Tellin' It Like It Is

2009-04-30T22:56:00.003-04:00

In this book, metaphysician and astrology expert Andy Nicola becomes
our tour guide in helping to explain existence in both the physical and
spiritual realms. The reader is given a thorough, all-encompassing
review into the principles operating in each dimension. After reading
this book, you will have an in depth and richer understanding of
humanity's involvement with the natural cycles of reality in all its forms.
The author's precise and detailed descriptions and explanations give the
reader the ability to understand and participate in the creative processes
of destiny.

The Realities of Destiny : Unveiling The Deeper Meanings of Fate and Freewill,
examines many areas of metaphysics, from Karma and Law of Attraction to Omens,
Dreams, Symbolic Meanings and much more. The main premise of the book is
humanity's age old concerns of whether our destinies can be shaped or are we
simply organisms following a preset patterned cycle.

Andy does a thorough job in sorting out the ideas in this often complex subject.
After reading his work, the reader will develop a deeper understanding of destiny
by inheriting a closer alignment with the ultimate meaning of existence.

Orders will be available through the website or by mail. Please refer to the "Store" section of the website, on or after May 1, for information on placing an order for Andy's long awaited new book!

NEW WEBSITE

2008-06-06T20:18:00.005-04:00

This site has moved .

************

Please click on the link below

to connect you to the new site.

http://www.andynicolaastrology.com/

A Glimpse Beyond the Facade

2008-06-02T10:16:00.004-04:00

Just a little over 10 years ago I was talking with a friend who out of the blue asked, "Why are people so unhappy today". I would answer the exact same way today as I did back then, "Because they are afraid of themselves". People are truly afraid to be themselves and it is as obvious as anything I have seen. Take for example a woman who is going to run to the supermarket to buy a simple loaf of bread. It would take about 3 hours for her to put on her make-up, mascera, nail polish, lipstick, jewelry, and best dress just to spend 3 minutes in the store to buy her bread. There is no way a woman can roll out of bed and step out her front door without first putting on her mask and hiding her true identity from the world. It is a shame because women are so much more beautiful without their warpaint. More authentic, more genuine, more true. Men on the other hand, are a little different but just as silly. They don't care what they look like. They don't much care what they sound or smell like either. But god forbid, their cars better be in top shape. A man will spend as much time on their cars as women do on themselves. Cleaning, waxing, polishing, scrubbing the tires. All this energy expended for a simple mass of metal (plastic these days). All this so their buddies can see them buzzing around town in a shiny sports car. A man would lose his manhood if he were seen riding a bike or walking on foot. If people tried to express their true natural identities they would become very uncomfortable with themselves and become basket cases. That is why people lie about who they are, how much they earn, their job position, the worth of their house and so on. If people told the truth of who and what they are representing or living, they would hate themselves and so they play the 'life game' stressing themselves out to no end just to get some fleeting gratification from outside sources. They spend all their time and energy trying to impress rather than to live. Everyone is trying to outdo each other in an endless cycle of superfical existence. It is evident everywhere. Many people will eventually go broke trying to keep up the facade. Their wallets and purses run dry and then they run for their credit cards and eventually their credit runs out as well. What happens next is peculiar. When all their assets run out they are forced to humble themselves (although rather poorly) and they are knocked back down to earth so-to-speak and are forced to deal with their more true identity. They become so depressed in having to come face-to-face with their unadulterated nature that they go see 'shrinks' to help them deal with themselves. The 'head boys' will put them on depression medication such as prozac and the patient feels better because they now have a way to escape themselves in yet another creative way. Rest assured folks, society will be only too happy to disassociate you from your true self. Any doctor, priest, teacher, social worker, psychologist, lawyer, politician, dentist, guru, master, food distributor, drug company, will love to knock you off your center point and align you on the periphery of social sickness. Then these same folks will tell you how much they care for you and will demand credit for all the "benifits" you receive from them. This whole charade is possible only because you have allowed them to manipulate you. Why have you allowed them to manipulate you? Very simple. Because you are afraid of yourself !

Book Update

2008-05-23T16:18:00.003-04:00

Yesterday I took a drive to the warehouse owned by the printers who are working on my book to pick up the first batch. They put the boxes of books in the car and my car took a 'dip'. One of the guys said, "I hope you don't have to drive far because those books will put a drain on gas mileage, and at $4.00 a gallon it won't be much fun". The original plan was to have the printing company deliver the books in a big van but I didn't want to wait for them so I drove out myself. In 4 days I will pick up another load of books. Then in a week and a half another very big load. I also put in another order for more prints. Wow! Those boxes are heavy. Who needs to work out in a gym, just write a book and go pick up your merchandise. You'll wake up with a sore body I can assure you. Well, I will spend the next few days taking inventory on the books and looking them over to make sure none are damaged. I am waiting for the printers to finish the jacket covers. Once I add the covers they will be ready to ship. The books turned out absolutely beautiful. Very high quality. Everyone who has seen them gave the printers and binders the highest compliments. The books are put together very sturdy and when the binder first told me they would easily last over 100 years I thought he was joking. He wasn't ! I haven't told many of my friends about the book because I don't want a bunch of misfits hangin around the premises at 2, 3, or 4 in the morning reading The Luo Shu Oracle while I try to get my beauty sleep...he! he! he! just joking. I guess they'll know about it when they read this.

In the next several days there will be some changes to this blog. I now have a Chinese Astrology website and will integrate the blog with it, so I don't have to maintain two separate sites. I will still write blog posts and they will be stored on the website. The site will be much more organized than the blog and there will be opportunities to do much more than can be done on a blog. I will list several charts, tables, and diagrams in the archives that you can view and work with. My nephew is helping me run the site and he is the one who actually built it. I am trying to come up with new ideas to make the site very interesting. It may have an option where you can leave voice messages to each other from anywhere in the world (either private or public messages) and the best part is that it's FREE. No phone bills. This could be a very valuable network for sharing information about Chinese metaphysics with friends or associates all over the world. There are a few other ideas in the plans, so we will see what might happen. Stay tuned.......there are some good times ahead.

The Inherent Cycles Of Existence

2008-05-19T14:51:00.005-04:00

If I were to say to you , "I predict that in 8 months in the winter time it will almost certainly be cold, and there will likely be snow on the ground in certain areas of the country", would you be impressed by this prediction? Probably not. Anyone can do this by following the weather patterns. What if I told you that I could predict the exact day, hour, and minute that the sun will enter a certain constellation in the year 2028, would that impress you? Again. probably not because any ephemeris can give this information by following the patterns of the planets to the utmost degree. But if I told you that next month I predict you will get a dollar an hour raise, your wife will get a speeding ticket, your son will sprain his left ankle, and your dog will bite the neighbor...and it all happens, you would be not only impressed but also quite shocked.

The truth is that everything has a pattern. The pattern can be represented by numbers, hexagrams, stems/branches, and other symbols. Our first example involved a Weather Pattern, the second example a Planetary Pattern and the third a Human Pattern. It is very important to understand that they all emerge from the same source. Theoretically speaking, one should be no more or less difficult to decipher than the other. Once you begin to align your thought process in this manner, divination becomes more clear and begins to lose its mystic quality. When I first started studying people's charts I looked at people as weather patterns or seasons. I reasoned that if seasons must go through their cycles then humans must follow the same patterns. If the Tao, or god, or whatever you choose to call the universal energy force truly creates all, then what applies to seasons must also apply to humans. So I looked at people's destiny as a cycle of spring, summer, autumn, and winter. If a person was in the autumn cycle of a specific event in their life I used the attributes of the energy of autumn to analyze the situation. What was so beautiful was that every single event in a person's life had its own cyclical imprint no matter how large or small the event was. I eventually understood that even a simple concern as "who will call me next on the telephone" had its own 'seasonal' signature and could be calculated with exact certainty...as long as you understood the patterns. After some time and study I extended the 4 stage 'seasonal' cycle into larger and larger segments. This made the divination much more detailed and it made it possible to pinpoint otherwise unforeseeable circumstances. It is kind of like pinpointing which day in the winter season is the one that is going to be unseasonably warm or which day in summer would be chilly. To repeat, once you understand certain patterns and principles, it should be no more difficult to predict weather patterns than to predict human events.

This brings us to that ever interesting issue of free will. The seasons have been following certain patterns for eons. It must be this way, the seasons must follow suit. Summer will always follow spring, autumn will always follow summer, and so on. Nothing can alter this natural process. One could say that the seasons have no free will. No amount of influence can change the cycle (pattern). The same can be said of Heaven and Earth. The sun always rises in the east and sets in the west, and the moon also has its specific cycle. That is why we can predict with certainty the rise and fall of solar and lunar phenomena. The world has been spinning for billions of years in a fixed cyclical pattern and has not strayed one tiny iota. I suppose one could also say that Heaven and Earth have no free will. Now if humans come from the same Tao as Heaven, Earth, and Nature, why should it be any different for them? Do we really make our own choices...or are they already inherent in our specific destiny pattern? If we believe the masters and gurus when they tell us we have the choice to change our fate or destiny, we are in essence saying that we are more privileged and more powerful than our own creator. We are saying that we can accomplish more than Heaven and Earth. How absurd.......only a human could think like that !

Patterns Of Reality

2008-05-11T14:05:00.006-04:00

There is no question that reality operates according to certain and specific patterns. If these patterns are known, one can theoretically and absolutely know the occurrences of events before they manifest. I would safely guess that most people today do not believe this to be true. Most people are not comfortable with or cannot accept the fact that the future can be foretold. To the few who do believe it, they see its possibility only being available to those with 'magical powers'. They envision stoic monks sitting cross-legged in quiet solitude on a high majestic mountain with eyes closed. Or perhaps, a little witchy looking lady chanting incoherent parables while stirring a strange smelling brew over a wood-burning stove. Well, these visions may be valid, but it is far from the complete story. The truth is that anyone can foretell events and it takes no special skills or intelligence. In fact, the more intelligent or logical one is, the more difficult it becomes. One doesn't even necessarily need common sense, although common sense would be more valuable than intellect. The most important attribute in my opinion would be imagination. One with a vivid sense of visualization or fantasy can tap into alternate realms much easier than people with the highest I.Q. I refer to imagination as 'Power Of The Heart' and people with heart power can align with reality to a much greater degree than the high I.Q. head-trippers.

Individualization is another all important necessity in aligning with higher frequency realms. If one is able to disassociate from mass-behavior and allow themselves to not be influenced by the rules of society, they have a greater chance of becoming a true master or even enlightened, depending on the degree of their disassociation. Some of the greatest detriments to enlightenment would consist of unhealthy eating habits, lack of quiet time, influence of the media such as television, radio, newspapers, etc., visiting doctors or dentists, organized religion, education from grade school to universities, and more than a million other influences. Understanding the ultimate patterns of reality calls for an individualized existence. This doesn't mean you have to necessarily be alone, it means that you must break away from the habits of modern day robotic tendencies. If you must adapt to mass behavior I would strongly suggest you turn to the habits and tendencies of nature. You will not be let down, as nature has no biased interest in what you have or have not. Nature will be your unconditional friend and will help you on your path to wherever you are heading regardless of your social position, finances, or beliefs. Simply put : Follow nature and you will be rewarded.

Back to the patterns of reality. In terms of astrology and divination, we can get a glimpse of the Tao before it transforms into various segments and forms of energy (chi) and reaches human perception. There are methods that will show us the future down to the tiniest little detail. Many 'masters' don't like it when people say this for one reason or another. One reason they try to sweep this thought under the rug is because they know it is true and if approached to give a divination they will look incompetent if they fail in their divination. So they say things like, " Do not use the I Ching, or the Luo Shu, or 4 Pillars (Ba Zi) for looking into the future...use it to cultivate yourself to become a better person". There's nothing wrong with becoming a better person, but there's also nothing wrong with looking into the future either. By concentrating on the moral aspects, they don't have to worry about losing face for failed predictions. The truth, however, is that 90% of them have failed at both. Another popular line by the master is, " Astrology and divination cannot tell you what is going to happen, it can only give you a general idea". I can assure you that divination will give you a general idea if you are a general diviner...a detailed idea if you are a detailed diviner...and no idea if you don't study or understand the patterns of reality. I can show you a simple square containing 9 numbers called a Luo Shu chart that will allow you a look into the future with uncanny accuracy, from weather patterns to world events to personal situations and everything in between. I can show you 8 three-lined figures called The Early Heaven Trigrams that will answer any question you care to ask with pinpoint accuracy. It sounds amazing, but it really isn't. It's only a matter of studying certain principles that reveal the patterns of reality.

Mission Accomplished !

2008-05-03T10:46:00.003-04:00

Two days ago I received a call from the printers of my book who invited me to take a look at the finished product before they began mass producing the work. I sat at a private table and patiently went through the almost 400 pages and was very happy with the way the charts, diagrams, and text turned out. Aside from a few minor details that were quickly addressed, I was pleased with the results. When I stepped outside I looked toward the sky and breathed a huge sigh of relief and thought to myself " Wow ! Mission Accomplished!"

It reminded me of the days I used to run 15 miles in the hot summer sun and by mile 14 I was sure I was gonna die. Every step seemed like a hundred yards and took every ounce of energy I had. I would never quit though, and by the time I finished my 15 mile run my legs felt like rubber poles. The feeling however, was incredible. A big relief. A spiritual high unparalleled to anything I could have imagined. That's why I never needed to drink or do drugs...I got high from running.

The completion of "The Luo Shu Oracle" is a satisfying accomplishment in my life and took more energy than THREE of my 15 mile runs. I am drained, but the 'high' is indescribable. All the time, energy, efforts, and sacrifices that went into the writing of the book has left me a bit exhausted and I will gladly spend a little time lying in the sun and walking in the park. I will be relaxing for a month or so before going on the road and fulfilling my obligations to certain individuals who have scheduled some book signings and promotional tours. I am hoping it is in my destiny to be able to circulate the book to many interested in metaphysics. The book is not for me. Almost all the proceeds from my book will be given away. My greatest joy wil be in making a contribution in the field of Chinese metaphysics. A contribution created from many years of study.......a study and learning of true passion and bliss.

Shao Yung : Pentetrating The Classics

2008-04-24T13:34:00.002-04:00

This article was written earlier this

year for a couple yahoo lists I belong to.

Shao Yung (1011-1077) of the Northern Sung dynasty was one of China's most influential philosophers and one of the most difficult to understand. He left behind a masterpiece of a project that took him several years to comprise. This masterpiece was titled "Huanng Ji Jing Shi". It is not an easy title to translate, and most have settled with the basic consensus of roughly "Supreme Principles That Rule The World". There have been many commentaries to this work and both the translations and commentaries can vary widely. Please keep this in mind if you decide to carry on the daunting task of understanding and penetrating the HJJS. I began to write this article by looking over 1,000 + pages of personal notes I have accumulated on the HJJS over the years. I quickly saw that it was going to be a bit strenuous and so I put away all my notes and decided to write strictly from memory. If any one decides to look deeply into this article and they find something amiss please have a heart and understand that it is all from memory. I will also NOT list sources, books, page numbers, etc. Quite honestly, I doubt I'll remember where everything came from and I don't want to lose time by organizing all the sources, but I can say that you can look at 2 books : 1) Transition To Neo-Confucianism by Anne Birdwhistell 2) The Recluse Of Lo Yang by Don Wyatt.

Shao Yung was more than a philosopher and was reputed to have been an Astrologer, Diviner, Mathematician, Historian, Poet, Calendar Maker, Confucianist, Taoist, and an I Ching Master par excellence. Some have even classified him as a Buddhist (in his later years) and also a political rebel. Others have also accused him of being a scientist and a gambler. Whatever the case, we are certainly dealing with one interesting fellow. He never had a job and never worked a day in his life and refused the government exams on multiple occasions. Shao began working on his HJJS later in life and he also wrote a book consisting of poems that read like a sort of diary. There were other works that were credited to him but there has been much debate over the authenticity of these writings and most have concluded that it is not likely that he is the author. One of these doubts is the authorship of the Plum Blossom Divination method. Almost everyone gives credit to Shao for developing it, especially the modern day Masters and "masters". If you begin to delve deep into Shao's thinking and ideas you will see that it is not very likely that he developed the PB method...... but enough of that for now. The HJJS is basically broken down into 2 main sections. The first can be translated as "Inner chapters on observing things" and the second, "Outer chapters on observing things". To Shao, observation was the all important key factor in understanding nature and the reality around us. Some have suggested that the Outer Chapters is Shao's own unique interpretation of the Inner Chapters. This may be an over - simplification but may also have some validity. This is not the time to debate that point either, so we will keep moving. To properly penetrate Shao's work would take an enormous amount of time and dedication. I mention this from experience. His ideas are not easy to grasp and he doesn't make it easy. The way he writes can at times be extremely ambiguous, metaphoric, and downright complicated. He has an elaborate scheme of charts and diagrams of enormous proportions and he doesn't come out and explain how these charts work. It is safe to say that Shao gives the Ingredients but not the Recipe to his system, but someone with diligence and dedication can begin to see and understand its value if they are willing to invest the time necessary. Not many today nor in the past have had the time and patience for this and so it is easier for them to dismiss or discredit Shao's theories rather than trying to work with them and to figure them out. I have searched in vain for many years to connect with others who are interested in Shao's works, but these people are not easy to find. Regarding the learning and understanding of the classics, Shao himself warned against textual commentaries and strongly suggested that one should go straight for the classics and penetrate them on their own to avoid the biases, therefore eliminating confusion. He believed that the classics (and nature) could be grasped through deep contemplation and observation. ......by "seeing things from the viewpoint of things rather than from the viewpoint of the self".

As difficult as it may be to understand the HJJS, we can be grateful that Shao left behind some writings that can give us a glimpse into the workings of the universe as expressed by the trigrams and hexagrams of the I Ching. His whole Tao was ingrained in the I Ching and he spent his whole life in dedication and loyalty to his studies. His HJJS is very much involved with numbers and this drew a lot of criticism toward Shao because many saw his use of numbers for divination ( along with his refusal to hold government office ) as a lack of responsibility in the area of morality. But Shao was true to his ideals and refused to buckle-under the pressures of Northern Sung's social order. In retrospect it is safe to say that Shao was a Taoist moreso than a Confucianist. But whichever class one may categorize him under, it cannot be denied that Shao was true to himself and to the principles he created for himself. Truly a remarkable man.

The Luo Shu Oracle Update

2008-04-22T20:24:00.003-04:00

Earlier today I had a meeting with the gentlemen who will be working on the binding of the Luo Shu Oracle and we have come to an agreement. The book will be of a very high quality. It will not be glued, but will be sewn and stitched and when I saw a sample of it I was very much impressed at how sturdy and well put together it is. This book will easily last a hundred years. Wow ! The dedication and pride these guys put into their work is amazing. Today, I do believe I made two lifetime friends. The book will be ready shortly.

"The Luo Shu Oracle: Penetrating The Mysteries Of 9 Ki Divination" delves into the minor, major, and ultra-advanced methods of Luo Shu astrology. The main portion of the book is the chapter titled "The Luo Shu Oracle Text", and it contains over 800 detailed judgments down to the day level. It is reminiscent of the textual judgments of the I Ching. Each of the 81 Year/Month numbers contain a title and judgment which can be used for divination or astrology to the Month level, and within each of these 81 numbers are 9 more judgments to be used for daily analysis. After reading the judgments you can look at the specific corresponing table that gives a numerical rating for the judgments. This type of analysis is incredibly accurate.

The book also covers relationship analysis and gives detailed numerical ratings between two people, events, situations, etc. It also takes into account not only the Luo Shu (Ki) numbers alone, but also the numbers combined with the branches for more insight and meaning. There are many charts that will keep you busy for quite some time. The book also explores 'Directionology' and gives detailed judgments and numerical ratings as well. I have included all of the 81 Ki charts which is basically the Luo Shu chart segmented into 81 sections rather than the basic 9. I mention the Ki numbers for the bigger periods of time such as the Generation which consists of a 12-year time span before the number changes, which can be used quite effectively for analyzing world events.

It would be impossible to list everything covered in the book, but I can assure you that it is more in-depth than any correspondence course costing hundreds or thousands of dollars. Simply put, if you are looking for the absolute 9 Ki source, this is your book. As I have said before, there is nowhere on earth where you will find the information contained in this book...past or present, in any language. The book will be ready soon and I believe it will make a big impact on the 9 Ki community. I am very excited about this project. I have waited long for these approaching times.

