Happy Winter Solstice
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In the Tao-te Ching, Lao-tzu writes,
"All things have their back to the female
And stand facing the male.
When male and female combine
All things achieve harmony."
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(Image: Tantric Marriage by Geoglyphiks)
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Today, in the Northern Hemisphere, we experience the shortest day of the year, and the longest night.
Today the North Pole's tilt away from the Sun is at it's greatest. Seasonally, cosmically, and energetically this holy day is a portal into our collective underworld, our shadow self. While that idea sometimes brings fear to the Mind, the Truth and Gift available to us today is a deep dive in the creative, magical, mysteries of the Divine Feminine. These mysteries lie deep within us all, within all Life, within the Earth herself. Life Is, because of the Sacred Cosmic Union of Masculine and Feminine, Light and Dark, Form and Formless,
Body and Soul, You and Me.
As the Sun's potent energy (the Divine Masculine) is shining in the South, we are given the opportunity to embrace the powers of Winter, releasing, relaxing and receiving the embrace of the Dark Mother that is within us all and everywhere around us. Disconnecting from the active, moving, manifest world around us. Letting go into the depths of the creative well within us.
Sinking in to the Feminine energies within us, that are pure potential, like the dormant seeds for next year's harvest.
There are countless ways of deciphering and understanding these forces,
and how they intertwine, entangle, weave into the fabric of creation, create the Web of Life, and more. One could spend their entire life recognizing these energies and how they are manifesting around us. However, our personal purpose and power lies in recognizing that these same forces are within us.
When we look at the world around us and know our Oneness with all beings, with All Life, we can clearly see that these Divine Feminine and Divine Masculine energies are out of balance, and leaning too far to the latter.
This is a clear message to us all,
that we must balance these energies within us.
(NOTE: Before moving forward, it’s important to specify what is meant by “feminine” and “masculine.” These terms do not refer to male and female. Rather, they represent foundational energies that exist within each person and every entity within nature. Therefore, cultivating feminine energy is important for people of all genders. The same is true of masculine energy.)
There are A LOT of ways that one can go about balancing these energies within.
If you aren't familiar with a path and want to keep it simple, Enter into meditation and when you've disconnected from your Mind's attachments, Seek to move yourself into your Heart. Take some deep breaths there.
Remember, that before you were in this body, you were in the Womb.
The Womb of your Mother, is a microcosm of
the Earth's Womb (constantly carrying and birthing Life).
And the Earth's Womb is a microcosm of
the Cosmic Womb. (constantly carrying and birthing All)
Rest Yourself here.
For while you may have let your body leave your Mother's Womb, you are always connected. We are ALL always connected.
Dive into this healing knowledge and let the Earth Mother and the Cosmic Mother join with you in the Union of a Sacred Trinity. Surrender to the Feminine, all that no longer serves you, just as the trees did when Autumn came. They were preparing for this hibernating, healing, dark dreamtime. They are in winter dormancy but, just like you are connected invisibly to all life thru the Divine Feminine, they are connected too, deep in their roots.
When you have rested yourself in this space, you may have things come up that you need to release, this is common. Feel whatever feelings come up with these memories, wounds, etc, and then say silently to yourself, I release [...] and surrender it to the Divine Feminine.
Releasing these past wounds, fears, doubts, disturbances and dissonances will clear your Heart, Soul, and Mind from their distracting impact. Essentially, cleaning out your internal space, making your own cup (your own Divine Feminine vessel within), ready to be filled with the spark of the Divine Masculine that comes tomorrow, with the return of the light.
After this meditation, do some journaling. First, express anything you need to about the things you let go, there may be lingering echoes and attachments in your mind that bear reviewing to reveal if there's personal action needed to bring a real release and resolution.
Then, embrace the Feminine Creative potential within you and allow yourself to dream. Write or Talk about what you want to create for yourself, others, and the world. Imagine that you are a farmer, growing your embodied self.
What did you learn in the last year that you can use to identify what you'll need to have a better harvest this coming year?
What would make the absolute most ideal you, according to you?
What are some ways of being you want to explore this coming year?
What do you want to create?
Then, take these newly discovered things, ideas, etc. that you want to create and tonight, when you're lying in bed (or every night) as your awareness is slipping into the formless sleep of union with the Feminine,
seek to see images of the things you want to create, and imagine placing them in the Cosmic Womb.
Do your best to come up with images, visualizations of what you want to create OR if that's hard, try to FEEL what it would feel like to have what you want.
This is an important shift in the way most of us are used to creating, but it will be the only in the future, so getting used to it will help.
The Heart, the Womb, the Soul. these are not "thinking" beings. They operate/create in Images, Sounds, Vibrations, Feeling. So, see the images, send them into your Heart, into the Earth, and the Cosmic Womb.
So, thinking thoughts or words is an activity of the Mind and Ego. It is identification with the person as the Creator, instead of the vessel. Creating with thoughts and words is creating solely in 3D, solely in duality, and while it "works" to bring , it's more "be careful what you wish for kind of creating" because it's chock full of all of the Mind and Ego bullshit, hidden agendas, wishful thinking, unexpressed expectations, assumptions, etc. It is not true Intellect.
