Welcome to another monthly forecast from The Eaching.
Please prepare to receive this guidance by quietening the mind,
Relaxing the body,
Grounding yourself down,
Slowing the breath,
And now opening into the heart.
As you breathe into your heart,
Feel it soften,
Feel it become expansive and receptive.
These teachings which form part of our monthly forecast are participatory.
And this is why the preparation is so important so that we can be aware of what the inner self,
One's intuition,
One's wise self is responding to.
And added to this is trust.
Let's set our intention now with hands in front of heart center as we breathe into the heart and repeat.
Heart,
I trust the wisdom I am receiving from this ancient teaching along with my own inner guidance is for my highest good and for the greater good of all.
Now,
Breathe into that and affirm with the words I trust.
Gently exhale and releasing the hands so that they are in a relaxed position with the palms facing up,
Releasing expectations,
Keeping the body relaxed,
The mind quiet,
And the heart open.
So we now turn to hexagram number 57,
Sometimes entitled the gentle or penetrating.
And we have the element of the wind featuring twice.
Wind above wind,
Which means that this is not a time of force.
It's not a time to push.
It's asking for a quieter inner power,
A power that is softly persistent,
Subtly transformative.
Just like the wind that moves through the trees,
We do not always see its force.
We witness its effect.
So where can you soften?
And where can you be more flexible?
And this is also a time to trust slow progress.
So our progress in May may not look dramatic,
But it will be meaningful.
The small steps count.
Consistent effort and quiet alignment is what we are asked to put our focus on.
And then there is a deeper message about influence.
Influence through one's authentic presence.
Know that the way that you speak,
The tone you carry,
The energy that you bring into a space,
This ripples outwards.
And so intentionally invite in the softness which will support your inner strength and which will nourish relationships,
Partnerships,
Communication,
And will thereby strengthen trust.
So there is a deep message about trust.
There is a discipline that is called for here.
When the wind moves,
It knows its direction.
What is your inner direction?
Do you know it?
Can you sense it?
Are you guided by it day by day?
Knowing one's essence helps to guide the inner direction.
So connect with your essence,
All of you,
On a regular basis.
And set the intention to be flexible with your approaches,
Your approaches perhaps to how you feel,
How you view yourself,
As well as your approaches to your view of others,
To situations.
And let us be reminded of the bamboo in the wind that bends,
Adapts,
And endures.
Through gentle repetition,
Through daily practices,
Through this consistency,
True transformation occurs.
Words from the I Ching say,
The topic of this hexagram is persistence and penetrating power of influence.
Like a blade of grass that bends before a strong wind,
There is a need for subtlety and repetition,
And there must be thoughtfulness and intelligence in communication with others.
The Emperor's Line,
Line five says,
If things aren't going well,
Then it is time to stop and think about the situation.
And decide on the best action to take in order to remedy it.
After acting,
You should then assess the results.
If you haven't fully achieved what you set out to do,
No matter,
You have done your best for the time being,
And it is time to move on.
As this guidance rests with you now,
Notice highlighted themes,
Messages,
Symbols,
And carry them in your heart.
Return to them often,
Asking for further guidance.
Trust what spoke to you,
Trust your own inner wisdom.
As we take a breath in together and ground into the physical body,
I invite you to explore with movements and exercises that reflect the flow of wind.
Embodying a teaching such as this helps the whole self to integrate this wisdom into one's daily life.
Thank you so much for joining me here,
And may you flow with the breeze over these next weeks,
Remaining grounded and centered during all types of weather.
From my heart to yours,
Until we meet again for our next month's reading,
I'm sending you many,
Many blessings.