Ancient And Modern Conditions In Chinese Metaphysics

2008-04-16T07:13:00.005-04:00

In the past two thousand years or so not much has changed in the field of Chinese metaphysics. Ironically, any changes that were attempted have only diminished, not to mention confused, the value of the divination methods. The rare exceptions have been the works of men such as Yang Hsiung (53 B.C - 18 A.D), Chen Tuan (906-989), Shao Yung (1011-1077), and others. On average perhaps one person every five centuries was able to make significant changes and valuable additions to the main Chinese astrological /divination systems.
The ancient masters were well informed and quite advanced in their understanding of not only the astrological techniques, but also of astronomical information. Their style of approach may have varied somewhat , but there is no denying that the deep and profound understanding of their art was unfathomable.
In ancient times, the term “master” was a well respected and revered title. The relationship between master and disciple was an extremely close and respected bond. Oftentimes, the student was more devoted to his master than to his own biological family or blood relatives. Many devoted pupils spent an enormous amount of time learning with their spiritual teachers. Some on mountains, others in forests or caves, and some in temples and other environments. They ate the same food, breathed the same air, and walked the same ground. In other words, they ingested the same chi. The disciple would eventually learn to merge with his master, and though it could have taken decades, the pupil with the proper patience was well rewarded,
Though I’ve stated that things have not changed much in the past two millenia in terms of divination, the same cannot be said when it comes to the relationship between master and student. On those terms, things have changed quite dramatically and drastically. In these modern times the title of master has a completely different connotation than in the past ages. If an ancient master were to pass by a modern master on his daily walk today, neither one would recognize the other as a master. The chi of the modern master has been tainted to the point of unrecognizable proportions
Business interests and financial opportunity have entered into the equation for today’s high-profiled, high-tech guru. High-scale advertising and outlandish claims are normal everyday occurrences in today’s fast-paced and highly competitive spiritual marketplace. Twenty-first century students do not have to wait two or three decades to receive their complete education. They can do it in less than four weeks by attending a seminar or workshop or by enrolling in an on-line computer class and paying the proper amount of money. I have seen and have personally known many people who were certified as masters in less than four weeks. Today you can earn a “master’s degree” if you will, by simply sitting in front of a computer for a specified amount of time. As you can obviously see, the true master/disciple relationship is merely a faded memory of a bygone era.

Diet And Divination

2008-04-10T13:52:00.006-04:00

I could never understand why so little importance is placed on diet in relation to metaphysical studies. You very rarely hear a master talk about the correlation between food and study. I have found that the proper foods and diet along with other lifestyle changes makes all the difference in gaining insight and understanding in Chinese and other metaphysical studies. I am on the 24th day of a 100% raw organic vegetarian vegan diet and I can tell you it is not much fun. No meat, cheese, milk, butter, eggs, sugar, chemical additives, etc. It is basically vegetables, fruits, and nuts. My girlfriend and I try to do a couple 100% raw diets a year and it is a lot more difficult than it sounds. It is almost easier to fast than to go raw. Overall, your physical energy diminishes to a great degree and I can't understand how the raw vegans boast of all the energy they receive from the diet. I don't believe it is a good diet for a long term period, but I am almost certain it has it's benefits for the shorter durations of say up to a few years.

The one certainty is the mental clarity that one receives from eating all raw foods. Your imagination begins to 'kick in' and your creative process begins to pour out. I believe it is a good diet for spiritual progress, but you have to be careful because you can lose a lot of weight if you carry the diet too far. If you are not concerned about losing weight, then I say you will have a lot of fun with the raw diet.

Since ancient times it has been noted how important a diet is in spiritual cultivation. Today's masters don't seem to agree with the ancients as most are stuffing their bellies with pizzas, hamburgers, french fries, ice cream, soda , and a host of other extremely dangerous foods that are poisonous to the body, mind, and spirit. When students attend a seminar, be it Feng Shui, Four Pillars, I Ching, or whatever, they are rarely if ever told about these dietary guidelines. They are being charged hundreds and many times thousands of dollars and they are not even being informed of this important issue. I suppose that one of the reasons is because many modern masters are quite round around the belly and for them to speak of the importance of diet would make them look hypocritical. One Chinese master once told me, and I quote, "If anyone claims to be a master, look at their belly and you'll know if he's lying or not". Anyways, if you're having trouble gaining insight or penetrating certain ideas, try thinking of diet. Short periods of fasting is probably best, grain-less raw foods next, and cooked vegetarian a long way third. If done properly, Fasting or Raw will very likely allow you to conquer many complicated situations and allow you to gain a deeper understanding of metaphysics.

The Grand Illusion ( a.k.a. The Social Structure)

2008-04-03T15:55:00.003-04:00

Welcome to the grand illusion

Come on in and see what's happening

Pay the price, get your tickets for the show

These words were written by the pop rock group of the 70's, Styx, and it speaks of the social poisons surrounding and embedded in the fabric of American culture. Things have only gotten worse since the 70's and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see it because it sticks out like a sore thumb on the Jolly Green Giant. Many people get upset when I write about this kind of stuff, so if you are easily offended I suggest you stop reading now and pull out a nice novel. If you are a social sympathiser this article may be a bit to honest for you to handle. Let me start out by saying that American society loves to see you fail, and in fact will do all they can to achieve this aim. If you don't believe this you are right where they want you...in a hypnotic robotic state, and that is exactly where 99% of society is. To call it a "sheep mentality" is an insult and disgrace to sheep because they are much stronger and dignified than humans. Society is the biggest hypocrites known to humanity. They try to persuade everyone that they have your best interest at heart, but then as soon as you turn your back you get stabbed, and god forbid don't ever bend over. Take the media for example, they are absolute destruction to the heart and soul. There are no exceptions, the media will rob your very life force as they throw pictures of beautiful people, cars, and jewelery across your t.v. screen, or as they sing beautiful songs on your radio, or when they write their beautiful lies in your newspapers and magazines. All this to lull you into a trance to rape every aspect of anything pure that may reside in you. Styx continues :

Don't be fooled by the radio

the t.v. or the magazines

They show you photographs of how your life should be

but they're just someone else's fantasy

They are the fantasies of sick and demented institutions who have the nerve to call themselves doctors, lawyers, politicians, officials, lawmakers, priests, and a host of others bogus titles. I'd run out of room if I listed all the perverted control freaks who want to run every area of your life. Doctors are cherished and praised in their profession, which consists mainly of slowly torturing and killing people through drugs, radiation, knife surgery and a host of other new and innovative ideas they come up with every day. It is easier to obtain drugs in America than it is to get candy. If you want to purchase drugs through a doctor you will have no problem...they have everything from A-Z. If you want to purchase clean organic raw milk from a farmer you can be put in jail...you think I'm joking...I know people who this has happened to....no joke my friends. There are more people on depression medication today than at any other period in history...does that sound like the "progress" America is always bragging about. If the doctors don't mess you up completely, the priests will be right there to deliver the knock-out punch. Doctor's go for the body...priests go for the soul...either way your screwed. All for control and all for money, no wonder everyone is runnin around like a 'loose goose' all confused and depressed.

So if you think your life is complete confusion

because you never win the game

Just remember that its a grand illusion

and deep inside we're all the same

America survives and thrives on intimidation and fear. You would have to see it to actually believe it. But even if you saw it you wouldn't believe it because they conceal it so well. They will tell you this...but they will give you that, if they give you anything at all. The food in America is full of poison and chemicals, the cosmetics one uses is the same, almost all the clothes are made from synthetic and toxic material, same with furniture, toys, garden utensils, home appliances, and 99% of anything manufactured. They are making laws everyday that are designed to cripple, stifle, and totally control their citizens, and the sickest part is that they are using the citizen's own money that they are working their fingers to the bone to earn. This post is mentioning only one-tenth of one percent of what is happening in America. The situation is serious and if things don't change I don't see how a revolution can be avoided. I have never seen a more competitive and sick society as America. Styx concludes :

America spells competition, join us in our blind ambition

get yourself a brand new motor car

Someday soon we'll stop to ponder, what on earth's this spell we're under

We made the grade and still we wonder....who the hell we are.

I know I am wasting my time writing this, because no one will believe that the so-called 'greatest' country in the world could do this. And even if someone does believe it, they will forget about it by their next cup of toxic coffee. I can't for the life of me understand how a nation full of hypnotic life-less robots can watch a perverted demented society dictate to them every single move to make...every word to speak...and every breath to take. Where is our creative powers, what happened to our soul's god-head. What happened to our child-like innocence. It's hard to feel sorry for a nation full of saps.

One Dream Away from Paradise (Chasing The Carrot)

2008-03-30T11:18:00.000-04:00

I used to spend a great deal of my life chasing a dangling carrot that I was sure would bring me all the joy and happiness I wished for. I would have sworn to every god in heaven that I was but an inch or two from realizing every desire within me...when in reality I was a million miles away from that friggin' carrot. Regardless of that elusive carrot, I have been lucky...even blessed at times, and I would not trade the experiences and memories of my life with anyone on earth, past or present. The problem was that I was young and had a lot to learn and every success made me want more than what I had. I guess you could say I was a greedy little runt, but back then I knew nothing about the Tao or Wu Wei and all that other stuff. Please allow me to take a little stroll down memory lane.

By the age of 20 I was a seasoned and professional gambler. Every day I was working very hard at handicapping sporting events and I was talking and exchanging information with some of the biggest gamblers in America. Most were two, three, and four times my age but they all gave me their respect and I gave them mine. I took my work very seriously and as I look back, it was this phase of my life that allowed me to understand the numerical aspects of Chinese metaphysics and allowed me to penetrate it at a deep level. I talk about this in my soon to be published book. Anyways, in my 20's I was hopping around the gambling community and traversing back and forth to Las Vegas. I had it made as a kid and was living a life that all my buddies dreamed about. I was always able to make friends with the 'big-shots'...I don't even know how but I was able to talk with people that others couldn't get close to. A lot of people became jealous and there have been some rather 'hairy' situations in my youth, but I survived unscathed and healthy. Some of the stories seemed to come straight from a Damon Runyon book. I used to spend a lot of time at the horse track and the poker tables, and played a lot of Blackjack. It was the numerical aspect that I was attracted to and I knew that numbers revealed the real truth of the world and I understand them even more intimately today. I was absolutely consumed with numbers and what they could reveal to one who took the time to understand them. I became so proficient at understanding numbers that many gamblers approached me to work for them. I have always been independent and I would always turn them down because I didn't want to be put in a position of responsibility. Some of these guys were making six figure wagers and even though I wouldn't be accountable for any loses, I just didn't feel comfortable about it, so I would humbly turn them down and kept mostly to myself.

Then when I was 23 years old He walked into my life. Vince was definitely a high-roller as they called them. He won and lost more money in a day than most people make in five years. At one time he was a legend and was known in gambling circles everywhere. I used to read about him in the newspapers as a kid and saw him on t.v. He was the "Cream Of The Crop". One of my wishes was to one day meet him in person. He eventually heard about me through the other gamblers in town. I will never in my life forget the night he called and asked if I would like to meet him for dinner at a local restaurant. At dinner he invited me to his house and at that point I felt like I hit the lottery. I was on cloud nine and to be honest, I remained on that cloud for the next two and a half decades until the day he passed away. We became the best and closest of friends and he filled a huge gap that was missing in my life. He actually filled many gaps, but the specific one I'm talking about is the missing father gap. I lost my dad when I was 15 and he was as close as a father to me, and many times...even closer. He was 20 years older than me but we saw things on the same level and were not hindered by generation gaps ... or whatever they call them. Some of the best days of my life were the ones spent on lazy evenings on his patio talking about anything and everything. Although he was not involved in metaphysics per se, Vince was definitely a Master, there was never any doubt in my mind about that. I had the utmost loyalty and respect for him. When I think of him these days, I still roam in the cloud-nine regions. He has had a tremendous amount of influence in my life and there isn't any way to describe how much I miss him. These days I only see him in dreams and I keep detailed descriptions of them in my journal and one day I will put all the dream pieces together to figure out the messages he's sending, because he is definitely trying to convey something. Vince is the only person on this planet who has never judged me in any way. He has taken and accepted me for who I truly am and has helped me any time I ever asked whether he felt I was right, wrong, or indifferent. He never asked "why"...he never asked "how come'...he never wanted an explanation, if I needed help he would help, it was as simple as that. I was never once denied and I never denied him. If that ain't love...I don't know what is.

Now I'm in my late 40's and I see life and reality much different than before. I am completely out of the gambling business. Today I am on a different path. I am no longer delusioned by the fallacies of gods, demons, heavens, and hells. I no longer believe that paradise is a short dream away. I now know that paradise is anywhere and everywhere I want it to be and I can experience it whenever I wish. I don't have to chase anymore and I don't have to worry about an unreachable or unattainable carrot. I am now interested in the messages of Fu Xi and Lao Zi rather than Amarillo Slim and Jimmy The Greek. My, how the times have changed. I spend my time these days in solitude and meditation and get a great deal of joy working on charts and studying Chinese metaphysics at the deepest level I can handle. My social ambition has all but vanished and I am content with a simple life. I haven't been on a plane or to Las Vegas in 20 years, I haven't had a formal dinner in a restaurant in over 10 years, and I haven't watched television or read a newspaper since 1996. I like to walk in parks, meditate, and study. It has all been a drastic change and the people who knew me in my youth would probably not believe these words...but then, I have been misunderstood most of my life. Luckily I don't have to worry about that because I stopped explaining myself and my views a long time ago. The transition from gambling to Chinese metaphysics was certainly my destiny and I now understand the intricate meanings very well...and as I mentioned earlier I wrote about this in my book, "The Luo Shu Oracle". I have met as many people in the field of metaphysics as I did in the field of gambling as a youth. I owe a debt of gratitude to every person I have met because if not for all of them, my life would be that much less complete. I would like to thank all my friends, acquaintances, associates, comrades, and not so friendly folks who have wandered into my life. I don't have any enemies, but if anyone believes they are my enemy, I would also like to thank you too for playing a role in my life.

I feel I have much to be thankful for. Most of all, I would like to thank Kelly...that incredibly beautiful soul who has allowed me to deeply understand how silly I was and how much time I wasted in chasing that carrot. Everyone has their own story or destiny to contemplate and understand and I am no different. Some do it through symbols, others through dreams, omens, or meditations. I see one of the symbols in my life as a baton and it is an important symbol. In relay races, batons are passed from one runner to the other to transform the race into a smooth flow. A great transformation period in my life was the year that Vince passed away and Kelly appeared. It was as if Vince passed the baton to Kelly in a smooth transition...not a single step was missed. I know this to be true because I see both their fingerprints on the baton of my life. I understand the deeper implications involved. Vince left the world less than 2 months after Kelly entered my life. There is no doubt that Vince waited for her to appear before he said goodbye. He always looked after me and he wanted to make sure I was ok before he left. I am certain of this through dreams and even through physical circumstances. Ironically, Vince and Kelly lived in the same neighborhood and only one street separated them, though they never knew of each other. On the precise day I met Kelly, Vince passed away the exact number of days as the first half of her address (representing the first part of my life). Also, when I add the sum of the digits in her address it is the exact number of years I was on earth when I met Vince. In addition, the address to the location where I resided when Kelly first knocked on my door is also the same number of days it took for Vince to leave the physical world from the exact moment of the knock. There is much more to it, but my point is that it is all so obvious and it is all contained in the numerical aspects of my perceptions. It's all in the numbers. I have always believed that anything can be uncovered or discovered through numbers...from the simple to the mystical. My greatest wish was for Vince and Kelly, the two great giants in my life to have met, but that didn't happen in the tangible realm. But I don't worry too much about that because I am a dreamer and a dreamer can make anything happen. Shao Yung spoke much about initiation and completion, the two main aspects in any form or reality. Kelly completed what Vince initiated...Shao Yung would be proud. Thank you Vince...Thank you Kelly I owe you both more than you will ever know.

Update on the Luo Shu Oracle

2008-03-18T20:09:00.003-04:00

I wanted to write an update to let you know the status on my book "The Luo Shu Oracle : Penetrating The Mysteries Of 9 Ki Divination". The book is complete and is at the stage of editing. The process is taking longer than I anticipated but I am making sure that everything will be done in the best possible manner. I don't want to cut any corners. The book will consist of approximately 400 pages depending if I self-publish it (more pages) or have someone else publish it (less pages). It contains many charts, tables, and diagrams and a lot of information that has never before been revealed to the public. I can absolutely assure you that it is the most comprehensive book ever written on the subject in any language. You will never have to worry about this book becoming out-of-date because the principles explained in it are as ageless and timeless as the Tao. This book will be just as relevant today as it will be 500 years from now. Only a few people have seen portions of the book and I have been told that from what they have seen, it will be an extremely valuable contribution to the field. I have spent a great deal of time in putting it together. I have turned down an offer from the first publisher I spoke with because I didn't feel I was getting properly compensated for the amount of time, effort, and energy that went into writing it. I am not in a desperate position to publish and will self-publish myself if I don't receive what I believe to be a fair contract. The Luo Shu Oracle will be available in both hardback and paperback and I may negotiate a deal to sell it electronically, although I am not sure of this last option. I will keep you updated on any new developments.

Shao Yung : The Man And The Chart

2008-03-09T17:36:00.004-04:00

Shao Yung (1011-1077) was one of the most influential and wisest men in the annals of Chinese history. This great thinker went through many hardships throughout his life and he writes about many of them in his poetry. He eventually gathered his poems and put them together in a book titled "Striking The Earth Collection". This book reads like a diary in the day to day trials and tribulations of his life. He was well respected by all and his peers considered him a true master. His thoughts, ideas, and theories still have an influence on many people to this very day. His I Ching studies were unparalleled and his studies involved the 'Image and Number Learning' school of thought. In other words, he put forth much more effort in reading the symbols, numbers, and images of the I Ching rather than the text. Some, like Chu Hsi were not pleased with Shao Yung's decision and came down on him rather harshly because they viewed his study as fortune telling and divination and they considered this as straying from true Confucian thought. In addition, Shao never served a government position and refused to take the government exams on more than one occasion, and in fact never had a job in his life. In Chu Hsi's eyes this was a double no-no since a true Confucian would serve their fellow man and take on the responsibilities necessary to fulfill their social duties, which Shao Yung neglected. Rather than getting deeply involved in the social order, Shao spent all his time deeply immersed in his I Ching studies and spent his entire life devoted to his studies. He married rather late in life and had two children (both boys) and though they didn't accumulate the deep knowledge of I Ching studies as their father, the elder one named Shao Po Wen did become fairly well known and even edited and published some of his father's work.

The amazing thing about Shao Yung was that he took the 8 trigrams of the Early Heaven sequence and turned it into a life-long philosophy. His whole learning was based on the 8 trigrams and he perceived any aspect of reality through the understanding of those 8 trigrams. Many have said that he could predict the rise and fall of anything in the phenomenal world and could give the exact year, month, day, and hour of any person's death. All this was done with the use of the 8 trigrams which is basically 8 qualities or forms of energy. Incredibly, Shao extended the 8 trigrams over a trillion-fold. That is not a misprint, and if you ever get a chance to look at some of his work you will see numbers derived from the trigrams that carry well over 30 digits. His work is too lengthy to get into here but I did post a picture of the Early Heaven Chart (top right) that he used as the prototype for understanding the realities of the phenomenal world. It is difficult to fathom that a small chart such as this could reveal all the secrets and mysteries of the world...that it could give you the answer to any question your mind is concerned with. It can be said that the Early Heaven IS the world and everything in it. If you carry the Early Heaven chart in your pocket you are carrying the universe in your pocket. If you don't believe me, then ask Shao Yung.

Viewing Nature

2008-03-07T10:17:00.004-05:00

As I awoke this morning I lazily starred out the window at the lovely flakes of snow cascading down from the heavens and covering the earth like a beautiful white blanket. I had nothing in particular on my mind, I just felt privileged to be able to witness the stunning beauty of nature. As I walked into the den to write this post I non-chalantly look out the window to observe the visitors. At this very moment this is what I see. Two turkeys are nibbling on some corn grain by the bird feeder as they are cautiously approached by four deer. The turkey and deer are looking at each other and decide to share the grain. A fifth deer approaches and and seems to be dancing gracefully with one of the other deer while the others keep nibbling. The turkeys have their fill and decide to wander off. A cardinal just lands as I speak and joins the deer for a morning bite while about a dozen other birds and two squirrels join in the festivities. About another dozen singing and chirping birds sit comfortably on branches, trees, and the bird-house viewing the ceremony while others are moving about on the ground while the flakes keep lightly falling. Everyone is content, and I know this even though I am not a turkey, deer, bird, or squirrel...just as Chuang Tzu knew over 2,000 years ago that the fish in the river were happy even though Chuang Tzu was not a fish. And now two eagles land in the distance by the pond. Wow !!! What an absolutely beautiful sight that could not have been scripted any more elegant than how it has just naturally occurred before my very eyes. What a true and divine gift I have just received from heaven on this special morning. Hmmm, it seems like a perfectly orchestrated symphony, but deep down I know that nothing is orchestrated...it is natural, and I suppose that is why it is so truly exceptional. The creatures are expressing themselves with effortless eloquent beauty. I can't help but wonder what life would be like if humans expressed themselves in the same effortless manner as my morning visitors. And like John Lennon, " I may be a dreamer, but I'm not the only one". The divine gifts we receive from the Tao surround us at all times but we seem to miss them because we are not aware. All we need to do is to relax and silently observe and we would be amazed and astounded at the remarkable dialog we can experience with nature. This is what I believe to be true and ultimate liberation. It truly is wonderful to be alive.

Education

2008-02-28T09:28:00.004-05:00

Today everything is much overrated,
the reason is because we're mass educated

When educators educate they over-emphasize or over-exaggerate the knowledge they have bestowed. If they don't overrate what they teach then the student would feel cheated. The educators are covering their butts and this is poison. This is not true knowledge, it is watered down learning at best and programming at worst. You'll see it in any university, institution, or socially created structure. Societies over-promote a college education and try to make you believe that without a university degree you are worthless...and the sad part is that people believe it. Parents work their whole lives and sacrifice themselves to put their kids through college and believe they are making their kids lives better. Well, maybe they are financially but they don't look any deeper than that. As long as their kids are financially successful the parents believe they have done a noble job in providing their kids with an education. How sad!