NOTE: When you're journaling and in everyday life, Resist the urge to curtail your dreams, if you hear your Mind asking "How you going make that happen?" Ignore the Mind, that's a fear of lack and death that the ego is trying to cover up and use to hold you back. If your own Mind or anyone else in the world around you tries to curtail you and demand the "HOW", simply step back, smile, and say: "I believe in Miracles and I trust the Creative Process, so I don't worry about the How, I just embrace my dreams and follow my heart and since I'm not wasting energy on the worry and the Mind, it's easy to hear when my Heart tells me to act."
See the article below for even more ideas
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Everything I've shared above is only the tip of the iceberg, but you don't need anything other than to start and a willingness to surrender. When you get lost, turn inward and surrender again. There are infinite ways to come to the ideas and practices and each one of us has our own individual constitution and ways/realms we prefer working with. So, if these practices don't work for you, seek others out. Get in conversation with your own Heart. Below you'll find the excerpts of an article written by Lee Holden, a wonderful Qi Gong practitioner. Qi Gong and Tai Chi are both body and spiritual practices that seek to balance these energies, so they have particular bearing here.
I personally practice both Qi Gong and Yoga and recommend either to anyone. Enjoy the article and please comment on the blog if you have ANY questions come up.
Understanding Feminine Energy
(BY: LEE HOLDEN of Holden Qi Gong)
In Taoism and Qi Gong, both masculine and feminine energies offer essential gifts that all living and nonliving things require.
The feminine is associated with Yin energy and embodies the qualities of flow, receptivity, intuition, collaboration, and empathy, to name just a few.
As humans, it’s critical that we cultivate these qualities in order to flourish, both as individuals and as a global society. Receptivity allows us to be sensitive to the world around us in order to live in harmony with each other and nature.
Collaboration and empathy are the natural ingredients of healthy relationships. When we’re able to understand what others are feeling and communicate effectively, we’re able to build stronger social connections and more healthy communities.
Intuition allows us to know what is best for ourselves when logic doesn’t have an answer (which is often). It makes it possible to be our own guide, able to lead ourselves forward in the right direction.
The gifts of feminine energy manifest both within ourselves and within society. Within ourselves, it allows us to strengthen our connection to self, which empowers us to love and accept ourselves more fully. It also helps us to listen carefully to our own needs, which is the first step in taking care of our body, heart, and mind.
Within society, feminine energy can help us to find acceptance when differences occur, leading to greater harmony and respect. Whether it’s within the household or in international politics, Yin energy can help us to develop constructive ways of communicating and working together.
The Importance of Balance Between Feminine and Masculine Energy
Finding balance is one of the most important intentions in Qi Gong and Taoism.
Unfortunately, western society has a tendency to gravitate toward an imbalance of masculine energy. While the masculine certainly has wonderful gifts to share with us, it also can become destructive when we neglect its counterpart—feminine energy.
In the world, our imbalance toward masculine is clearly reflected in our destructive practices with the environment. Instead of seeking ways to live in harmony with the natural world, too often, our policies and behaviors disrespect our most sacred natural resources. Sadly, this is leading us toward a less healthy planet. Of course, as a global community, there are choices we can make to help regain balance and allow our sacred planet to flourish.
Within each of us, an imbalance toward masculine can lead us to become out of touch with ourselves and others. When we suppress our emotions, negative energies can manifest within us in destructive ways. Similarly, if we fail to truly listen to others, we’ll encounter great difficulty in our personal relationships and communities.
Honoring the feminine means being in touch with ourselves, nature, and other beings. When we’re able to really find attunement with our inner and outer worlds, we can experience a deep sense of flow and harmony that ripples throughout all aspects of our lives.
Cultivating Feminine Energy
Qi Gong teaches us how to work with the energies within us to cultivate the qualities we wish to experience. When it comes to cultivating feminine energy, there are some simple yet powerful practices that can completely transform our inner state of being.
Since feminine energy offers us the gift of receptivity, it’s a good idea to find a place that allows your heart and mind to feel open to the wonders of the world. Lee always recommends making your way into nature where you’re able to disconnect from the distractions of daily life.
Once you’ve found a peaceful environment, just try to sit in silence and pay attention to the world around you. Feel the interconnectedness between all things and allow your senses to absorb the sites, sounds, and smells of the surrounding atmosphere. What subtleties can you pick up on? What lessons can you intuit from the energy of nature?
When you listen closely, you’ll find that the universe is alive with infinite wisdom for us to receive. Of course, practicing Qi Gong is a great way to heighten your awareness of the natural world and cultivate an abundance of nourishing Qi.
Because feminine energy helps us to connect to the universe and receive its guidance, it plays a critical role in allowing us to understand our life’s purpose.
There’s a reason that people often seek a quiet place when they need to reflect on their life or make an important decision. Intuitively, humans know that listening is the key to discovering our inner truth.
Paying attention to the natural world is a great way to cultivate feminine energy. In turn, that energy will help you to become more in tune with the universe, leading to a stronger knowing of who you are as an individual. When you’re able to fully surrender and listen, you become the most powerful and authentic version of yourself.
After spending time receiving the energies of the natural world, take a few minutes to write down any new feelings or thoughts you experienced. Have any decisions become more clear? Were you able to cultivate more empathy for a friend or family member? Just take note of any new truths that were revealed to you.
By making a habit of slowing down and listening to the natural world, you’ll be able to consistently cultivate feminine energy and develop a stronger connection to yourself and others.