much further than that.
It helps us to connect to others and even the self because of its deep spiritual significance that it plays.
We also know the fire to be transformative,
And so it can transform if we are not able to connect to the self,
To others,
To spirits.
It is the qualities of fire that can assist us to transform that.
And likewise,
We need a balance between connecting with others and being still or even alone.
So when there are extremes,
Too little connection or too much connection,
That is an imbalance of fire.
And in this case,
With the wind present,
That could be caused by too much wind or too little wind.
The wind is all about flexibility.
When we're too flexible,
We could become a people pleaser.
And when we're too rigid,
Then we can be keeping others and connections at bay.
So consider all of these now in your life right now.
How are they showing up?
Where are they showing up?
And let's breathe into the awareness now,
Exhaling it out,
Quieting the mind.
As we receive these words directly from the I Ching,
Which reminds us that when this hexagram of family shows up,
It is an invitation to work together with others,
Because if everyone performs their allotted tasks to the best of their ability,
Then everything will prosper.
Whatever your position is in this joint enterprise,
Ensure that the spirit of harmony and coordination prevails.
Mutual respect,
Proper consultation within the group are required.
And if you work to the best of your ability,
Things will go well.
That is another one of the beauties of fire in balance,
Is that it brings success,
Achievement,
Harmony,
And very much in relation to working with others.
So where in your life can you nurture this?
Perhaps it's already happening and it's about maintaining.
Or perhaps this is a creation that is being called forth.
Allow your own inner wisdom to guide you now.
And as we gently give thanks for these insights,
Let's close with one final message from the I Ching.
Make sure that there is correspondence between what you say and what you do.
Setting or knowing ground rules and keeping to them are the prerequisites for the growth of any joint endeavor or any relationship.
And if you would like to explore these I Ching teachings further,
Please look for the I Ching playlist at the bottom of my profile page.
I'm Helen Hansen and thank you so much for journeying through this Tao wisdom together.
Much blessings to you and your family.
Thank you.