If finances are the measure of success in a person attending college, you would have to conclude that the most successful ones are the inner city kids whose only skills in life is to bounce a basketball and suck on a crack pipe. They end up signing basketball contracts for 50-75 million dollars but can barely spell their names. These are the sports heroes we all glorify. They all go to college but they learn absolutely nothing and they end up making more money in one month in the NBA (National Basketball Association) than the whole college faculty combined makes in 10years. And of course it has already been proven that the most sucsessful and richest people in the world have never gone to college. Yet we are always being told that we have to go to college to become something. 9 out of 10 people I know, end up depressed and in debt after finishing their college 'education'. The teachers keep teaching...the sports heroes keep doing their drugs...and the rest of the student body keeps filling the vaults of the universities with hard earned money going in debt and their parents claiming bankrupcy. No one is getting any smarter. What a silly game to play.

Text Judgements For "The Luo Su Oracle"

2008-02-24T07:42:00.007-05:00

The following are two pages from chapter 7 of my book "The Luo Shu Oracle". It shows the judgements for two of the eighty-one Luo Shu numbers. These judgements are to be interpreted after some necessary calculations are performed (which are explained step-by-step in the first part of the book). The first number is the 81-Ki number that some refer to as the Kanagi Guruma number, the two numbers beneath it are the two 9 Ki numbers that are the components of the first number. The Month, Day, and Hour range beneath the component numbers are the time of year the particular numbers correspond with...the hourly range below that is the time of day associated with the judgement, and the degrees range is the Spacial aspect. The title (representing the year & month) then follows along with its judgement and finally the three numbers representing the year, month, and day along with a judgement for them. You can see that this method is used for divination to the day level and can be very detailed. In other words, once you know the year, month, and day numbers you can perform a divination for any 24 hour period throughout time...past or present. After factoring in your own personal birth/natal numbers it becomes even more detailed and accurate. After each of the 81 text charts, a value rating chart is given with many numbered values to show a precise numerical relationship involved in the divination. Unfortunately I was not able to format the value chart on this post so it is not included. If the editors do not cut any portion of the book it will contain over 400 pages. The fonts in the book are different than shown here and are much more elegant.

# 1

1- Water
1- Water

December 18 10:30 AM-
December 22 12:00 MID

11:51 PM- 12:09 AM
357.75 - 2.25 DEGREES

Covert Procedures
And Clandestine
Operations

In the abyss lies a corpse. Deep Contemplation.
As liquid as a drunken spirit. The robbers are coming.

1-1-1 Deep concealment. The treasure
cannot be located by the seekers.
What is hidden is safe. Abandon fame.
The king is dark, the servant is blind.

1-1-2 Stealing from the mother brings shame.
The property is flooded.

1-1-3 Sharp agitation. The feast in the East
concludes in eruption. The man is
energetic but walking is difficult because he
is impatient.

1-1-4 Concealment even through one’s travels.
One can look, it cannot be seen but can
be inwardly felt. Lusting emotional penetration.

1-1-5 Flooding. The dam breaks and the water
once again finds its course. One thief
may be contained but two cannot
be controlled.

1-1-6 In troubled times even the ones
in power can be bribed. A swindler
has his wit, a robber has his gun.
A crime is a crime, even if committed
by the king.

1-1-7 In the rain and mist the jewelry lies
hidden. The young girl searches
for joy but the night is dark and
heavy.

1-1-8 Honor among thieves. Even if a prison
break is possible, it would be best to wait
and serve your time. When deep in
contemplation, all can be acknowledged.

1-1-9 The secret is revealed, but only a tiny
glimpse. Soon the rain comes and
again the sun is hidden behind the clouds.
Friction between the North and South;
the South loses favor.

#2

2-Earth
1-Water

August 17, 6:00 AM-

August 21, 7:30 PM

3:45 PM- 4:03 PM
236.25-240.75 DEGREES

Compliance

The beggar and the hitchhiker meet on a country road.
The sky is cloudy. She milks the cow and brings the
proceeds to the slum-lord.

2-1-1 The field is wet. The elderly woman
loses her way. Tears are abundant.
In the house the man is waiting in her
bed. More tears flow.

2-1-2 Compliance leads to sacrifice.
At every turn the woman runs
the show. The male has no
authority.

2-1-3 The dark man runs through the
field. He gets caught. Nothing
can be gained. An electric blanket
on the waterbed makes for a difficult
situation.

2-1-4 While resting in his home, the lonely sailor
passes time by waiting for the mail.
Travel plans are disrupted. The check bounces.

2-1-5 Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. In
the end he is wounded in the belly.

2-1-6 A complaint is made but the authorities
set him free. The doctor’s efforts are in vain.
Better to endure the pain. A silver scarf
will do the trick.

2-1-7 If you must choose between the mother
and the daughter, take the younger of
the two. A cranky old lady is much less
fun than a concubine.

2-1-8 If you disrupt the mothers life, the
inheritance will not come. But
if you are the youngest of her sons
then luck is on your side.

2-1-9 The leader has been captured. One
must find the way through dependency.
The independent course is lost.

My Teachers

2008-02-22T09:51:00.004-05:00

This is a photo of the latest teachers the Tao has brought into my life. And like the Tao they are nameless at this point. The white pinto may eventually acquire the name "Mystic Dreamer" but it is not certain at this time. He may possibly be entered in races. I have interacted with them for about 6 months and they continue teaching me everyday and the education they are providing me with is worth more than any college degree from any university. My third teacher's name is Diodoro (The Golden God) but he's camera shy so he decided to skip out on the photo shoot. Still another teacher I have is called Pensador (The Thinker) but he's hiding in the stall probably munching on some oats and hay. They have taught me my greatest lessons including patience, compassion, and humbleness among a host of other virtues. I am nowhere near as advanced as them...but then, that's why they are my teachers. Anyways, I better run or I'll be late for class.

With Some Help From My Friends

2008-02-21T07:25:00.003-05:00

I never realized how much effort and energy it took to write a book until I began writing 'The Luo Shu Oracle'. Years ago I believed one could write a book on their own by simply sitting down and jotting down what they wanted to publish and sending it off to the publishers and then sit back waiting for the money to roll in. How absurd ! The last few years have given me a glimpes into the realities of writing and I can certainly say, "it ain't all that it's cracked up to be". There is no way one can do it on their own...absolutely impossible. I am fortunate to be surrounded by some of the best people that heaven could bestow on a person. I often-times wonder how I got to be so lucky to have the friends I have. I hope and pray that I can return to them what I have been given. When writing the book I learned more about the value of friendship and I give continual thanks for all the support I have received. To list the people I owe a debt of gratitude in helping my dream manifest into reality would make this quite a long post but I do mention them in the beginning of my book.

One person I would like to thank at this time is Nina Russo who designed the cover of my book. Nina is an extremely gifted and talented artist whose eye for detail is extraordinary. Her art and photography work in my opinion is breath-taking. I have seen some of her many creations and her talent never fails to amaze me. Originally I had a completely different book cover in mind and when Nina took the time to explore the different options my ideas were pale in comparison and we of course went with her designs. She was relentless and untiring in her efforts to make sure to get just the right look for the cover. Her eye for intricate detail was incredible, to the point of patiently waiting for the exact sun shadow angle to shine through the window before snapping pictures for the cover. You can notice this on the book cover picture. She snapped pictures from every angle and from different heights and positions. For me it was a great pleasure to see a true artist at work. She asked nothing in return for her unselfish and untiring efforts. How can you possibly repay someone for that. Thank you Nina...for everything.

I am listing Nina's website for anyone who may want to take a look at some of her beautiful work. I would not hesitate in recommending her for any type of art, photograpy, or advertising concerns you may have. Take a peek at her site by clicking on the following link :

http://www.ninamrusso.com/

The Luo Shu Oracle .......Table Of Contents

2008-02-15T22:27:00.005-05:00

The following is the Table Of Contents in the book I have just written and am in the process of publishing.

The Luo Shu Oracle
' Penetrating the Mysteries of 9 Ki Divination '

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements

Preface

1. Introduction

2. The Basics

3. Charts and Calendars

4. The 9 Ki Numbers and Principles

5. The 81 Ki Numbers and Principles

6. Personal Relationships and Direction of Movement

7. The Luo Shu Oracle Text

8. Advanced Uses

9. Conclusion

Further Information

Index

The Luo Shu Oracle : Penetrating The Mysteries Of 9 Ki Divination

2008-02-08T15:33:00.000-05:00

The following is a picture of the book cover to my soon to be published book titled : "The Luo Shu Oracle : Penetrating The Mysteries Of 9 Ki Divination". I have been working on this book for more than 5 years and have invested a tremendous amount of energy into putting it together. It is a comprehensive look into the workings of the Luo Shu for not only 9 Ki, but also 81 Ki, and 729 Ki. It reveals information that has never been presented in any language at any time. It contains over 800 'judgements' to cover every possible Luo Shu scenario using Year, Month, and Day numbers of an individual birth chart or time period. It can be used as an astrological method or a divination method. It is somewhat comparable to the I Ching (Yi Jing) in the way the judgements are constructed. I will talk much more about the book in the very near future and will post the Table Of Contents and a few pages of the text in the comming weeks.

Payin' The Piper

2008-02-05T13:52:00.000-05:00

If you try to grab for too much

the one you'll hurt is thee

so it's best to understand

that nothin' comes for free

If things always went my way

Ahh...wouldn't it be nice

but I'm learnin' everyday

that every service has a price.

The lyrics above are the partial words to a long poem I wrote to myself when I was a teenager. Those words ring just as true for me today as they did all those years ago. Back then I understood these words from the perspective of survival...today I percieve them from a metaphysical point of view where the yin yang polarities are of utmost importance. I also had another saying that was part of that poem that I never forgot..."If you're gonna pay the Piper, be prepared to pay him twice". I have paid the Piper many times in my life and up until my mid twenties I never got anything in return. I felt like I was getting screwed. Kinda like most people feel when they deal with religions and governments. It's all give and no take...all Yin and no Yang. Of course we're doing all the giving and they're doing all the taking. This type of imbalance will no doubt cause all sorts of inner and outer stresses that we would do much better without. We don't always pay the Piper through finances, but through many other clever manupulations that the Pipers of the world have created. We always seem to be on the short end of it. Well, I finally learned how to beat the greedy Pipers at their own game before I reached the age of thirty, but to be honest I have to admit that I still fall victim to their schemes every now and then. So I can say that in the past I was able to get an occasional glimpes of what it was like to break free from the mighty grip of the 'reaper' whereas today I get an occasional glimpes of what it is like to NOT break free. This is a big, big difference. Most people, however, will never understand the difference because they have become accustomed to the enslavement they have fallen into. It is like becomming comfortable with being imprisoned and refusing to leave when you finally have the chance. Oh yes, people have made the Piper their prison warden and what model prisoners we have all become. We allow the Piper to have full domination and dictate to us what we should eat, think, feel, etc. The Piper takes on many forms and wears many faces including........priests, masters, gurus, teachers, and many others. There are the Pipers and the Puppets of the world. And sometimes Pipers become Puppets of even bigger Pipers. It can get confusing. So you're probably wondering if there is a solution to the problem and of course there is because I would have to say that every problem has an innate solution built into it. In fact, the problem and solution are created simultaneously and are really two sides of the same coin. There is a master key (and I don't mean a Feng Shui master, I mean true masterism) that will open every prison door you or others have created for yourself and it will never fail you if you understand it intimately and deeply. This MasterKey is called : OBSERVATION and SURRENDER. There is a difference between surrendering to Pipers and surrendering to yourself. I'll leave it up to you to understand it at the level that will give you your ultimate and truest freedom.

HAPPY LI CHUN

2008-02-03T02:34:00.000-05:00

I would like to wish everyone a happy new year for 2008. The Chinese solar new year known as Li Chun or 'Spring Begins' will arrive on :

February 4. 2008 11 :00 :45 A.M. G.M.T

The Equation Of Time for that moment will be 13 Minutes and 53 Seconds.

This makes the True Solar Time of Li Chun :

FEBRUARY 4. 2008 10 Hours...46 MINUTES...AND 52 SECONDS A.M. G.M.T

Get Yourself A Good Pair Of Boots

2008-01-30T09:00:00.000-05:00

These boots are made for walkin,

and that's what they're gonna do

one of these days these boots

are gonna walk all over you.

It used to be that you could get a decent pair of heavy duty shoes to walk around in the metaphysical fields without getting too much bull-shit on your feet. Then competition began getting more fierce with the marketeers and we had to make an adjustment and get rubber covers to put over our heavy duty shoes. Then with the on-surge of Feng Shui we had to adjust for the times and upgrade to between-the-ankle-to-the-knee boots because the shit was starting to get more thick. Then the computer allowed 'masters' to build websites to sell their wares and our previous boots became useless and we needed new and improved ones.......ones that would reach our knees. This made it more difficult to walk and to advance but we had to do what we had to do to avoid the dung. Now with on-line seminars, correspondence courses, research centers, academies, institutes, and all the other million and one metaphysical creations the shit has gotten completely out of hand. We are being saturated with it in abundance. It's almost like people enjoy getting the stuff on them. I am thinking of marketing some good boots to help protect the public from this very real and serious problem. My line of boots will meet the need for all types of victims. There is the Karma Boots for the novice. Then I have the KYMA Boots (kiss your masters ass) for the more seriously inflicted victim. Perhaps I could interest you in the Research Center Boots if you're one of the poor unfortunate souls who got sucked into the Research Center fraud scheme. There are the Secret Boots, the New Age Boots, and a host of others that will cater to the various forms of doo-doo you have been affected by. Do stop by and check it out and don't forget to inquire about the Chinese Metaphysics Full Body Suit that is guaranteed to withstand any type of foreign debris that you have been exposed to.

THEN AND NOW

2008-01-26T19:46:00.000-05:00

THEN - The initial contact with your master was through meditation and stillness.

NOW - The initial contact with your master is by calling him on his cell-phone from the number you saw on his web site.

**********
THEN - You traveled 50-100 miles by foot to go knock on the master's hut somewhere in the mountains.

NOW - You hop on a plane and when it lands you take a cab to his office.

**********
THEN - You prayed that the master would accept you so that you wouldn't have to spend months enduring harsh weather conditions while you camped underneath a tree.

NOW - You pray that your credit card hasn't reached its limit because you know the master will accept you if it hasn't.

**********
THEN - After your lessons you cooked rice and boiled tea for your master.

NOW - After your lessons you both go to Starbucks for a cup of cappuccino.

**********
THEN - You washed your master's dirty underwear with pride and dignity.

NOW -You buy your master silk underwear from Wal-Mart for a buck ninety nine.

**********
THEN - You always told your master the truth.

NOW - You always tell your master what he wants to hear.

**********
THEN - Your master always told you the truth.

NOW - Your master always tells you what you want to hear.

**********
THEN - You studied for days without sleep in the master's hut listening to every word he spoke.

NOW - You sit in front of a computer for an hour or two reading every word he wrote on his correspondence course.

**********

THEN - You spent days copying charts by hand.

NOW - You spend minutes printing charts off the computer.

**********

THEN - In terms of finances your education cost you $0.00

NOW - In terms of finances your education costs whatever your master can squeeze out of you.

**********

AHHHH ! ! ! ! WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE GOOD OLE' DAYS.

Life Is Short --- Learn To Fly

2008-01-23T10:48:00.000-05:00

Life is much too short to worry about proper etiquette, appearances, manners, rules or customs set up for us by media, schools, religions, politics, and other social controlling institutions. When things get tough there is no need to visit doctors, go to counseling, or to take drugs. All you have to do is Learn To Fly. We don't have wings.......but we have imagination. A person's imagination is the greatest wings a human can experience. In terms of metaphysics I have learned to dis-associate myself from the constraints of modern socially accepted structures and learned to rely on my own imagination. If you are going to worry about what others think of you, or spend your time trying in vain to please them, you will be forever carrying "boulders on your shoulders". Only when you can laugh and tell them you won't be sitting at their table for dinner will your wings be able to spread. Life is short *** Learn to fly *** You'll love the journey.

Read the lyrics to this beautiful song written by the recording rebel artist Tom Petty.

Well I started out down a dirty road
Started out all alone
And the sun went down as I crossed the hill
The town lit up the world got still

Im learning to fly but I aint got wings
Comin down is the hardest thing
Well the good old days may not return
And the rocks might melt, and the sea may burn

Im learning to fly but I aint got wings
Comin down is the hardest thing
Well some say life will beat you down
Break your heart, steal your crown

So I started out for God knows where
But I guess Ill know when I get there
Im learning to fly around the clouds
But what goes up must come down

Im learning to fly but I aint got wings
Comin down is the hardest thing
Im learning to fly around the clouds
But what goes up must come down

Im learning to fly
Im learning to fly

Happy Birthday Shao Yung

2008-01-21T01:19:00.000-05:00

SHAO YUNG

Born : January 21, 1012 ... 7-9 PM

Died : July 27, 1077 ... 4-6 AM

************

I would like to extend a very special Happy Birthday wish to

Master Shao Yung of the Northern Sung era.

Today Master Shao turns 996 years old by western reckoning.

Master Shao has been the only one who I have considered to

be my master. I have learned more from him than from

any other person in any realm.

I truly owe this superior man the greatest gratitude.

He is forever in my heart and soul.

Eric And Richard Tell It Like It Is

2008-01-20T12:51:00.000-05:00

My friend in Malaysia Mr. Eric Teoh keeps crankin' out some great articles on his blog that I find interesting, informative, insightful, humorous, controversial, fascinating, and extremely enjoyable.......just the kind of stuff I really find worthwhile . Please do keep in mind that I have no promotional interests with Eric or anyone else, and my endorsement of him is not financial in any way. I just respect the guy for Tellin' It Like It Is. The following two articles were listed on Eric's blog recently and are produced here with his permission. Eric's mentioning of Richard Marx's lyrics inspired me to share one of Mr. Marx's other song lyrics from his hit single "Don't Mean Nothin". Wow ! It is as if the song was perfectly written for many Feng Shui practitioners.

Eric Says :

WARNING: If you're NOT easily offended, then please read on...

The Annual Forecast -How real and accurate is it?Is it a way for some masters to make a quick buck?Most predictions are not true, are they?And we’ll all forget them when the year end comes.What’s in store for next year again?So it’s an endless cycle.What’s the use of Ba Zi and Zi Wei then?If the Annual Forecast is such a big hit!

Ba Zhai (Eight Mansions) -Some people say it’s kindergarten.But then funny they still use it.Some say can combine with other methods.And then they confuse themselves and others.Some say it’s for landform only.Then how come the East and West group thingy?Some even say it’s fake according to a classic.Ordered by an emperor to confuse the peasants.

San Yuan (Xuan Kong) -Some people say it’s powerful.Do they have the proven track records?Some say it’s only for the house interior.Then how come the landform lessons?Some say it’s only one method.If that one method works, it works!Some even say it may be fake too.But there’s no mention in any classics.

Lineage -From grandfather to father.Then from father to son and so on.We all come about because of sex.Luckily the Feng Shui lineage involves no sex.Why all the same surname and DNA?If it’s not the blood and lineage?Having no lineage in Feng Shui.Did your grandmaster wear a condom?

‘Sex’ Method Feng Shui -There’s a group lower than any chicken shit I know.Faking it for their shrinking nuts’ sake.If they had balls to prove whatever that they claim.Then let’s meet and get over the bloody shame!Richard Marx sang, “No one touches, touch no one.”Touch me and I’ll crush your little nuts!Here’s a song for the chicken shits out there.“When I find you, I’ll end you!”

Divination -Also known as Gua plucking.As if everything can be plucked.Even if the ‘fruit’ may not be ripe?If divination is so utterly divine.How come the ‘pluckers’ are not the richest already?Divination and Feng Shui are two different things.You must be joking me off, ya little ghost!If it really works, then why DO Feng Shui?

Qi Flow -Qi flows from higher to lower ground.And so they say like they know.Just observe the rainwater when it rains.That’s how and where the Qi flows.If that’s so true O’ ignorant one.Then all who lives in the valley would be rich.And those living on ‘The Peak’ in Hong Kong must be poor?I still can’t afford to live there as yet!

Water Dragon -Qi gathers at the boundary of water.Put water in the right places.Then money money come come.Use water to activate the Qi.Like at number 8 where the wealth is.Choose an auspicious date and wala!If water really is an element of wealth,Then the fishermen must be very rich indeed!
==============================================

What Does It Take To Learn Chinese Metaphysics

You must be humble upon your new stumble!
You must be able to endure criticism for your voyeurism!
You must prepare to be confused before you put things to use!
You must be able to take it easy before you go crazy!
You must take time off which may not be a total loss!
You must have a lot of guts in order not to go nuts!
You must persevere in order to come out clear!
You may not read Chinese but just need to know the gist!
You may be paying through your nose to learn the most!
You may also be paying in vain that causes you much pain!
You may not learn from a master everything for he would have nothing!
You may be reading this with skepticism despite my mannerism!
==========================================

Richard Says :

Don't Mean Nothin' Richard Marx

This race is for rats,
It can turn you upside down
Ain't no one you can count on
in this sleazy little town ...

don't you open your heart

Cause it don't mean nothin'
The words that they say
Don't mean nothin'
These games that people play
No, it don't mean nothin'
No victim, no crime
It don't mean nothin'
Till you sign it on that dotted line

Take a good look around and you'll find
People tryin' to mess with your mind

And you want to scream,
but you gotta keep it all inside.
When you're trying to make a living,
There ain't no such thing as pride,

It don't mean nothing at all.

Ti And Yung Charts For Plum Blossom (Mei Hua) Part 5 Of 5

2008-01-19T08:49:00.000-05:00

STRENGTH OF TI AND YUNG
FOR PLUM BLOSSOM (MEI HUA)
_______________________

HEXAGRAM ............TI RATING ...............YUNG RATING

49.1 .......................................+2 ...........................................+2
49.2 .........................................0 ...........................................+5
49.3 .......................................-2 ...........................................+9
49.4 .........................................0 ............................................-5
49.5 .......................................+9 ............................................-2
49.6 .......................................+5 .............................................0

50.1 ........................................+5 ..........................................-16
50.2 ........................................+2 ..........................................-11
50.3 ..........................................0 ...........................................-7
50.4 ........................................-11 .........................................+2
50.5 ........................................-16 .........................................+5
50.6 ........................................-9 ...........................................+9

51.1 .........................................+6 ..........................................+6
51.2 .........................................+1 ..........................................+1
51.3 .........................................+3 ..........................................+3
51.4 .........................................+6 ..........................................+6
51.5 .........................................+1 ..........................................+1
51.6 .........................................+3 ..........................................+3

52.1 .........................................+1 ..........................................+1
52.2 .........................................-8 ...........................................-8
52.3 .........................................-1 ...........................................-1
52.4 ........................................+1 ...........................................+1
52.5 ........................................-8 ............................................-8
52.6 ........................................-1 ............................................-1

53.1 ..........................................0 ............................................+5
53.2 .......................................+5 .............................................-4
53.3 .......................................+2 .............................................+3
53.4 ........................................-3 .............................................-1
53.5 .......................................+2 .............................................+4
53.6 ........................................-1 .............................................+8

54.1 .......................................+2 ..............................................-8
54.2 .........................................0 ..............................................-5
54.3 .......................................-7 ...............................................-3
54.4 ......................................-2 ................................................-1
54.5 ......................................-4 ................................................-6
54.6 .....................................-11 ...............................................-4

55.1 .......................................-4 ..............................................+6
55.2 .......................................-8 ..............................................+9
55.3 .......................................-1 ..............................................+13
55.4 ......................................+5 ...............................................-2
55.5 ......................................+7 ...............................................-7
55.6 ......................................+10 ............................................-5

56.1 .......................................+3 .............................................+4
56.2 ...................................... +5 .............................................-5
56.3 .......................................-2 .............................................+2
56.4 ......................................+1 ..............................................-1
56.5 ......................................-4 ..............................................+2
56.6 ......................................-6 ..............................................+6

57.1 ......................................-10 ............................................-10
57.2 ......................................-5 ..............................................-5
57.3 ......................................-1 ..............................................-1
57.4 ......................................-10 ...........................................-10
57.5 .......................................-5 .............................................-5
57.6 .......................................-1 .............................................-1

58.1 .......................................-6 .............................................-6
58.2 .......................................-3 .............................................-3
58.3 .......................................-1 .............................................-1
58.4 .......................................-6 .............................................-6
58.5 .......................................-3 .............................................-3
58.6 .......................................-1 .............................................-1

59.1 .......................................+4 .............................................-5
59.2 .......................................+8 .............................................-14
59.3 .......................................+11 ...........................................-12
59.4 .......................................-6 ..............................................+5
59.5 .......................................-15 ............................................+10
59.6 .......................................-8 ..............................................+14

60.1 ........................................-1 ..............................................+2
60.2 ........................................-6 .............................................+5
60.3 .......................................+1 ..............................................+7
60.4 .......................................+6 ..............................................+2
60.5 .......................................+8 ..............................................-7
60.6 .......................................+3 ..............................................-5

61.1 ........................................+4 ..............................................+3
61.2 ........................................+2 ..............................................+6
61.3 .........................................-5 ..............................................+8
61.4 ........................................+8 ...............................................-5
61.5 ........................................+10 ..............................................0
61.6 ........................................+3 ................................................+4

62.1 .........................................-4 ................................................-6
62.2 ........................................+1 ................................................-15
62.3 ........................................-1 .................................................-8
62.4 ........................................-8 .................................................-1
62.5 ........................................-13 ...............................................-6
62.6 ........................................-6 .................................................-4

63.1 .........................................-1 .................................................-8
63.2 ........................................+8 .................................................-5
63.3 ........................................+1 .................................................-1
63.4 ........................................-7 .................................................+9
63.5 ........................................-9 ...................................................0
63.6 ........................................-2 .................................................+2

64.1 .........................................-7 .................................................+9
64.2 ........................................-9 ....................................................0
64.3 ........................................-2 ..................................................+2
64.4 ........................................-1 ...................................................-8
64.5 .......................................+8 ...................................................-5
64.6 .......................................+1 ...................................................-1

END.

This marks the end of the 5 part series on the Ti/Yung value charts. With a few adjustments, these charts can also be used for other divination methods such as Wen Wang Ba Gua, 9 Ki, Ba Zi, etc. I am certain that these charts can be used to enhance your studies and understanding of how the effects of Ti and Yung can be incorporated into Chinese metaphysics. There are many other techniques that can be added to your analysis and we will eventually discuss them at various points in the future.

Ti And Yung Charts For Plum Blossom (Mei Hua) Part 4 Of 5

2008-01-17T18:17:00.000-05:00

STRENGTH OF TI AND YUNG FOR
PLUM BLOSSOM (MEI HUA)
_______________________

HEXAGRAM ............TI RATING ...............YUNG RATING

33.1...................................... +3 ........................................-5
33.2 .....................................+8 ........................................-14
33.3 .....................................+12 ......................................-7
33.4 .....................................-14 ......................................+8
33.5 ......................................-5 .......................................+3
33.6 .....................................-12 ..................................... +10

34.1 ..................................... -11 ......................................+5
34.2 .....................................-16 .......................................0
34.3 .....................................-18 .......................................+7
34.4 .....................................+9 .......................................-13
34.5 .....................................+7 .......................................-18
34.6 ......................................0 ........................................-16

35.1 ......................................-4 ........................................+4
35.2 .....................................-13 .......................................+9
35.3 .....................................-11 .......................................+11
35.4 ....................................+11 .......................................-11
35.5 ....................................+6 ........................................-8
35.6 ...................................+4 ........................................-4

36.1 ....................................+4 .......................................-4
36.2 ...................................-1 .........................................-1
36.3 ...................................-3 ........................................+3
36.4 ..................................+3 ........................................-3
36.5 ...................................-6 .......................................+2
36.6 ..................................-4 .......................................+4

37.1 ....................................0 ..........................................0
37.2 ..................................-5 ..........................................+3
37.3 ..................................-5 ..........................................+3
37.4 .................................+3 ..........................................-5
37.5 ...................................0 ...........................................0
37.6 .................................-2 ..........................................+4

38.1 ..................................-7 ..........................................-14
38.2 ................................+2 ..........................................-11
38.3 ................................-2 ............................................-9
38.4 ................................-7 ............................................-5
38.5 ................................-9 ............................................-2
38.6 ...............................-11 ...........................................+2

39.1 .................................-1 ............................................+8
39.2 ................................-4 .............................................-1
39.3 ................................-6 ............................................+6
39.4 ...............................+1 ............................................+3
39.5 ...............................+6 .............................................-6
39.6 ...............................-1 ..............................................-4

40.1 ...............................+2 .............................................+5
40.2 ..............................+7 ..............................................-4
40.3 ..............................+9 .............................................-2
40.4 ..............................-4 ..............................................+7
40.5 ..............................+5 ..............................................+2
40.6 ..............................+1 ..............................................+4

41.1 .................................-5 .............................................+8
41.2 ................................-9 .............................................+11
41.3 ................................-7 ..............................................+13
41.4 ...............................+5 ...............................................+1
41.5 ................................+9 ...............................................-8
41.6 ...............................+14 ..............................................-1

42.1 ................................+2 ................................................+4
42.2 ................................-2 ..................................................-1
42.3 .................................0 ..................................................+1
42.4 ................................-2 ..................................................-1
42.5 ...............................+2 ..................................................+4
42.6 ...............................+7 ..................................................+8

43.1 ................................+8 ..................................................+8
43.2 ...............................+3 ...................................................+4
43.3 ...............................+11 ..................................................+10
43.4 ...............................+4 ...................................................+7
43.5 ...............................+6 ...................................................+10
43.6 ...............................+9 ...................................................+12

44.1 ................................+7 ...................................................-16
44.2 ...............................+9 ...................................................-11
44.3 ...............................+2 ...................................................-7
44.4 ..............................-10 ..................................................+6
44.5 ..............................-15 ...................................................+1
44.6 ..............................-17 ...................................................+8

45.1 ...............................+9 ....................................................-9
45.2 ..............................+6 ....................................................-4
45.3 ..............................+13 ..................................................-2
45.4 ...............................-4 ..................................................+6
45.5 ...............................-9 ..................................................+9
45.6 ..............................-7 ...................................................+11

46.1 ...............................-14 ...................................................-7
46.2 ...............................-9 ....................................................-2
46.3 ...............................-11 ..................................................+2
46.4 .................................0 ..................................................-16
46.5 ...............................+2 ..................................................-11
46.6 ...............................-2 ....................................................-9

47.1 .................................-6 ..................................................+9
47.2 ................................-4 ....................................................0
47.3 ................................-9 ..................................................+2
47.4 ...............................+6 ..................................................-10
47.5 ...............................+1 ....................................................-7
47.6 ...............................+8 ...................................................-5

48.1 ................................+8 ...................................................-7
48.2 ................................-1 ...................................................-2
48.3 ...............................+6 ..................................................+2
48.4 ................................-8 ..................................................+9
48.5 ................................-4 ....................................................0
48.6 ................................-1 ..................................................+2

To be continued ...............

Ti And Yung Charts For Plum Blossom (Mei Hua) Part 3 Of 5

2008-01-13T13:56:00.000-05:00

STRENGTH OF TI AND YUNG FOR

PLUM BLOSSOM (MEI HUA)

HEXAGRAM .......... TI RATING .......... YUNG RATING

17.1 ................................... +9 ..................................-11

7.2 ................................... +7 ................................-6

17.3 ................................... 0 ................................-4

17.4 ................................... +2 ................................. +3
17.5 ................................... 0 .................................... +6
17.6 .................................. -7 .................................... +8

18.1 ................................... -14 ................................... -5
18.2 ................................... -9 ...................................... 0
18.3 ................................... -10 ................................... +4
18.4 .................................... -4 .................................... -6
18.5 ................................... +1 ................................... -15
18.6 ................................... -2 ................................... -8

19.1 ................................... -4 ...................................+7
19.2 ................................... -9 .................................. +10
19.3 .................................... -7 ...................................+12
19.4 .....................................+10 ................................-9
19.5 .....................................+7 ...................................-4
19.6 ...................................+14 ...................................-2

20.1 ...................................+2 ....................................-4
20.2 ..................................+4 ....................................+1
20.3 .................................. 0 ....................................+3
20.4 .................................. -2 ....................................-5
20.5 ..................................+3 .................................... 0
20.6 ..................................+1 ...................................+4

21.1 ...................................-4 ..................................+2
21.2 ...................................-2 ...................................-3
21.3 ...................................+1 ..................................-1
21.4 .................................... 0 ..................................-3
21.5 ...................................-4 ....................................0
21.6 ................................. +3 ...................................+4

22.1 ..................................+1 ...................................-3
22.2 ..................................-4 ................................... 0
22.3 ..................................-6 ...................................+4
22.4 .................................+1 ...................................+4
22.5 .................................+3 ..................................-12
22.6 .................................-4 ...................................+2

23.1 ................................ +4 ...................................+3
23.2 .................................+8 ...................................+8
23.3 ................................+11 .................................+10
23.4 ................................+11 .................................+14
23.5 ................................+2 ...................................+5
23.6 ................................+9 ...................................+12

24.1 ................................+2 ...................................+4
24.2 ................................-3 ...................................-1
24.3 ...............................+4 ...................................+1
24.4 ...............................+5 ...................................-4
24.5 ...............................+7 ...................................+1
24.6 ...............................+2 ...................................+3

25.1 ................................+9 ...................................-2
25.2 ...............................+7 ....................................-7
25.3 ................................ 0 ....................................-5
25.4 ................................ 0 ................................... +5
25.5 .................................-5 .................................. 0
25.6 .................................-7 ...................................+7

26.1 ................................-14 ..................................+7
26.2 ................................-5 ...................................+2
26.3 ................................-12 .................................+9
26.4 ................................+2 ..................................-5
26.5 ................................+7 ..................................-14
26.6 ................................+11 ................................-7

27.1 .................................+4 ..................................+2
27.2 .................................-1 ...................................-3
27.3 ................................+6 ...................................-1
27.4 ................................-1 ....................................+6
27.5 ...............................+4 ....................................-3
27.6 ...............................+2 ...................................+4

28.1 ...............................+8 ...................................-17
28.2 ..............................+10 .................................-12
28.3 ..............................+3 ...................................-8
28.4 ..............................-8 ...................................+3
28.5 ............................. -10 .................................+6
28.6 ............................. -17 .................................+8

29.1 ..............................-1 ...................................-1
29.2 .............................-10 .................................-10
29.3 .............................-8 ...................................-8
29.4 .............................-1 ...................................-1
29.5 ............................-10 .................................-10
29.6 ............................-8 ...................................-8

30.1 ........................... +3 ..................................+3
30.2 ............................+6 .................................+6
30.3 ...........................+10 ...............................+10
30.4 ...........................+3 .................................+3
30.5 ...........................+6 .................................+6
30.6 .......................... +10 ...............................+10

31.1 ............................+2 .................................-4
31.2 ...........................+6 .................................-13
31.3 ...........................+11 ...............................-6
31.4 ...........................-10 ...............................+5
31.5 ...........................-14 ...............................+8
31.6 ...........................-12 ...............................+10

32.1 ...........................-11 ...............................-10
32.2 .......................... -7 .................................-5
32.3 ...........................-2 ................................-1
32.4 ...........................-7 ............................... -5
32.5 ...........................-11 ..............................-10
32.6 .......................... -9 ................................-8

To Be Continued ...............

Ti And Yung Charts For Plum Blossom (Mei Hua) Part 2 Of 5

2008-01-12T14:07:00.000-05:00

STRENGTH OF TI AND YUNG
FOR PLUM BLOSSOM (MEI HUA)

HEXAGRAM .......... TI RATING .......... YUNG RATING

1.1 .......................................... +7 ......................................... +7
1.2 .......................................... +2 ........................................ +2
1.3 .......................................... +9 ........................................ +9
1.4 .......................................... +7 ........................................ +7
1.5 .......................................... +2 ........................................ +2
1.6 .......................................... +9 ........................................ +9

2.1 .......................................... +2 ........................................ +2
2.2 .......................................... +7 ........................................ +7
2.3 .......................................... +9 ........................................ +9
2.4 .......................................... +2 ........................................ +2
2.5 .......................................... +7 ........................................ +7
2.6 .......................................... +9 ........................................+9

3.1 .......................................... -16 ....................................... +5
3.2 .......................................... -7 ........................................ 0
3.3 .......................................... -11 ....................................... +2
3.4 .......................................... 0 ........................................ -7
3.5 .......................................... +5 ........................................ -16
3.6 .......................................... +7 ........................................ -14

4.1 ........................................... -5 ......................................... -6
4.2 .......................................... 0 ......................................... -16
4.3 .......................................... -7 ......................................... -14
4.4 .......................................... -11 ....................................... +2
4.5 .......................................... -14 ...................................... -7
4.6 .......................................... -16 ...................................... 0

5.1 ........................................... +8 ....................................... -3
5.2 ........................................... +11 ..................................... -8
5.3 ........................................... +15 ..................................... - 15
5.4 ........................................... -1 ...................................... +15
5.5 ........................................... +1 ...................................... +6
5.6 ........................................... -3 ....................................... +8

6.1 ........................................... -3 ........................................ +8
6.2 .......................................... -1 ........................................ -1
6.3 .......................................... -5 ........................................ +16
6.4 .......................................... +1 ....................................... -5
6.5 .......................................... +4 ....................................... -10
6.6 .......................................... +8 ....................................... -3

7.1 .......................................... -4 .........................................-6
7.2 ......................................... +1 .........................................-15
7.3 ......................................... -6 .......................................... -13
7.4 ......................................... -14 ........................................ -5
7.5 ......................................... -9 .......................................... 0
7.6 ......................................... -16 ........................................ +2

8.1 ......................................... -16 ........................................ +2
8.2 ........................................ -11 ......................................... +7
8.3 ........................................ -18 ......................................... +9
8.4 ........................................ +3 .......................................... -8
8.5 ........................................ +8 .......................................... -17
8.6 ........................................ +1 .......................................... -15

9.1 ......................................... -10 ......................................... +1
9.2 ........................................ -15 .......................................... -4
9.3 ........................................ -17 .......................................... +3
9.4 ........................................ +2 .......................................... -16
9.5 ........................................ +4 .......................................... -11
9.6 ........................................ -3 .......................................... -7

10.1 ....................................... -3 ........................................... -5
10.2 ...................................... -1 ............................................ -2
10.3 ...................................... +2 ........................................... 0
10.4 ...................................... -4 ............................................ +1
10.5 ...................................... -8 ............................................ -4
10.6 ...................................... +1 ........................................... +3

11.1 ........................................-14 .......................................... +8
11.2 ....................................... -5 ........................................... +3
11.3 ....................................... -12 ......................................... +10
11.4 ....................................... +6 ......................................... -13
11.5 ....................................... +4 ......................................... -8
11.6 ....................................... +11 ........................................ -6

12.1 ....................................... +9 .........................................-8
12.2 ...................................... +7 .......................................... -3
12.3 ...................................... +14 ........................................ -1
12.4 ...................................... -9 ........................................ +11
12.5 ...................................... 0 ........................................ +6
12.6 ...................................... -7 ........................................ +13

13.1 ....................................... +3 ........................................ +4
13.2 ....................................... +1 ........................................ +7
13.3 ....................................... -2 ........................................ +11
13.4 ....................................... +10 ...................................... 0
13.5 ....................................... +8 ....................................... -5
13.6 ....................................... +5 ....................................... +2

14.1 ........................................ +5 ........................................ +2
14.2 ....................................... +3 ........................................ -3
14.3 ....................................... 0 ........................................ +4
14.4 ....................................... +5 ........................................ -1
14.5 ....................................... +3 ........................................ +2
14.6 ....................................... 0 ........................................ +6

15.1 ........................................ +4 ........................................ +2
15.2 ........................................ -5 ......................................... -7
15.3 ........................................ +2 ........................................ 0
15.4 ........................................ -8 ......................................... -4
15.5 ........................................ -4 ......................................... +1
15.6 ........................................ -1 ......................................... +3

16.1 ........................................ +6 ........................................ -4
16.2 ....................................... +8 ........................................ +1
16.3 ....................................... +3 ......................................... +3
16.4 ....................................... +2 ........................................ +5
16.5 ....................................... -3 ......................................... 0
16.6 ....................................... +4 ......................................... +2

To Be Continued ........

Ti And Yung Charts For Plum Blossom (Mei Hua) Part 1 Of 5

2008-01-08T13:22:00.000-05:00

I first wrote this article for Ray Langley's Yahoo Chinese Astrology list in September of 2006.

In Plum Blossom I Ching, the main focus is on the interaction of the trigrams and the 5 elements rather than the text in the Book Of Changes. The text, however, can be used as a sort of "second opinion"to possibly clarify a situation, but greater influence must be given to the symbols and numbers. In my opinion, the PB is not a system of words but rather a system of feeling. It is designed for intuition rather than intellect. It may sound strange to say, but the more 'hazy' and 'lazy' your mind becomes, the more success you are likely to have. I will not go into the rules for setting up trigrams and hexagrams. There are sources that explain these techniques. One is a book by Da Liu (now out of print), but I find that Lorraine Wilcox's translation of a Chinese written book on the PB is the best I have yet seen. A quick definition of Ti and Yung is to say that Ti represents the 'self' or the subject of the divination and the Yung represents all the other forces involved. If you inquired about a specific person and his employment situation, then the person would be Ti and everything involving his situation would be classified as Yung. You then look at how the Ti and Yung trigrams interact with all the other trigrams in the divination in terms of the 5 elements and then the picture starts to unfold. You then also look at how the elements of the time periods from Years down to Hours or Minutes interact with the Ti and Yung.This gives even more detail. In other words, the picture becomes more clear. There are so many aspects to this beautiful system that I will not be able to mention here because it would be very time consuming. Anyway's in terms of Ti and Yung you can get a strong indication of how powerful or weak they truly are. Most, if not all of the authors who have written of the PB will merely mention that the Ti or Yung is either 'weak' / 'strong' or 'favorable' / 'unfavorable'. To me, this is too vague, so I created a system that rates the strength of the Ti and Yung. To say that a Ti trigram is weak or strong is one thing, but when you say that Ti is operating at an efficiency of -7, +3, or +12 is quite another. The numbers reveal just how strong or weak the Ti or Yung is. It shows you the potency that it is operating at. It is quite detailed and can certainly enhance your interpretations. A very quick example would be the Chien trigram. It represents the father as one of it's many attributes. If you ask a question concerning the father of a family, let's say, and the Chien trigram is operating at strength of -8, then you know that the father's influence is very weak in the situation, especially if the Yung trigram is antagonistic to his Ti and is operating at say +12. In this case, the father is in serious trouble. If the Chien trigram's strength is +10 on the other hand then you can see that the father will have great influence. If the Chien trigram is enormously high, say +15 or higher, then he may become tyrannical or overly dominant. So you see, with the numbers, you can get a much greater feel for the disposition of the father. In PB you will have a hexagram that describes the situation. One line will be the moving line. The trigram without the moving line will be the Ti and all the other trigrams will be considered the Yung. So in hex. 3, the top trigram is Water and the bottom is Thunder......Kan over Chen. If the 5th line is the moving line, then the Ti is Chen. If the 2nd is the moving line then the Ti becomes Kan. Part 2 will give the strength of every hexagram and moving line according to the Ti And Yung of that hexagram. Hexagram 1.1 would signify hex.1 line 1 changing, hexagram 3.4 would indicate hex.3 line 4 changing, 63.5 would be hex. 63 line 5 changing, and so on. Keep in mind that the Ti and Yung for every hexagram has been evaluated with every other trigram including the Nuclear hex. and the Future hex. The influence of the Time elements on the Ti and Yung have not been taken into consideration because it would be practically impossible to list them all.

To be continued ...

The Two-Stage Process Of Initiation And Completion

2008-01-03T16:21:00.000-05:00

In the last post we discussed the theory of Ti and Yung. In brief, we understood that every entity or event in the phenomenal world is composed of two principles that were referred by the ancient Chinese as Ti and Yung. Chu Hsi, the neo-Confucian philosopher equated Ti with Substance and Yung with Function. In other words, Ti was basically static and Yung was continuously moving. When the two interacted, there were varying results according to other principles that were incorporated in the analyzing of the situation or event. The more learned one was of these principles the more sense one could make of the situation under consideration. Shao Yung, another neo-Confucian philosopher before Chu Hsi's time who had strong ties to Taoist ideas and methodologies used different terms in identifying Ti and Yung. The terms he used were Form for Ti and Activity for Yung (although these terms could be open to interpretation). Essentially, Chu Hsi's description fit quite well and agreed with Shao Yung's. In addition to Shao Yung's implementation of Ti and Yung, he also strongly utilized another idea in his thought and work. This idea consisted of a 2-stage process of Initiation and Completion.

Initiation And Completion

Everything has a beginning and an ending, and again as in Ti and Yung, from very large entities to very small ones, such as the evolution of ants to the evolution of galaxies. Modern day science says that for every action there is a reaction. Shao Yung didn't quite see it this way and his reasoning stated that for every beginning there must be an ending. In terms of the yearly cycle, the moment of the winter solstice to the moment of the summer solstice is the initiation process of the year, or the beginning. Then from the summer solstice to the winter solstice is the completion process, or the ending of the year in the 2-stage cycle. Then the dissipated energy of the particular year transforms into another year and another 2-stage cycle begins. The same can be said about the months, days, hours, minutes, or any other period of time segmentation. With a little contemplation you will see that the same 2-stage yearly cycle principle can be applied to any event or situation. A quick example would be a job interview for instance. If you were analyzing a job interview situation by divination such as Plum Blossom I Ching or astrologically through other means, you would see that the job interview would have its own 2-stage cycle of Initiation and Completion just as the yearly cycles we were just talking about. Shao Yung also extended his two-fold process into a 4-stage cycle of Birth - Growth - Maturity - Death (storing away). Then he went on to show that the 4-stage cycle could be extended to form a 16-stage cycle beginning with Birth-Birth...Birth-Growth...Birth-Maturity all the way down to Death-Maturity...Death-Death. The cycle did not have to stop at the 16-stage level and could be extended indefinitely if someone chose to get very detailed in their calculations. The principles in all the cycles were the same and could be used to analyze the Macrocosm just as effectively as the Microcosm.

There is so much more to be said about these ideas but to mention them all would require a book in itself. I hope that some of these ideas will inspire you to delve deeper into the subject. If you combine the Ti/Yung theories with the Initiation/Completion process you will begin to understand the true workings of nature. Your perceptions of reality will become much more acute I can promise you. There is more to Plum Blossom (Mei Hua), Wen Wang Ba Gua, or other methods than just looking at the lines, trigrams, hexagrams, and the interaction of the 5 elements/phases. If you don't understand Ti/Yung , Initiation/Completion , and other concepts, you will be limiting your understanding and potential for Chinese metaphysics. The fact that no master or teacher that I'm aware of are including these ideas in their classes doesn't help the situation at all. There isn't even much written about it in books, journals, essays, or other media forms. It is certain that very few individuals are aware of the deeper meanings of these subjects, so we have to find our own way so-to-speak. Fortunately there is a part of us that can access this information without the need for books, teachers, computers etc. The 'part of us' I am speaking of is our intuition. Our intuition can uncover, discover, or recover any information the ancients had access to. The beautiful part is that we don't need outside help or influence.

The Concepts/Theories Of Ti And Yung

2007-12-30T17:16:00.001-05:00

Ti and Yung are two terms that are fairly well known in Chinese metaphysics. As many other things involving metaphysics, Ti and Yung can only be considered a theory because trying to prove it in a factual way is not possible. Ti and Yung is known and considered to be a strong factor in Plum Blossom (Mei Hua) I Ching divination. Most refer to Ti as Object and Yung as Subject. Though this simplified categorization is acceptable, the true meaning of Ti and Yung runs much deeper. When it comes to the classification of Body/Spirit, some refer to the body as Ti and the Spirit as Yung.......where others say just the opposite. So it can become a little confusing. It is a bit like the Japanese Macrobiotic classification of Yin as 'expansion' and Yang as 'contraction ' where the Chinese for thousands of years have been saying the opposite. In my studies I have always given much more weight to the Chinese perspective and have always believed that George Ohsawa, the creator of modern macrobiotics was irresponsible in his yin/yang classifications, although I do believe that his dietary discoveries, though not perfect, are sound.

Ti and Yung are in everything great and small. It is in the motions of an ant to the motions of galaxies. It is also operating in the world of the senses in addition to the intangible world. There is the Ti and Yung of Heaven and of Earth. Many confuse Ti and Yung with Yin and Yang...but they are two different ideas. Ti is something that can be accessed or sensed through human perception where Yung cannot. In a person's life, the person themself is Ti and all the events that occur in their life is seen as Yung. It is not an easy concept to absorb. In terms of Qi (Chi), the interaction process is Yung and the entity it produces is Ti. Once you understand the Ti/Yung theories you can apply it to divination to enhance and give more meaning to the hexagrams, numbers, elements, etc. Many believe that Ti/Yung only applies to Plum Blossom divination, but this is not the case at all. It is applicable to Ba Zi (4 Pillars), Feng Shui, Zi Wei , Luo Shu (9 Ki), Stems/Branches, Wen Wang Ba Gua, or any other method.

Knowing the ideas and principles of Ti and Yung is one thing, but applying it as a part of your divination procedures is another. Unfortunately there isn't much written about it in detail and we must be content with what little we can find. At the present time I am not particularly inclined to write a great deal on it because of the complexities involved and for various other reasons we won't get into here. I do plan on posting a few charts in the very near future that will assist you in understanding Ti/Yung on a more intimate level.

Assigning Ti and Yung To Various Divination Methods

Ba Zi (Four Pillars) - The Day Master (Day Stem) is Ti and the rest of the stems and branches are Yung.

Luo Shu ( 9 Ki) - The center number in the natal chart is Ti and the remaining 8 numbers on the periphery are Yung.

Plum Blossom (Mei Hua) - The trigram of the present hexagram without the moving line is Ti and the remaining trigrams (Nuclear, Future) except the trigram in the future hexagram that is the same as the Ti is Yung.

Wen Wang Ba Gua - The line representing the subject is Ti and the rest of the lines are Yung.

Stems/Branches - When analyzing stems to branches, if the need arises to categorize Ti and Yung, you can assign the branches as Ti and the stems as Yung.

Comments Option Re-connected

2007-12-28T19:57:00.000-05:00

I hope everyone has had a wonderful holiday season. The new year is approaching and though it is not the Solstice, Lunar New Year, or Li Chun, I would still nonetheless like to wish everyone a great Year in 2008. I have connected the Comments option again and am looking forward to corresponding with anyone who cares to leave a reply, opinion, suggestion or anything else they wish to discuss. I would hope that by now everyone knows that they can say whatever they care to express in their comments. I will post every reply unless it is ridiculously obscene. So again, feel free to express your views in any way you choose.........there are no formal rules here. So go ahead and Tell It Like It Is.

The Future Of Chinese Metaphysics by Eric Teoh

2007-12-20T20:09:00.000-05:00

If you have never read a blog post before, I urge you to at least take a look at the article called The Future Of Chinese Metaphysics written by Eric Teoh who I consider a friend. Read it a few times closely. In my opinion this is a brilliant article. Thanks Eric. Click below :

http://ericklteoh.blogspot.com/

A Christmas Poem

2007-12-16T15:10:00.001-05:00

This poem was written and given to me 20 years ago by a very good friend of mine.

Mr. Gable.......wherever you may be, I hope the cards are falling your way, the dogs are running box to wire, and the horses are treating you well.

*******************
Outside the wind is blowing
and the trees are full of snow,
the weatherman informs us
that it's 32 below.
But the kids are out there playing
and with frozen toes they grin,
when this you see
you must agree
It's Christmas time again.

***
The shopping malls are buzzing,
cash registers on tilt,
there are people blowing money
and spending without guilt.
I don't recall seeing such a sight
since I can't remember when,
"yes you do dear...same time last year"
It's Christmas time again.

***
And the red clothed dude with whiskers
has cloned himself ten-fold,
and been scattered 'cross the planet
wherever Santa can be sold.
And some they don't seem old enough
and some seem a bit too thin,
But there are no flaws in Santa Claus
It's Christmas time again.
***

The trees are shining brightly
and the carollers they sing,
and the families come together
with the presents that they bring.
And everywhere you hear these words,
"peace on earth........good will to men"
De ja vu, the jokes on you,
It's Christmas time again.

***
And for one day all is peaceful
and for one day all is bright,
and for one day the world is loving
from the morn all through the night.
But tomorrow won't be as wonderful
nor seem as free of sin,
And that's the way it's sure to stay,
till it's Christmas time again.

Experiencing Freedom

2007-12-10T15:28:00.000-05:00

Freedom's just another word
for nothin' left to lose.
- Janice Joplin

As I awoke this morning I lay in bed pondering on the metaphysical side of things and wondered how free we truly are. We all seem to be bonded by knots so tight that our circulation is in jeopardy and we are either strangling ourselves or allowing others to strangle us. This certainly seems to be the case both collectively as a species and independently as individuals. As I lay there, I remembered the early days of my studies and what a long, long road it has been. I realized all the sacrifices I have made to obtain the metaphysical understanding I have always longed for. I certainly believe the sacrifices and trades were worth it, as my perception of things have dramatically changed and evolved. Things have not always been easy though. I have always hungered for various types of knowledge and this hunger ran extremely deep. I was/am insatiable in my searches and learning and I wonder if my hunger will ever be satisfied. I admit that I am a glutton for metaphysical knowledge. If an education was certain and static, things would be much easier. For example learning to become a doctor, lawyer, engineer, brain surgeon, or rocket scientist would be fairly easy because the education process is mechanical. Learning metaphysics however is a great deal intuitive and therefore the information is rarely static. That's one reason why hospitals, courtrooms, and laboratories can function or operate on computer techniques. Metaphysics has little use or value for computers. This may seem strange as I write this on a computer, but deep down I know that computers can give but a tiny glimpse of the realities of metaphysics. Sooner or later, if you haven't realized it already, you will start to see that computers are just a basic tool or instrument that has very little value in relation to divination.

I believe that the best way to penetrate the ancient and even modern ideas of astrology, divination, and other techniques is through freedom of thought and not computers, books, teachers, etc. If you remain in metaphysics long enough, there will come a time in your studies when you will realize that you have learned more in the first 6 months than you have in the last 10 years of your work. In other words, the more you study the less you seem to know. The reason is because in the very beginning of your studies your brain is a clean slate and whatever you take in is new and has not before been encountered. This gives you great confidence and even over-confidence. There is nothing to rebuttal what your mind accepts. This can be dangerous because you start to see yourself as having a power beyond the ordinary. Then...as your studies advance into years or decades you begin to absorb information from myriad sources and the information is not agreed upon because everyone has differing opinions. Then you have to battle the contradictions and this can be quite taxing I can assure you. As you try to grow in your studies you begin to see that all the 'experts' are giving you different information and you become totally confused and you start wondering if you should just give up and call it quits. This is called "growing pains" and every successful and accomplished diviner experiences it. You feel trapped because of the possibility that you have been going about it the wrong way for all those years. If you quit...you have wasted all that time, and if you go on....you will be wasting more time if you don't learn properly. You begin to lose faith in all the 'experts' you once believed were infallible. Many have suffered deep depression over this and other related issues, such as Richard Wilhelm to name just one. It is a bit like discovering after many years that your parents are not truly your parents.

I have learned that to overcome the situation you have to eventually believe in yourself. It isn't easy because we are all programed to believe that others know better and more than us...especially if they have a "master", "guru", or "teacher" title. This is the furthest thing from the truth and if you begin to put your faith and energy in others, you will simultaneously be taking faith and energy away from yourself. You strengthen them and weaken you.......and this is absolutely no good. There is nothing wrong with learning from someone at the early stages of your education, but you will eventually be forced to discover that you cannot stay at that level if you are to advance. You will soon discover that the ones you once thought were mighty dragons have turned into paper dolls. Persevere...don't despair, as this is your greatest opportunity. This is when you yourself can take matters into your own hands and create your own successes. Successes that are uniquely yours and not tainted by anyone else. It is something beyond description when you begin to make progress on your own without having to rely on masters, gurus, and other ignorant titles people bestow on themselves. You will then experience true freedom and every moment is a blissful adventure. Then you don't need masters talking to you because nature becomes your teacher and will speak to you any time, night or day, always giving you signs and assisting you along in your discoveries. This is the truest joy your heart can experience.

In The Zone

2007-12-04T12:28:00.000-05:00

This is the third day of a mini-fast I have been on. Not a complete fast , just a short one with very little food. I didn't intend it, it just worked out that way. I feel physically weak but very much alert mentally. Have you ever heard sports athletes talking about "being in the zone', well that's what it feels like. It is the most incredible feeling, like you can sense every little thing that's going to happen...from the smallest seemingly unimportant situations to the largest and most crucial ones. My mind is extremely 'hazy' but super-sharp right now. I thought I would write a post and leave it on the blog regardless how it turns out. Many may not understand it or may think it makes no sense.......but if they read it a few times they may see something in it. Right now to me it makes all the sense in the world even if later on I don't even understand it myself. Fasting is greater than any drug in the world...beats alcohol hands down...and something all the money in the world can't buy. This is what Osho calls being aware and in the moment...this is bliss. Join me for a few moments on my journey won't you.

MONEY SUCKS !!! How's that for a starter. Money is the greatest controller of humankind and whoever doesn't believe that is probably not human. Pink Floyd wrote, "Money...it's a hit, don't give me that do-goody-good bullshit". Much can be said of those words. Neil Diamond states, " Money talks, but it can't sing and dance and it don't walk", then concludes that he would much rather be forever in blue jeans. Money is a funny thing. Religions have tried to tell us for eons that money doesn't fit well with their sects and then proceed to pass the money basket to collect...well...money of course. Catholics are the greatest basket cases if you don't mind the term. Christian's on the other hand go straight for your throat, they demand at least 10% of your total income. They call it tithing or something like that. If you don't become a victim for their extortion schemes they convince you that you'll go to hell. Grown people actually believe them...they don't believe in Santa Clause or the Easter Bunny but they believe in the gods and hells that their religions created and cram down their throats. No wonder half the world is messed up in the head and the other half is doped up on depression medication and other drugs. Right now I have probably pissed off a few folks.......so far, so good. Keep reading.

Then a group comes along and calls themselves "Spiritualists". They are the ones who talk about angels, fairies, karma, and all the other stuff that the religions discredit or don't talk about. The Spiritualists are basically the rivals of the Religions...on the surface anyways. One branch of the Spiritualists is the "New Age Movement". The New Agers sensed that part of the world would eventually become wise to the worn out and jaded dogmatic ways of the religions and so these New Agers were quick to establish their own set of ideas to 'save' the world. In other words, they found a new way to 'hook' the world in a different way than the religions. Again, humanity went for the bait and then a new cycle began. Around the 1970's or so when the I Ching and other Oriental ideas were gaining popularity in the Western world, the new charlatans were called 'Gurus'. Fast-forward a couple decades to the 90's and Feng Shui became a trend that was gaining popularity and the world started sprouting "Feng Shui Masters" at will. At the turn of the 21st century there seemed to be more Feng Shui Masters than drug addicts. The great philosophical and astrological ideas of ancient China were (and are) being watered down and mass-marketed in the west.......mostly under the guise of Feng Shui. Today everyone seems to be a Feng Shui master from young men and women in their early 20's to the elders in their 70's and 80's and beyond. Perhaps the biggest mistake these Feng Shui master wanna-be's made was to announce that they are promoting Oriental metaphysics for the betterment of the world rather than for the money. This statement is what has made hypocritical asses of the 'masters' and has tainted Feng Shui at the same time.

The techniques 'masters' use are crimes against humanity. I see more honor in what society calls criminals than I see in Feng Shui masters...and this is not an exaggeration. Simply put, there is more honor in crime than in spirituality...much more. Larry Sang is a Vietnamese who runs a Feng Shui Institute and he uses the word American in the name of his business. He has most likely felt intimidated by American culture and so by using the term in his business name and by sitting in front of the American flag as he does on his website, he seems to feel more protected by kissing the right asses. I have a strong suspicion that Larry doesn't give two licks about American values other than the fast buck, but he knows that by 'aligning' with the almighty USA his chances of success are improved. Larry personally and through his students promotes himself as a master and the "keeper" of the Iron Plate secrets. He claims to be one of only five people on the planet who has access to the great secrets of the mysterious Iron Plate methods. I have heard from many people that Larry doesn't read or write a word of English and that is the reason he doesn't teach at his institute...he pays others to teach there. There could be truth to this because I have noticed that his books lack information that a master would write. I have heard that he has others write his books for him but takes full credit himself. This is but one example of a person taking full financial advantage of a truly misinformed and gullible public. This is his way of promoting Chinese ancient metaphysics. It is not only a shame but also a crime.

Some self-proclaimed 'masters' when exposed will twist and alter facts and lie until they achieve their desired results. The reason they can get away with this is because of their Chinese name. Joseph Yu from Canada is a prime example. In September of 2006 Joseph Yu read a post I wrote on a Chinese astrology list that describes a flaw in Plum Blossom I Ching that has been overlooked for 1,000 years. Less than 3 days after he read my post he announced on his own list that he himself had discovered the information. This is not something I could easily conjure up and you can verify these statements by checking the dates. He then had the information copy written so that he could actually sue me if I tried to take credit for my own discoveries. He then tried to financially promote the work. Now take a moment and try to understand the implications involved here. This is a man who is well-known in Chinese metaphysics and has convinced the world of his 'impeccable' character and honorable traits. People have put some trust in this man and regardless if that trust is blind or not...it is trust nonetheless. Then he flat out lies when he got caught and expects the world to believe him. I ask you, what honor is there in this. He would rather have lied than to admit that someone other than him had made the discovery.......especially if that person was a non-Chinese. Joseph has gotten away with many things in the past and he was evidently fairly certain that he could get away with the Sep.2006 incident. Unfortunately for Joseph it didn't turn out as he hoped and to this day he tries to discredit me for trying to defend my work. Everyone pretty much knows what happened although those loyal to him act as though they believe his every word. When he looks his students in the eye they know exactly what they are looking at...or I should say, what they are not looking at. They'll tell him they believe him, but I know better.......and so does he. Every time someone writes about him and his inadequacies, Joseph tells everyone that he likes it and thanks them because it creates more money for him. The money issue again ! Why would a person who claims to teach others out of the goodness of his heart be thanking me or others for making him money. Another contradiction on his part. If it were true that he were making money when I tell the truth about him.......so be it.......I'll try to make him a billionaire. Joseph Yu is one of the biggest disappointments in all that I have seen in Chinese metaphysics. I can only hope and pray that future generations, both Chinese and otherwise, do not follow in his footsteps and tarnish and diminish the beauty of what the ancient Chinese have created.

I know very well that I will be attacked for writing this post, but I can live with that because it is the truth. I'm getting on in age...I'll be 50 in a few years and I have not the time nor the inclination to apologize or explain myself anymore for the things I believe in. People constantly tell me to this day that I can only hurt myself by writing and speaking the truth about charlatans like Joseph Yu. They say it would be better to remain quite. Truth is, I'm overly quiet in every aspect of my life other than Chinese metaphysics. I have lost friends because I will not open up and express myself, people are not always comfortable around me because of what they call "quiet stoicism". Who on earth reading this blog would believe that? Well it is true. If people stop talking to me because of what I write, I can surly see this as a benefit both for them and for me. For them because they don't have to listen to me, and to me because I don't have to explain myself. I've spent my whole life explaining myself in one way or another, and I can see that it would be a tremendous relief to become as "quiet as a winter's night". I long for the days when I can reside in my future country cottage as an old silent man with eyes half-closed, body half-dead, mind half-crazed listening to the ideas of the new generation of ancient Chinese philosophy and astrology enthusiasts. Perhaps I can even lend them a hand in their studies ........Heaven knows I can't do that today...no one is interested in learning. I can tell them stories of how it used to be back in the 2,000's , the stories of the Larry Sang's, the Joseph Yu's, the Joey Yaps, and all the other marketeers. There could even be a chance of having some beneficial influence in their lives. If that happens I can leave this world with a little dignity and I can leave knowing that I didn't have to promote myself like a metaphysical prostitute and sell myself for a few bucks to every potential buyer who happens along. Not that I have anything against prostitutes.......I have more respect for them than the metaphysical marketeers. If I can leave the world under those circumstances I'll know my life has not be wasted. That is my dream.

Thank You Lord

2007-12-02T17:38:00.000-05:00

Now I lay me down to sleep
hopin' I don't hear a peep
If I get clipped before I wake
bury me with carrot cake (sugar-free please).

Thank you Lord for giving me another night to pray to you. Thank you Lord for letting me call you Tao instead of God. Thank you Lord for being with me through my studies. Thank you Lord for blessing me with a wonderful family and many wonderful friends.......please give me the chance to live long enough to show them how much I truly appreciate them. Thank you Lord for giving me a healthy existence. Thank you Lord for allowing me to be as ignorant and silly as I want to be. Thank you Lord for not judging me too harsh after I became an adult. Thank you Lord for giving me the knowledge to understand that you don't give a shit what people do. Thank you Lord for letting me have faith in knowing that you will eventually put the metaphysical charlatans exactly where they belong. Thank you Lord for putting me in jail only once in my life...well, physical jail not the imprisonment society impinges on us. Thank you Lord for not making me over-ambitious.......alright, alright, thank you for making me lazy. Thank you Lord for so many other things too numerous to mention.

and while we're at it...let me mention a few other things ........

Lord, what in the world we're you thinkin when you created all this new age bullshit. Lord, what's with all the drugs and drug addicts you're creating. Lord, how many more killings must there be before you get off your ass and put an end to it. Lord, how much did the politicians put in your pocket to allow them get away with all they do. And how about the Medical profession and Petroleum companies Lord, how much did you sell out to them for. And by the way Lord, what's the deal with gas at well over $3 a gallon...how much higher must gas prices rise before your enormous greed is satisfied. Lord, may I ask if you are ever going to make food fit for human consumption...without all the poisons and chemicals...or is your sadistic little game gonna continue indefinitely. Lord, there are many more questions I have that are also too numerous to mention.........even more numerous than the things to be thankful for. Lord, you have created a true mess, but I am just as grateful for your many blunders as I am for your beauties. I just hope to heaven that no one judges you the way the religious freaks say you judge everyone else. If they do.......you're in a whole heap'o trouble dude.

Good Night Lord.

The Purpose Of Life

2007-11-24T11:00:00.000-05:00

Humans are perplexed with one simple question, " What is the purpose of life". Then of course, they personalize it and ask. " What is my purpose in life". It is a question that has been thought upon for generations before us and for generations to come. Many people miss the essence and beauty of their existence because they spend all their time engaged in this one particular concern. A purpose is a draining phenomena and causes much unnecessary stress on the human body, mind, psyche, and spirit. Most spend their entire lives trying to solve the "purpose of life" mystery that when the time comes for earthly-to-spirit transformation (physical death) they leave behind not only an empty shell for a body but also an empty unfulfilled spirit consisting of a lifetime of unanswered and unsolved puzzles. The very act of searching for a purpose will assure that you will never find it.

The human species is much too assertive in its relationship with nature and the energetic flux of existence. The biggest problem humanity faces is that they have not learned to surrender to reality. If you wish to witness the biggest mishaps then you can take a look at the human race. When seen from the viewpoint of the whole, where human energy and all else in existence is One, then all is in perfect balance because as we have all learned, every Yang has its Yin counterpart and it all forms a cohesive and inseparable unity where humans are but one tiny aspect. But when humans isolate themselves and break away from The Whole, The One, The Tao (which they excel at quite well incidentally), we are looking at the great human failure.

So what is the real purpose of life ? Some say it is to help others.......then spend their time concentrating only on themselves. Some say it is to experience and express love.......a love they have no idea or clue about. Some say it is to help all species extend their lives to their fullest potential.......and then kill everything in sight from plants and animals to their own physical and spiritual selves. Let us look at various other purposes. The purpose of a family is tradition and the carrying forward of familial blood-lines. The purpose of religion is to submit to a person who tries to convince us that he/she is close to the Creator. The purpose of business is money. The purpose of politics is domination and control. And the list goes on. The institution in question must have a purpose or the organization will break down. Without a purpose there can be no establishment or structure. Without a definite purpose the organization cannot exist. However.......without a single human invented purpose, life will continue to flourish and flow in its abundance. In truth, the less purpose there is the more smoothly the universal energy flows. Purpose cannot in any way alter the universal waxing and waning. The Sun will always shine and the Moon will always glow whether there is purpose or not. The Stars will forever rotate in the heavens and this cosmic dance cannot be affected by a silly purpose that humanity is hung up on. Again, the truth is that a forced purpose can only diminish this beauty. Would it not be lovely to experience as effortlessly and beautifully as the cosmos. Well, it can never happen as long as we remain attached to a purpose.

So what is the true purpose of life ? ? ?

THERE IS NONE.

Last Words Of A Wise Man

2007-11-21T20:38:00.000-05:00

These words were spoken to me several years ago by one of the wisest men I have ever known.

My path to destruction

has been paved by me, my friend, and my foe ;

And who's done the most damage

I guess only Heaven would know.

The Gang's All Here

2007-11-13T15:07:00.001-05:00

This past week I was surfing the net and noticed that there are others out there who are not intimidated by the 'social structure' of today's metaphysics...in general, and Chinese metaphysics in particular. I had a smile on my face when I noticed that there are others who are Tellin It Like It Is. I was very pleased to see that many have blogs and are writing some decent material. In my opinion , these current times today could very well be the turning point for Chinese metaphysics. 15 years ago we had little choice but to accept only what was being published in books. There was basically no interaction with the so-called experts and our 'education' was being force-fed to us. With the Internet , group lists ,and blogs, the pattern is slowly changing. It is getting more difficult for the charlatans to operate although you can be certain they'll keep trying. In the past, the claims made by the marketeers didn't seem quite as dramatic as today. They didn't overdo it because there was not as much competition. Today everyone and their brother, sister, and cousin is becoming a 'master' and to compete for business they must exaggerate their services to the point of complete embarrassment. If anyone questions a 'master' today or disagrees with their teachings the master charlatan quickly defends him/herself by saying that the person making the comments are jealous. Joseph Yu , for example, has accused many people of being jealous of him and his success. He has accused me many times of trying to put him down to make myself look better, and he says it is because I am jealous. If I had something to sell, one may begin to wonder if Old Joe might have a point. But the truth is that I have never had anything to sell, so I had no reason to build myself up. I have never published a book, I haven't taught, haven't given workshops or seminars, never offered correspondence courses, no e-books, no videos.......nothing. The times I have spoken or given seminars I have done it for no financial payments. Even when the sponsors gave me checks after the talks I simply gave it back to them and told them I didn't want paid. Old Joe is wrong again. The jealousy accusations that he makes are even more comical. First of all Joseph is about 20 years older than me, his health is not that great (although after he reads this he'll make sure to write that his health is fine ), he looks like he's got one foot in the grave, his knowledge is weak, he has contradicted himself over and over, he is a hypocrite, he has been lying forever, he has stolen and cheated and the list goes on and on. And he has the nerve to say I am jealous of him.......oh yeah Joe...sure thing.......I'm sure everyone wants to be like you ! Anyways, Joe and others had better take a good hard look at themselves because we don't have to put up with the bullshit we've been putting up with for so many years. Today there are other options and although the public is still in a hypnotic trance, they will slowly come out of it eventually.

If the master charlatans are one side of the metaphysical coin then the other side consists of the intellectual rebels. The folks who 'ain't afraid of the big bad wolves. They're out there if you look and I salute their achievements. They are the Robin Hoods...the David's opposing the Goliath's. One of them is Alex Chiu. I don't know Alex but I spoke with him a few times several years ago. I didn't listen to him close enough when he told me of the poison Joseph Yu would spread over the community. Alex was absolutely right. Alex tangled with Joseph repeatedly and with a few others. Alex stood his ground and was not easily intimidated and spoke his mind at any cost. Some hated him...others loved him, but he wasn't afraid to speak his mind. He had a pretty good following but I lost track of him over the years.

Harmen Mesker is a brilliant reviewer and doesn't cut corners and speaks his mind quite well . He is well versed in the I Ching and has written some extensive material. He doesn't seem to 'sugar coat' things and will get to the meat of a situation. When Lillian Too wrote her Plum Blossom book I couldn't believe that any one would publish...let alone buy, her book. I was amazed at the inaccuracies in her book and I wanted to write a review to let people be aware of it. As it turned out, I didn't need to because Harmen did just that. He wrote a great review and if you read closely you'll see hints at how Joseph Yu and Lillian Too make some of the same mistakes with Plum Blossom Divination. Herman has done some other reviews and has alerted the public in helping them avoid some possible pitfalls. Herman also has a blog but I'm not sure of the address. You can probably find it without too much difficulty. Click on this link to see Herman's review of Lillian Too's book:

http://www.biroco.com/yijing/lilliantoo.htm

Allan Lian has a blog and he talks a lot about stocks. Oh no ! That's gambling isn't it ? Many say that mixing speculation and divination is a sin. Well that hasn't stopped Allan from writing about it. When someone told me Allan had a blog that talked about the I Ching and stocks I was interested. I know nothing of stocks but it can be closely related to gambling so I took a look and found his site interesting. The following is Allen's blog address :
http://atouchofancientszhouyi.blogspot.com/

A gentleman named Eric Teoh has a blog that I visit often. I can see that Eric will say what needs to be said and he does it with charisma. He has a great sense of humor and he has posted some poetry that I have really enjoyed. He seems to have a vivid imagination and you never know what he is going to write next, so the element of surprise is always associated with Eric's blog. I heard about Eric's blog through a friend and my friend says to me, " this guy Eric is a lot like you...he ain't afraid to write about anything". So of course I had to check it out...and I'm glad I did. I hope Eric keeps his blog for awhile because I believe he can provide a decent service to his readers simply by his writing. I wish you the best Eric...Keep Rockin Brother ! Here is Eric's blog site :
http://ericklteoh.blogspot.com/

There are many other blogs out there that are of value. I have read a brilliant 2 part post on lineage, I have read another on the false oral secrets that are being peddled as advertisement gimmicks, one person wrote about 'tag team' consolidation ploys, and a lot of other topics involving the devaluing of Chinese metaphysics. There's a lot of stuff out there. Just look and you'll find.

I wish to thank all the serious devotees of Chinese metaphysics who have had the courage to tell the public the true story of what is really happening . My heart goes out to all of them.

Temporarily Removing The Comments Option

2007-11-12T11:55:00.000-05:00

I have temporarily removed the 'Comments' option for the time being. This will not remove the previous comments, but only temporarily restrict future comments until it is reactivated. Nothing else has changed and all is as before.

Everyone's A Hero

2007-11-06T13:21:00.000-05:00

"Well we all have a face

that we hide away forever

and we take them out and show ourselves

when everyone has gone ;

Some are satin, some are steel,

some are silk and some are leather

They're the faces of a stranger

but we love to try them on."

Recording artist Billy Joel

In metaphysical studies you will rarely find the truth. It is basically as simple as that. People are so hungry for anything even slightly resembling metaphysics that they are willing to overlook all the lies, fraudulent claims, phony masters, incompetent teachers, etc. There is absolutely no question that the public has become a herd of sheep. The innovative master-marketeers have become quite proficient in promoting themselves. Some use mass-education ideas and have created Research Centers, Academies, and Institutes in the names of their businesses. They are turning metaphysics into a business field. To gather students for their business they then begin to create myths about themselves and start spreading these stories as far as possible. With the information media being what it is today, it isn't too difficult to reach all corners of the globe in no time at all. Master marketeers have become successes in short periods of time.......some almost overnight it seems.

One guy on the west coast of America claims to be one of only 5 people on this planet that has access to the secrets of a Chinese method of divination called Iron Plate. The Iron Plate is surrounded in mystery and secrecy and the old tale says that only 5 people on the planet at one time can have access to its deep and profound workings. This west coast guy claims that he is one of the "special chosen ones". Of the 6 + billion people on this planet he and 4 others are the only ones who have been given the privilege to the Iron Plate and another person will inherit this knowledge only after one of the five dies. Sounds flowery and dramatic doesn't it? Well, if you happen to read some books this guy has written you will soon see how absurd his Iron Plate claims are.

Another guy's claim to fame is his self admitted stalking and Peeping Tom status. His story says that his next door neighbor was a feng shui master and he used to stalk the old master's house and hide outside his window peeping tom style and watch as the master taught his students. Eventually he learned all the techniques of the master and of course gets invited inside the house and the old master has the Peeping Tom stand in front of all his students as he rants and raves about what a great student the peeper is. Years later the Peeping Tom promotes himself as a master and he opens a "research center", writes a few books, steals a few ideas from people, lies about anything that benefits him and goes on to become a fairly well-known metaphysical charlatan. Some people have mentioned his unethical behavior and he defends himself by saying that others are jealous of his success. The loyal herd he has accumulated keeps him well insulated and they speak highly of him regardless of his unethical behavior. In other words he uses them as a shield and in return they are elevated to the position of masters. Its a trade off basically. They both profit from each other.

Then you have the Dynamic Duo who have mastered not one.......not two.......but three systems of Chinese divination that they claim to be the most powerful techniques in the annals of all humanity. Just one of those methods learned properly would take a lifetime to learn, yet they have mastered all three. And they will even be generous enough to share their secrets with you.......for a hefty price I might add. By the time you read this they may have even mastered a few more.

There's a group out there promoting some 80 or 90 year old guy who they say is a grand master and they make him out to be the greatest thing since sliced bread. They say he is the only master in the last 600 years to have the secret oral teachings of Yang Gong Feng Shui. The old guy will teach you and even make you part of the family by baptising you as an indoor student. Price tag : US $6,000 + anything else he can get out of you.

Unfortunately there are many , many more stories to tell but you probably get the idea. The masters will keep lying and the public will keep believing. W.C. Fields once said, "There's a sucker born every minute". If he knew about the metaphysical field he would have to make an adjustment and say that there is one born every 15 seconds.

Talking With A Sage

2007-11-01T11:21:00.000-04:00

After going for my daily walk in the park yesterday I laid down for a little nap and began to have a dream. In my dream a Chinese master with a long beard and monk's robe walked toward me with a stern look on his face and pulled out a gun and said "I would like to have a little chat with you". Ironically, I was not a bit nervous and was quite relieved that I would be able to express my views to this bonafied master. We were in the woods and we both sat down next to a tree. The sun was starting to set and there was a small pond nearby. It was a peaceful and serene setting. I remember our conversation almost word for word and it went like this :

Master : In your heart do you believe you are doing justice to the world by exposing those who in your heart you believe to be exploiting others ?

Andy : Even though you have a gun in your hand, I will answer you honestly and say I don't know if I am or not.

M : I will lay the gun aside and you can reach for it at anytime you wish.
(he laid the gun down between us)

A : Your gun doesn't intimidate me, and neither do you, But I do respect certain things about you. I'm not sure why though.

M : Why do you suppose I have a gun with me ?

A : Maybe for the same reason that every master carries a gun, to try to convince the world that they are the boss. Like a priest who carries a cross as his gun to convince the world that they are special and close to God. I think it is your security blanket.

M : Priests are fools, and so are masters, and so am I and so are you. Do you understand that we live in a foolish world. What is your security blanket...is it the exposing of false masters and gods ?

A : There are not enough blankets to compensate for every false god and master in the world and beyond. I cannot say if you are correct or not.

M : Do you know who I am ?

A : No.

M : I am every god and every master...every saint and every devil...every friend and every enemy that has ever existed. I am every success and every failure that you and everyone else has ever had or experienced. I am all of these and I am sitting here talking with you and you are not wise enough to sense this.

(At this point I am confused and speechless and don't know what to say. We sit together quietly for what seems to be a while)

A : Did you come here to stop me from expressing my views to others about the bogus metaphysicians in this world ?

M : I came here to ask you if you are going to stop expressing these views. What is your answer ?

(He gets up and picks up his gun and I get up to answer. I am about to answer him honestly and I am all but certain that he is going to shoot me if he doesn't like my answer)

A : Ok heaven, here I come. No.......I am not going to stop expressing my views about bogus metaphysicians.......regardless if you shoot me or not.

(At this point he has the biggest and brightest smile on his face and the gun transforms into a red rose and he throws the rose toward the sky and as the rose reaches a high point the petals start spreading out in all directions and comes cascading down over the earth like a beautiful rainfall. The master hugs me tightly and as we walk away together I realize that he is a Sage and not a master after all).

Crazy Little Thing Called Love

2007-10-31T11:09:00.000-04:00

This Thing called love
It cries , In a cradle all night
It swings , It jives
It shakes all over like a jelly fish

- Freddie Mercury

A few days ago I was talking with a friend about.......of all things........the subject of love. I never would have thought I would write a post on this subject, but I guess you never know. I am thankful for our discussion because I have learned quite a lot. The main thing I learned is that too many people are afraid of love. Many people will jump out of planes, go white-water rafting, ride the biggest roller coasters in the world and stuff like that, and not be intimidated at all. But mention the word love and they become petrified and clueless. I believe people are afraid of and don't understand love because they are afraid of and don't understand themselves. Please don't think I am trying to say I am a love expert because I am far from it. I'm just pondering a bit here. Many people mistake love for weakness when in reality I truly believe that love is a strength. Maybe that's the reason why in general, females may be stronger than males, as many so-called love experts have claimed. I tried to explain to my friend that love is nothing to be ashamed of. I tried to tell her that it's not silly to play with love, to do different things with it, like a child would play with clay or something. Paul McCartney surly doesn't think love is silly when he writes :

Love doesn't come in a minute
Sometimes it doesn't come at all
I only know that when I'm in it
Love isn't silly...
Love isn't silly at all

England Dan writes that " Love is the answer". Jimi Hendrix said "When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will live in peace". Millions of songs and poems have been written about love but judging by the way the world is today, these artists and poets have not made that much of an influence in transforming atmospheric energy into loving energy. I suppose it's too 'sticky' and 'gooey' for people to be comfortable with love...so I guess humanity as a whole will keep running and hiding from it while the poets, artists, and priests keep profiting from a seeming fairy-tale. It would not surprise me if some day it will be against the law to love someone. It is already starting to slowly happen. The world is turning love into a crime.

Some people spend their whole lives running away from love...from the "center within". Even in the rare cases when people feel they are expressing love, they are mistaking the periphery for the center.......the facade for the pure. The enlightened spiritual guru Osho said that if you love someone on the periphery you will then also hate that person on the polar peripheral position, but if that love comes from within the center, beyond polarity, then it is bliss. People who run away from love are running away from themselves. They have lost their center. After all, isn't the ultimate depth of our core being (our soul) comprised of love.

************************************

So go ahead...take a chance... make someones day a beautiful one by telling or expressing to them you love them.......but before you do, check your local laws and make sure it's not a crime.

Saints And Sinners

2007-10-28T14:13:00.000-04:00

.......and they say there's a heaven for those who will wait

some say it's better but I say it ain't

I'd rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints,

the sinners are much more fun...

- Recording artist Billy Joel

If I don't go to hell, who will? If going to hell can save the innocent or wake them up to open their eyes, I'm willing to go there, join my friends and play majong.

- Master Peter Leung

If you're going to be a bad person, be the worst you can be,

because when the cycle turns and balances

you'll be that much more the better.

- Michio Kushi

To hell with the saints

To hell with the sinners

Pass the wine bottle please.

- The drunken Poet

I've seen and heard and read of saints and sinners

and I've even spoken with a few

and in conclusion I must admit

there ain't much difference between the two.

- Andy Nicola

I'm gonna tell a little secret

if you promise not to tell

If you wanna get to heaven

you gotta raise a little hell.

- Popular 70's song lyrics

If you see the face of a saint, tell him to turn around

and you'll be starring at the face of a sinner.

Never trust them two-faced bastards.

- Unknown Poet

Saints and Sinners...what is the difference ?

It is nothing more than walking a tight-rope ...

nothing more than a balancing act.

- Anonymous

A good man is a bad man's teacher.

- Lao Tzu

And the list goes on and on and on. There are some who have not fallen for the deceptive mirage that various institutions have painted. They understand the energetic dichotomies of good-bad, heaven-hell, saints-sinners. Some understand it and know it as two sides of the same coin. If you would like to read a tremendous amount of material on the absurdity of saints and sinners look at some of Osho's writings. If you are a Jesus freak however, you may want to stray from Osho. He doesn't have a whole lot of nice things to say about Jesus.......and he's not all that fond of Mother Teresa either. If you have your own slogan or saying you would like to add...feel free to send it.

Assigning Time/Space Coordinates In Plum Blossom I Ching

2007-10-21T14:21:00.000-04:00

In Plum Blossom I Ching Divination the Time and Space aspect can be a very important factor to consider. To divine about an event that occurs in a certain area or time zone it makes sense to use the time of where the event takes place rather than the time where the diviner is making the calculations. So if an event took place in Paris, France and the diviner is consulting in Chicago, Illinois, you would use the time in Paris. You would want to know the longitude of the exact spot and then convert the time to True Local Time. If a specific event is the subject of the divination, that is, if the event was being created by your own specific subconscious, then the the Time/Space coordinates of the diviners location would be used. Let us say a sporting event is taking place in Paris and the diviner is in Chicago, we use Paris coordinates. But if your friend is in Paris and you're wondering from Chicago what they are up to, you would in that case use the true local time in Chicago.

Advertising And Promotion

2007-10-15T21:46:00.000-04:00

Today people advertise and promote themselves to the utmost

but ultimately accomplish and deliver little or nothing.

When it comes to words

they are indestructible giants

When it comes to deeds

they are faltering midgets.

I Ching Concerns : Repeated Questions

2007-10-11T15:49:00.000-04:00

People often believe that the toss of the coins or separation of the stalks is too random to be considered relevant. They also argue that if you ask the same question more than once and receive different hexagrams it makes the I Ching invalid. To clarify this misconception, we'll take an example. Suppose someone were to ask you, "What is your opinion of Mr. Yang". You answer that he is a nice and quiet type of guy. Now, if the next day you heard rumors in the neighborhood that Mr. Yang came stumbling home drunk at 4 AM with a woman on each arm while his wife was at the hospital spending the night with her sick mother, and someone asks you again your opinion of Mr. Yang...your answer this time is drastically different from the first answer. Perhaps somewhere along the lines of having to do with a womanizing, lousy, drunk. Then you find out it was all a rumor and in fact Mr.Yang was sailing the Seven Seas on his million dollar yacht. Someone now asks you the same question a third time, "What is your opinion of Mr. Yang". You now say what a rich and lucky guy he is to be able to travel like that. In the end you find out that it was Mr. Yang's wife's third cousin who was actually doing the travelling.

You were asked the exact same question three times and you gave three totally different answers. Why ? It is because the information you received after the first question influenced the way you answered the second. The same thing happened between the second and third question. It is the same with the I Ching. If you should ask the same question more than once, the information gained from the first inquiry would interfere with a receptive state of mind causing altering hexagrams. Rest assured that if you asked the I Ching the same question 20 times and you received 20 different hexagrams, the I Ching answered correctly 20 times. This is extremely difficult for a rationally dominated mind to accept or comprehend. To avoid the confusion of multiple hexagrams it is advisable to ask your question or concern only once and concentrate on the received hexagram until you understand the information completely. In this way, you avoid the barriers........the barrier being mainly the ego.

Knowing The Tao

2007-10-08T17:53:00.000-04:00

The Tao does not set parameters on right and wrong or morals. If the mind can adopt this procedure it can then get the answer to any situation it is interested in. Many people sternly state that the I Ching or other divination methods cannot be used for gambling purposes , while others say they have successfully used it to make money on stocks. The truth of the matter is that the Tao is not a personality, but an energy. It doesn't know or doesn't care about stocks or gambling or any other name you wish to give a human phenomena. In one sense it can be compared to a cold bitter wind...it responds to a person the way a person responds to it. To the wind it doesn't matter how "good" a person is or how "bad". If a priest is stuck in a blizzard and a thief steals his coat and gloves, the wind would freeze the priest to death and the thief would benefit. The wind has no opinion either way. Only a society calls a thing good or bad....or a saint or thief. The Tao does not discriminate in this way. A Christian or a Catholic or other religion would call this a cruel God....a Taoist would call it pure energy.

A Song for Sammy

2007-10-04T14:57:00.000-04:00

Years ago when I used to jog every day, I ran into an old bum who used to get his meals from a garbage dump. I felt really sorry for him. For several months we did not acknowledge each other...I would just run my route and he would search for his treasures in the garbage hoppers. Then one day I stopped at the Italian deli that was next to his stomping grounds that he rummaged about and I bought him the biggest Italian submarine sandwich they had, along with a salad and a quart bottle of natural spring water. When I took it to him he starred at me blankly and wondered what I was up to. I told him the food was for him. He was stunned for a moment and then wiped a tear from his eye. He asked me if I would split the sandwich with him and I told him I wasn't hungry, and so while he ate I sat down on the grassy hill and watched the old man devour his sandwich. When he was finished we talked for an hour and a half. He said that he always saw me running everyday and he always wanted to say something but he was too embarrassed and thought that I would shun and avoid him for the way he lived. From that point, on the days that I would see him we would always wave to each other and he would yell, "How many today", meaning how many miles I was running, and I would say 8. or 10, or 12, or however many miles I was running. Then he would pause and he'd yell, "run an extra one for me". Every now and then before I left the house I would put a five or ten dollar bill in my sock and when I would reach the point where I would see him, I'd run by and throw a five or ten at him and keep running before he would become embarrassed. His name was Sam but I called him Sammy (he liked that) and I had many conversations with him and I enjoyed his company. He had a serene-ness to him that was quite nice.

As the seasons turned into autumn that year I noticed that about a month and a half had passed without seeing Sammy one time. I stopped in at the Italian deli and asked the people who worked there if they'd seen Sammy lately. Then the old woman who ran the place said, "No, that old man is gone. He passed away and we don't have to watch him digging through the trash anymore". She said it almost as if she was relieved. As I walked out the deli I was very distraught and the atmosphere seemed eerie...I was truly saddened by the news. On that day I took the long way home.

When I got home I took out a piece of paper and a pen and wrote the following poem for my friend Sammy.

*************************

A SONG FOR SAMMY

He wears a torn up shirt and pants
and he smells like gasoline
he hangs around the garbage dumps
when times are really lean.

All the businessmen and lawyers
all the people in the crowd
they would all laugh at Sammy
and they all would laugh out loud

Hey there people,
won't you give old Sam a break
he really ain't a bad guy
he just made a few mistakes.

One day I stopped and talked with Sam
as he was starrin' at the sky
his crackled voice began to speak
as he wiped a tear-drop from his eye.

I'm a withered, worn-out, tired man
and I've surly paid my dues
and once I was a wealthy lad
but today don't own a pair of shoes

There's nothing much for me to give
and little I can mend
so I walk the streets and count my steps
and wonder where my day might end.

Be prepared for all your lessons boy
for in this life there's quite a few
and if there's only one thing I could say
this is what I'd say to you :

When you reach for fame and fortune
be prepared to take a fall
and you're sure to lose your precious pride
when they force your back against a wall

Everyone is rushing
everybody's on the run
and they're working hard for ulcers
when they could be lying in the sun

So take a look at me my friend
while you're still young and wild and free
and don't dare let the world do to you
all the things they've done to me.

And to this day I ponder
on the words he spoke to me
and the best that I can hope for
is that he found peace and har-mo-ny.

The Flaw Of Attraction

2007-10-01T11:25:00.000-04:00

All the rage today is centered around some ideas put out by some New Age practitioners who have labeled a so-called new discovery "The Secret". It has caught on like wildfire and the mass media is promoting them to no end. From what I hear it was created by a woman (not sure where she's from) and now droves of experts have joined forces with her to get this very important message out to the world. Truth is, they're a little late........like several thousands of years late. This 'secret' that they are slowly revealing to the world has been known for eons by many groups from many cultures. The whole concept is based on 'the law of attraction", "focal intention", "like attracts like", create-your-own-reality, and so on. If you can think it, they say, then you can manifest it....just like that. Hmmmmm. Wouldn't it be nice to bypass Heavens plan and change our destiny pattern any old way we choose. Wouldn't it be nice to over-ride God's decisions and alter them to fit our own desires. Who needs Gods and Heavens when we have the 'Secret'. It's all a bit superficial.

The law of attraction has been preached by many people...Jane Roberts/Seth, Hicks/Abraham, Deepak Chopra, Wayne Dyer, Gary Zucav, and millions of others. They are all basically saying the same thing and people keep paying them money and making them millionaires to hear the same message over and over. It is strange to note, that if these people really believed that the law of attraction works why are the unattractive, out-of-shape, and unhealthy law of attraction promoters of 10 years ago, still unattractive, out-of-shape, and unhealthy today. Why has the law of attraction not worked for them. Many of the biggest names have battled alcohol and drug addictions and a host of other problems. If the law of attraction worked the way they say it does, the world could be saved in a day. Could it be that all these people are lying.......perhaps we should not be too harsh on them and just accept that they were probably misinformed and got a little over-excited in promoting their misinformed ideas.

I doubt that Pythagoras believed in the law of attraction. I would say that Shao Yung certainly did not buy into it.......unless of course you were a sage. Master Shao believed that things could be created with the mind because the mind can be equated with Tao. But only rare and certain people could accomplish this mind/Tao connection. Master Shao called this person a sage, and he unfortunately states that " I have never seen one with my own eyes". In one of Wayne Dyer's book he is referred to as a modern sage. I wonder if Shao Yung would consider Wayne Dyer a sage ??? If Dyer is a sage then we are seeing something that some of the greatest masters and philosophers of the Neo-Confucian era have not seen. At the time Dyer was called a sage, Dyer himself admitted to having a alcohol dependency problem. This was kept very quiet from the public because it would not look good for the publishers to promote a "Drunken Sage". Does all this seem a bit strange to you.

I would agree with Shao Yung in believing that anyone and everyone has the ability to create their own reality or even to become a sage, but...."amongst men he is one in a billion" to use his own words. It is like saying that everyone has a chance to win the 50 million dollar lottery but how many actually do it...some spend their whole life trying but get nowhere. It is probably much easier to hit the 50 million dollar lottery than it is to alter heavens patterns or to become a sage. The "Secret" crew/cult will very likely accumulate 50 million dollars at the rate they are going...and they don't have to alter Heaven's plan, become a sage, or hit the lottery. They just need to convince simple saps like us.

Working With The 81 Segment Luo Shu

2007-09-27T15:36:00.000-04:00

I have pulled out 3 of the 81 segment Luo Shu Time Charts I work with to give a brief demonstration of how they may be used. The first is the round segment and is easier to use for directions or travel analysis , the second is the square version which is a bit easier to use for Time period analysis , and the third is a chart that is complete with numerical values and data. The first two are the master charts so to speak, with the number 41 in the center (41 is the 5 Year/5 Month combination). The last chart is "Time Specific", or in other words is connected to a specific time period. Some people refer to the 81 segment chart as the Kanagi Guruma, but I will refer to it as the 81 Segment Luo Shu. In actuality there are 81 different charts in the system to cover all the possible time periods but it would not be easy to list them all here right now. The 81 Segment Luo Shu works with the Year and Month numbers and this is important to know because there are no sources that I have seen to date that expresses or explains this idea. Everyone today is using the 9 squared Luo Shu to analyze all time periods from decades and years down to the hour level, and in my opinion this is taking away from the accuracy of the Luo Shu system. I am not saying the 9 squared Luo Shu will not work...but I do believe it is severely limited in both theoretical and practical use. There are 4 rules that can be easily remembered and they are as follows :

1) The 9 segment Luo Shu is used for analyzing the Year.

2) The 81 segment Luo Shu is used for analyzing the Year + Month.

3) The 729 segment Luo Shu is used for analyzing the Year + Month + Day.

4) The 6561 segment Luo Shu is used for the Year + Month + Day + Hour.

Steps 3 and 4 are quite advanced and can be extremely complicated. We will concentrate on the 81 segment in this discussion to keep it somewhat simplified. The following is the basic 81 segment Luo Shu in it's circular form. You can click on the image to enhance its size.

The chart above is simply a Luo Shu chart expanded 9 times in all directions. It can be used quite effectively as a Luo Shu Compass for direction of movement. You can even insert a magnetic compass in the center where the number 41 resides and use it very effectively for practical uses. Remember that when a specific time period is used, the number in the middle would correspond with the year and the month of the time involved. For instance, if you were using the chart for solar September 2007, you would have the chart with the number 29 residing in the center and would therefore make your assessments according to that specific chart.

Next we will look at the same chart in a squared configuration rather than a circular one. It would look like this :

You can see that the squares make it quite a bit more difficult to use as a compass for direction degrees. The good news however, is that for time periods it is much easier to work with than the round chart. With the square chart you can look at any time period you care to analyze and look at where a person's natal /birth numbers are located and make your predictions according to that information. You can also use the square chart for the time a person was born and look at their life destiny for 81 aspects of their life. Each square is equivalent to one specific aspect for a total of 81 different aspects or areas of life. The third image below shows a completed chart with the numerical values for each of the 81 segments or aspects.

With the values filled in, you can now analyze the chart in numerical terms and get an idea of how strong or weak a specific aspect is in the person's life. A very quick example would be where you can look at the person's Southwestern portion of the chart (the 9 squares at the top right of the chart) and this gives information about the person's mother and other 2 Earth attributes because the Southwest is associated with the mother as one of its many attributes. What has happened is that the normal one square SW portion of the chart has been sub-divided into 9 sections. This gives us 9 different aspects we can analyze that is connected with the person's mother...i.e. the number 29 in the master chart reveals communication patterns with the mother, number 56 is associated with how you relate with your mother in financial situations, and so on. You can also look in the SW portion to get an idea of the health of the mother and which organs affect her positively or negatively. The same process can be used to look into patterns with your father by concentrating on the 9 squares in the Northwestern section of the chart. This section is also related to employment, authority, and a host of other attributes. The analyzing process is limited only by how much energy you are willing to invest. There is so much that can be done with these charts and hopefully we will be able to explore the different potentials in future blogs because to list all the possible applications in one post is absolutely impossible.

Response To A Post

2007-09-26T06:56:00.000-04:00

A few posts ago I wrote I Wonder. Someone named Stupid Guy responded , and since he went to the trouble of commenting on every single statement I would like to also respond. My comments are in red.

I wonder if the New Age revolution can harm Chinese Metaphysics

-Not harm but reveal what's inside

I doubt it...most New Ager's can't even reveal what is inside THEMSELVES.
***
I wonder if people will ever stop paying thousands of dollars for a Feng Shui audit

-Yes when chinese disappears same like casinos

I don't think so...if casino's disappear gambling will still be around. You can BET on it.
***
I wonder if Eva Wong will ever come clean

-As and when you are

I don't think anyone will ever confuse me with Eva Wong. If they ever do I will leave this field.
***
I wonder if people will ever find the strength and confidence to rely on themselves

-As and when you are not overindependent

I think you made a typo.
***
I wonder what the Chinese metaphysical field will be like in 20 years

-As like how it evlove from 20 years back

Another typo I think.
***
I wonder if Lao Tzu (Zi) really existed

-As like any other historic figures

You think so huh.
***
I wonder why people say Qi Men Dun Jia is more powerful than other I Ching methods

-I wonder why people say method A is more powerful than other B method

Tell them that.
***
I wonder if people really believe Feng Shui can work the way it is presented today

-I wonder if people really believe God can work the way it is presented today

I agree with you on this one.
***
I wonder if the so-called masters will ever stop lying

-The real says the fake is lying the fake say the real is lying. So who is who?

Is there such a thing as a Real Fake.
***
I wonder if there is any difference between a saint and a sinner

-It is difference by a thin thread

How Thin ???
***
I wonder if the New Age charlatans really believe in karma

-Why should they when they have not seen it yet like god

Too many gods makes karma confusing.
***
I wonder how many true masters there really are in the world

-A billion dollar finding

You can look but I doubt you'll find anything.
***
I wonder if Yap Chang Hai will live to be 100 years old

-He is not Ceng Zhi Nam with multiple LIFE GRAVE

Of course he's not Ceng Zhi Nam........he's Yap Cheng Hai.
***
I wonder if anyone will ever translate Shao Yung's entire work in English

-Anyone can do a direct translate without the true essence

Then why haven't they done it. I only want the translation. An interpretation would ruin it. Commentaries are what ruins the true essense.
***
I wonder if there is even a single sage alive today

-It is call true phyilosopher if exists

Hmmm, I hope this is another typo. Philosophies are poison to sages. Ask Osho.
***
I wonder if astrologers/diviners will ever concentrate on studies rather than advertising or promotion

-Yes if they are funded of course

You must be one who believes that you have to pay money to get knowledge.
***
I wonder if Sylvia Browne believes half the stuff she says

-Like any masters or conmen they are convince of themself

Are you putting masters and con-men in the same category. Now you're talkin'.
***
I wonder if people will ever recognize the importance of the solstices

-Then all will be enlighten

Depends how deep they go.
***
I wonder if the public will ever wake up to the antics of Lillian Too and Joseph Yu

-They will when you wake up from your antics

Their antics and mine are diametrically opposed. My antics are to reveal their antics. So I hope that people wake up to my antics...the quicker the better.
***
I wonder if there will ever be another Osho

-More to come

How do you know. Have you been hangin' out with Sylvia Browne lately.
***
I wonder if the computer will take over Chinese metaphysics too

-Will take over not only that

I think you're right.
***
I wonder if Joey Yap's luck will keep continuing

-Have you seen a forever celebrity

Nope...well, except for Elvis maybe.
***
I wonder if the I Ching will ever gain its due respect and recognition

-Not until everyone gets it's true essence

Then I guess it will NEVER get its due respect
***
I wonder why people think metaphysicians are spiritual

-I wonder why people think spiritual is methapysics

So you must be saying that spirituality is physics...hmmmm.
***
I wonder if Alfred Huang is 100 years old yet

-Are you worried as he is not

No, not worried at all.......just curious.
***
I wonder why Carl Jung got so much credit for understanding the I Ching

-So is other celebrity masters

You mean like Joseph, Lillian, Eva, and the rest of the crew.
***
I wonder when the masses will wake upI wonder if the masses will ever wake up

-No one will when they do not think they are not awake

So I guess humanity is doomed.......Right ???
***
I wonder where the eagle flies, when the path it roams eludes my eye

-To see all eagles can do but beyond is not

Hmmm, your comment is very muddled. I hope it's a typo. This statement had more to do with one's thought process than with physical eagles.......but you were not able to read between the lines.
***
I wonder if anyone will understand this post

-As much as you think you understand.

Or as much as you think you know.

Buying An Education

2007-09-20T12:06:00.000-04:00

Beautiful women and cars that go fast

Don't waste your time or your money

on things that don't last

I've seen the world and it's hypocritical lies

but I now see the world

through crystal clear eyes

********************

If a young chap should come knocking on your door trying to sell you the services of his Feng Shui "grand-master" for $6,000 you may want to tell him to turn around and hit the road. Don't be dazzled by the promises of lineage, oral secrets, and indoor studentship. No one can make you a master for $6,000 ........or $6,000,000 for that matter. Masters are created through passion not through pricing. Anyways, if this culprit happens to be lurking around your neighborhood, quickly close and lock your doors and call the Feng Shui police. Not that the police will be able to do anything about it, but at least the neighborhood will be prepared. Caveat Emptor (Buyer Beware) !

Qi And Objects

2007-09-16T21:53:00.000-04:00

Qi (chi) and objects are not two separate entities, they are two aspects of one whole. In the non-material realm qi crystallizes to form objects that come into expression in the material world. Qi is to the object it creates as an object is to its shadow in the phenomenal world. An object and its shadow are not two separate entities.......they are, (like qi and its object mentioned above) two aspects of one whole. In the intangible realm an object is qi's "shadow", and in the tangible realm an object is a shadows qi. That is, qi creates objects and objects create shadows.

Another way of looking at it is that in the intangible realm qi is the shadow of Tao and in the tangible realm objects are the shadow of qi.

If you can meditate and ponder on the above statements and rise beyond the "haziness" of the description, you may be surprised at what you may discover. It is definitely metaphysical.

I Wonder

2007-09-11T06:06:00.000-04:00

I wonder if the New Age revolution can harm Chinese Metaphysics

I wonder if people will ever stop paying thousands of dollars for a Feng Shui audit

I wonder if Eva Wong will ever come clean

I wonder if people will ever find the strength and confidence to rely on themselves

I wonder what the Chinese metaphysical field will be like in 20 years

I wonder if Lao Tzu (Zi) really existed

I wonder why people say Qi Men Dun Jia is more powerful than other I Ching methods

I wonder if people really believe Feng Shui can work the way it is presented today

I wonder if the so-called masters will ever stop lying

I wonder if there is any difference between a saint and a sinner

I wonder if the New Age charlatans really believe in karma

I wonder how many true masters there really are in the world

I wonder if Yap Chang Hai will live to be 100 years old

I wonder if anyone will ever translate Shao Yung's entire work in English

I wonder if there is even a single sage alive today

I wonder if astrologers/diviners will ever concentrate on studies rather than advertising or promotion

I wonder if Sylvia Browne believes half the stuff she says

I wonder if people will ever recognize the importance of the solstices

I wonder if the public will ever wake up to the antics of Lillian Too and Joseph Yu

I wonder if there will ever be another Osho

I wonder if the computer will take over Chinese metaphysics too

I wonder if Joey Yap's luck will keep continuing

I wonder if the I Ching will ever gain its due respect and recognition

I wonder why people think metaphysicians are spiritual

I wonder if Alfred Huang is 100 years old yet

I wonder why Carl Jung got so much credit for understanding the I Ching

I wonder when the masses will wake up

I wonder if the masses will ever wake up

I wonder where the eagle flies, when the path it roams eludes my eye

I wonder if anyone will understand this post

Dust In The Wind

2007-09-07T22:59:00.001-04:00

The following is a recording from an old song titled Dust In The Wind. It is a beautiful song, especially if it is listened to in a very relaxed state. The words need no explanation or interpretation as they speak for themselves quite nicely. It is an elegant song for putting the conscious ego in check. It tells us that we are but a speck of dust in this vast universe. In the line... "All we do, crumbles to the ground, though we refuse to see" , we may get a Taoist feel or perspective about the idea of Wu Wei. Well to be honest, the whole song seems to have a Taoist flavor when I listen to it. When things are not going well for you, it is a perfect time to listen to it. You begin to realize that in the overall scheme nothing is really important, so why take the trouble and effort to stress yourself out. I hope you can listen to it while lying down relaxed and with the lights out. I hope it does for you what it has done for me. I have included the lyrics.

I close my eyes, only for a moment, and the moment's gone
All my dreams, pass before my eyes... a curiosity
Dust in the wind, all they are is dust in the wind

Same old song, just a drop of water in an endless sea
All we do, crumbles to the ground, though we refuse to see
Dust in the wind, All we are is dust in the wind

Now...don't hang on, nothing lasts forever but the earth and sky
It slips away, all your money won't another minute buy
Dust in the wind, All we are is dust in the wind

A Brief Discussion On The I Ching Charts

2007-09-04T15:08:00.001-04:00

The following ia a brief discussion on the Early and Later Heaven charts connected with I Ching. Click to listen.

Conventional Thinking Will Cripple You

2007-08-30T13:29:00.000-04:00

How many people have the ability and the courage to break away from conventional thinking...or from thinking 'outside the box' as they say. In any area of life you can be quite certain that following the crowd will eventually get you into trouble. Some call this the Sheep Mentality. Following the advice of conventional doctors for example will certainly make you less healthy. If you want to get sick do what everyone else does and go to a doctor. If you're already sick and want to become more sick, do what everyone else does and go to a hospital (usually on the advise of the doctor who made you sick in the first place). Following the crowd is the quickest way to decline. By far, the best way to improve every aspect of your life is to look at what the majority is doing and then do the exact opposite. Just this one act alone will improve your life drastically and tremendously. In this sense, 'majority rules' has no value for us, but if we can accept and adapt to 'minority rules', I believe we would be astounded with the results. If everyone runs to Mac Donald's for lunch, we walk to the nearest fruit tree for lunch.......if everyone uses medication for health, we use herbs.......if everyone goes to a university for an education or a hospital for cures, we educate ourselves through introspection and cure ourselves through breathing. The list could go on indefinitely.

Chinese metaphysics is no different. If you do what everyone else is doing , your understanding will be more difficult and your education will take longer. This is the main reason why there are so few great metaphysical Masters, Teachers, Practitioners, or Students. Lucky is the one who can find a master or teacher who is not intimidated by 'going against the grain'. Luckier is the one who is not intimidated by learning on their own. Dare to be different and on your own...you are your best teacher. Don't be afraid to take the road less travelled...as it will have fewer obstacles and less footsteps to confuse you.

Following the crowd is dangerous...following the minority is better...following yourself is best.

A Tale Of Li Chun

2007-08-26T21:59:00.000-04:00

Note : This article was originally written Feb.3.2004

One cold early February morning in the Midwestern part of the United
States back in the year of 2004, I sat in anticipation of a
monumental event that was about to occur. The Chinese call it Li
Ch'un...in the west it is simply translated as "Spring Begins". The date was
February 4 and everyone was talking about a feeling in the gut, a
twinkling in their head, special vibrations in the heart, and a
million other things that happen to them when the cosmic energy
shifts. Since at this time a 20 year energy shift was about to take
place in addition to the yearly shift of energy, the atmosphere all
over the globe was at a high level. People were even talking about
ascending to heavenly realms at this time. Wow! I could hardly
wait to experience all this. I fasted 5 days for this event so that
my earthly body would be as receptive as possible. I calculated the
event down to the second using latitude, longitude, equation of time
and every other time trick I learned throughout my decades of
study. Oh yes, I was gonna join in the fun this time, I was ready.
I couldn't wait to see what kind of cosmic experience I was about to
have. Well, the time came and passed and guess what happened.
NOTHING. No twinges or twinkles, no special vibrations, no luvy
duvy feelings...nothing. I knew the Tao did not make a mistake
because the Tao is perfect. So I guess it must have been me. So I
waited an extra 5 minutes to take miscalculations into account, then
an extra hour, then an extra day even.....Nothing! Everyone else
was talking about the Cosmic Orgasm they experienced at the exact
moment of Li Ch'un...and here I was with nothing. I missed the
party again this year. I decided to go see the Ancient Wise Master.

I went up into the mountains to see the Ancient Wise Master (AWM)
who has been residing there for the past 50 years. He knew the
answers to everything. I asked him why everyone got to experience
Li Ch'un except for me. I told him I ate better than anyone I know,
studied harder than anyone I know, meditated longer than anyone I
know, and lived my life as close to nature as possible. The AWM
said " People are knowledgeable of both fact and fiction and so it
comes down to a mathematical solution". Could you explain the
solution I asked, in which he replied "A little fact plus a little
fiction equals a lot of bull". Hmmm, he always had a way with
parables. He also said " A person who experiences nothing when
there are energy shifts may be MORE receptive and aligned with
cosmic processes and nature than the ones who hear and feel cosmic
bells and whistles". He went on, "this is because a smooth
transition is taking place between the cosmos and the individual,
there are no interruptions. Twinges could indicate an uneven flow of
energy.....be like the seasons and transform without any
expectation. When the seasons shift between spring and summer it is
done in an instant...in less than a second, there is no noticeable
change in temperature, atmospheric conditions, humidity, etc. Make
your transition as smooth as this. If the seasons don't concern
themselves with twinges and whistles, why should you". I told him
that most people who are unhealthy and have little intelligence or
wisdom do not experience Li Ch'un twinges. Does this mean they are
aligned with the cosmos. He was getting annoyed with my lack of
understanding as he continued, " There is quite a difference
between a healthy, wise person transforming with the cosmos and an
unhealthy ignorant fool transforming with it.....now go away you
ignorant fool" So I bowed my head and walked back down the
mountain.

As I was walking back home in shame and embarrassment I happened to
see a young man carrying a McDonald's bag and eating a greasy cheese
burger and sipping on a coke, I also noticed he had a large fries
and apple pie in the bag. He was listening to Pearl Jam on his
Walkman radio and he was chatting away on his cell phone. He also
had a very unhealthy look and after getting a whiff of his odor I was
happy that we were traveling in opposite directions. He offered me
a bite of his sandwich, which I declined. Then he said, "Hey Dude,
yesterday was Li Ch'un.....Oh man, I heard bells, whistles, my body
went though a cosmic cleansing.....it was awesome dude. I'm gonna go
share my experiences with the Ancient Wise Master". As he walked
away I felt a great sense of relief. If the AWM called me an
ignorant fool, heaven only knows what this young Pearl Jammin guy
was in for. I couldn't help myself, I decided to sit right there
for a little while. I pulled out my binoculars and I could see that
the kid made it up the mountain to the AWM. What I saw next was
beyond anything I could imagine. The AWM was sharing the cheese
burger with the kid and eating the greasy french fries like they
were going out of style. They were laughing and dancing and having
a good ole time. Then the AWM put on the headphones and started
listening to Pearl Jam. I was speechless. I was confused. I
looked up at the sky and yelled " CAN WE FEEL LI CH'UN OR NOT" Then
came the reply "THE ANCIENT WISE MASTER IS NO DIFFERENT THAN RONALD
MC DONALD" At this instant....... in less than the one second the
Master said it takes for the spring to transform to summer..... I
became enlightened.

Happy Li Ch'un

The Tao Of Luo Shu (9 Ki)

2007-08-22T18:10:00.000-04:00

Some terms used in this article:

Bigram = a mystical diagram consisting of two lines, either both solid, both broken, or one solid and one broken.

WuXing = The Chinese term for the 5 phases, commonly called the 5 elements. They are 5 stages in the evolution of Ki (Qi) represented in human experience as Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water.

Qi, Ki, Chi = Some regard it as the 'vital force'. Not unlike Prana, it is associated with breath. Put simply, it is that which animates.

Since the Japanese protected the 9 Palace Fate Calculation during the years it was ignored in China, we will use the term Ki throughout all articles concerning that art as a way of honoring the Onmyoji and their contribution. The Japanese call this method 9 Ki or Kyusei, while the original name translates roughly from Chinese as 9 Palace Fate Calculation.

Emergence and Return

TAO is probably the most misunderstood word in the language of Oriental metaphysics. Some translators have even substituted 'god', where TAO has nothing to do with deities. TAO does, however, have something to do with how whatever deities are out there behave, because it is the way of things. By things, I mean existence, by way I mean behavior - what nature (the universe) DOES.
Qi (Ki) is what animates the forms that TAO takes - in other words, the motive and mobile energy of the universe. This is why we see many teachers diagrams designed such that TAO is pictured in a circle, with Yin and Yang (the supreme ultimate, or Tai Chi, representing the primal transformation that expresses TAO) directly under that, and the various subdivisions of Yin and Yang into bigrams, trigrams and so forth, on up to the hexagrams of the Yijing (I-Ching). But what does this all have to do with 9 Ki (9 palace Fate Calculation)?
When we look at the mystical diagrams in most textbooks, TAO is depicted as being at the top, but its true position is the center. Like the Sun is at the center of the solar system, which revolves around another star within this arm of the Galaxy, which revolves around millions of other stars in the Galactic core, all principles revolve around TAO. This does not mean that a view of the universe based on center and periphery is absolute. It would be more correct to say that these examples remind us of the TAO, because in reality, all points in space and time are the center - the source of all possibility; the point of emergence from potential into manifestation.

Ki also emerges from the center (TAO is the center, Ki animates from the center). You could say that Ki (Qi) and TAO are the same from some respects, but those learned in the way of the ancients would disagree, reminding us that the Ki emerges from the center only because that is its TAO.
TAO sets the pace, motion, and direction, yet Ki and Tao follow each other in a course which seems to move in opposing directions. When Ki is active, it moves to the central palace, the point of origin. When TAO is active in any of the palaces, the Ki of that palace becomes the energy of return. TAO creates Ki, and Ki creates objects; objects are to Ki as Ki is to TAO.
In working with numbers as symbols, the numbers, or Stars, depict Ki as taking on binary attributes. On the one hand the primary expression of manifestation as Yin and Yang further subdivides into bigrams, trigrams and so forth - and each of the WuXing (5 phases) has a Yin or Yang quality. However, in the number system expressed by the ancients, we have 9 numbers, not an even amount which can be divided in such a way as to represent Yin or Yang, and all ideal forms must be in balance when at rest - so what does the 5 Earth Star represent? Naturally the TAO is represented by the number 5, which holds the central position, the balance point of the 9 numbers.

In 9 Ki astro-numerology, 5 Earth gets no trigram (because it has neither Yin nor Yang attributes), while the other 8 numbers are assigned a trigram each. To explain more fully, 5 Earth is neither Yin nor Yang, because it represents the point of balance at which Yin and Yang transform into one another; the point from which they appear to 'emerge'. The universal Luo Shu has 5 in the central palace, and when each Star, due to a change in the time cycle, enters the central palace, the events, forms and actions that are initiated during that particular time cycle are dominated by the QUALITY of that Star.
The palace in which 5 Earth is located also is very influential, because that palace becomes the "eye of the whirlwind" or the point that is attempting to impose balance and order on the set of 9 palaces. In the Universal Luo Shu, with 5 Earth in the central palace, the points of emergence and return, or initiation and cessation, or creation and destruction are the same, but in all other charts, the Star ruling the palace occupied by 5 Earth represents the kind of Ki responsible for the return of things and energies to the Tao, while the Star in the central palace is the Ki that imbues things created during the cycle of the chart with its particular quality. This seems like a very abstract way to come to tangible conclusions, but it is not unlike talking about the Sun's "movement" or "travel" along its northern and southern courses throughout the year.

In the days before numbers were invented, the Shamans of ancient China described the attributes of the Sun, Moon, Stars, the 5 Phases or Elements, and all activities and circumstances 'under heaven' by the use of the mystical diagram known as the Luo Shu.
The Luo Shu is a mystical diagram of utter beauty and symmetry. Its mysteries are profound and with a little discipline and penetrating insight, it reveals all that the mind is able to absorb. Surely, the only limits to the knowledge that can be gained from the study of the Luo Shu are those created by the mind that studies it. The Lo Shu, like most ancient maps, has North at the bottom, South at the top ,East on the left, and West on the right. In the universal 9 Ki map, 5 Earth is the center, 6 Metal is in the Northwest opposite 4 Wood in the Southeast, 7 Metal in the West opposite 3 Wood in the East, 8 Earth in the Northeast opposite 2 Earth in the Southwest, 9 Fire is due South opposite 1 Water in the North. Once again, from the standpoint of ancient Taoism, 5 Earth is TAO and the remaining numbers are Ki. At the first spark of the creation or initiation of an event, idea or being, 5 moves from the center to the Northwest and begins its ascending journey through the Luo Shu chart - its journey through the phases or elements; its journey through the trigrams. The 4 Wood star simultaneously moves to the center and this begins the descending progression of the numbers. As 5 makes its way around the chart, the other numbers or 'fragments' of the chi, follow its every twist and turn. Think of the 5 as the center of a tornado or cyclone - as it travels, it pulls all the other winds with it. While this process is taking place, every palace that the 5 'touches' or 'rests in' produces the opposite number (Ki) in the center of the chart. Following this thought we will see how the Ki expresses the TAO and its cyclic and sequent action through the 9 palaces of the Lo Shu.

The route that 5 takes in terms of house numbers is 6,7,8,9,1, 2,3,4, and then it returns to the center. The route that the 8 numbers representing Ki take, by being dragged into the center palace, is 4,3,2,1,9,8,7,6, and they also resolve when 5 again returns to the center. The motions of TAO and Ki are opposite, but as TAO re-focuses the center, each number has its opportunity to become the center, and express TAO in its own way. The 9 Stars move in perfectly synchronized movements not unlike an object and its shadow. The moment that 5 enters a palace, its shadow (the Ki of the star that rules the opposite palace) appears in the center of the chart, creating perfect balance. Everyone will agree, I'm sure, that moving 'against' TAO will create imbalance, and this can also be seen in the Luo Shu chart. Outside of being philosophically profound , this insight can be quite practical for divination. When 5 Earth is in the 7 Metal palace, it 'drags' the 3 Wood star into the center and creates an imbalance on that axis. In other words, Ki is 'slanted' or biased towards the West ( 7 palace ). This accumulation of "western" energy will cause a reaction in the direction or palace that is opposite it, in this case the 3 Wood palace. The 1 Water star is the reacting energy there, because 1 Water will occupy the Eastern 3 Wood palace when 5 is in the West . One must be cautious in interacting with the Eastern direction or the 1 Water star during this time-cycle, because it has been thrown off balance, and circumstances, relationships, substances or activities related to the 1 Water star are likely to suffer. The following chart shows the movement of 5 Earth and which stars will be adversely affected by its movement.

When 5 is in the N.W. 4 House and 3 Star is afflicted
When 5 is in the W. 3 House and 1 Star is afflicted
When 5 is the N.E. 2 House and 8 Star is afflicted
When 5 is the S. 1 House and 6 Star is afflicted
When 5 is the N. 9 House and 4 Star is afflicted
When 5 is in the S.W. 8 House and 2 Star is afflicted
When 5 is in the E. 7 House and 9 Star is afflicted
When 5 is in the S.E. 6 House and 7 Star is afflicted

Think of a water balloon, and imagine squeezing the left half of the balloon. The water will shift and accumulate to the right half of the balloon causing an imbalance. The left side of the balloon will be severely depleted and the right side will become overabundant. Both are unbalanced. So there is not only an adverse affect on the palace and star opposite the palace (the "expanded" side) in which 5 Earth resides, but also the palace and direction (the squeezed side) in which the 5 resides.

So far, we have only discussed the cycle in which the 5, or TAO is on its ascending course, and the 8 Stars are tenanting the center in descending order. At the point where the greatest Yin or Yang is reached, the two primal forces transform into one another, and the cycles reverse, such that the 8 stars will now visit the central palace in ascending order, and the 5 Earth star will visit the 8 palaces in descending order. This is evident in the Year, Month, Day, and Hour cycles of time. The Stars reverse their motions at 'fixed' intervals. The Ki Day Star is the easiest to understand, because they move to the central palace in ascending order from Winter Solstice to the Summer Solstice. At this point Yang (ascending order) is the most extreme in nature, and consequently converts to Yin, therefore at the Summer Solstice the numbers reverse directions and begin to move to the center in descending order until Winter Solstice arrives, when the Yin has matured and become so strong, it compensates by transforming to Yang again.

Whether or not the cycle in which the 9 Stars are active is Yin (descending) or Yang (ascending), the principle is the same. In Luo Shu Astrology, when 5 Earth ascends the other 8 Stars descend, and when 5 Earth descends the other 8 ascend. TAO produces Ki in reverse motion. Do keep in mind that the 5 is always balanced, and it must be, by necessity, to 'hold fast to the center', and create the point of balance upon which the extremes wrestle out the changes and transformations we call circumstance. Winter and Summer are extreme conditions, but the forces behind these conditions, the orbit of the Earth around the Sun, the ocean currents and the atmosphere, must remain in perfect balance. Any disturbance to one of these factors will trigger reactions throughout the system with possibly disastrous results.

Over the years, my colleagues and I have not found anywhere where this principle of balance in movement within the Luo Shu and the 9 Ki system have been discussed in this way, and my studies are continuing and will reveal much more about this ancient magical tool. The mysteries of the 9 Palace Stars are subtle and profound, and with diligent study, these mysteries will emerge from their cocoon, transformed into useful guides on the path to wisdom. You will also find these pearls of wisdom to be practical tools for discovering otherwise hidden information and taking advantage of opportunity in everyday life.

I Ching (Yijing) Insights

2007-08-20T18:02:00.000-04:00

Chinese civilization has, from the most ancient times, revered the I Ching for its deep and profound mysteries. It is said that Fu Hsi, the legendary Sage/Shaman was the creator of the trigrams that structure the I Ching.
In later times (around 1150 BC) King Wen of the Chou Dynasty, while serving a 7 year prison sentence, passed his time away creating hexagrams from the trigrams that Fu Hsi initiated. He then added textual commentary to the 64 hexagrams that comprise the I Ching, and since then it has been referred to as the "Book of Changes."
It was King Wen's son, the Duke of Chou, who added passages for each of the hexagram lines ( yao). More than six centuries elapsed before the great sage Confucius made his own contribution to the book by adding commentaries that have since been called the '10 wings'.
Most of the thoughts and ideas of the great sages and shamans of antiquity and later times were derived from the symbolic hexagrams that are contained in the book. This elite group of thinkers saw how this book, starting from the most basic contrasts and dualities that describe the basic relationships between the properties of material existence, could be a guide to the subtle processes of nature, and so it was considered a source of wisdom. Many contemplated and meditated on it at length, and absorbed themselves in communication with the oracle, some even reaching enlightenment through their one-pointed efforts. Some spoke of a transformation that occurred when they 'merged' themselves with the principles of the I Ching.
Though certain scholars and masters throughout the ages have included their own unique insights, the main principles have remained intact. Many estimate the trigrams to have been created more than 5000 years ago, and though it would seem futile to try to prove this point, it can certainly and safely be said that the I Ching has stood the "test of time". It is as reliable and pertinent today as it was thousands of years ago, therefore giving us the same quality of guidance and wisdom that the ancients received. The wisdom of the book is essentially timeless, and therefore gives us the ability to penetrate the minds of the great sages of the past.
In other words, if you are able to penetrate the I Ching you will be able to penetrate the minds of the sages, as their minds and the "Yi" speak for each other. Though we may or may not become enlightened through its use, we will gain a little sense of liberation from our rigid and inflexible tendencies that we have received from social conditioning.
We can be thankful for the works of the great masters and scholars of the past and present in their attempts to help us gain an understanding of the underlying principles of the book. Of course, one could say that the I Ching has created the sages and masters as well. At this point, I'd like to note that the roster of illumined teachers who were intimately familiar with the I Ching included Fu Hsi, King Wen and Duke of Chou, Confucius, Lao Tzu, Chuang Tzu, Chen Tuan, Shao Yung, Chu Hsi and many others. All of these great personalities have been influenced by the I Ching in one form or another.
It has been said that Shao Yung ( 1011-1077), the Neo Confucianist and Taoist recluse of the Northern Sung Dynasty, was the first to introduce the binary numerical system through his hexagram arrangement, making him the ancient Grandfather of the modern computers. The I Ching has been influential in DNA studies, acupuncture and other medical analysis, various forms of astrology, weather studies, astronomy, biological data, and other areas of study.

Yes, the I Ching is far-reaching, sounding its 'voice' through the ages like a distant echo in the minds and heart of humanity. It is a descriptive model of reality, that through proper understanding will reveal the most subtle of mysteries. The seeker who approaches the I Ching must do so in a receptive frame of mind. For deeper understanding one must 'shift' their consciousness and disassociate from the ego. This is very different from the analytical approach taken by modern methods of gathering knowledge.
Let us now take a look at some of the basic, yet very important principles that have long been associated with understanding the symbols of the I Ching.
The I Ching can be summarized as consisting of 2 lines, one broken or yin and the other unbroken or yang. These two basic polarities, in turn, form more complex sets of bigrams, trigrams, and hexagrams. The process is one of doubling. That is, the 2 lines form 4 bigrams; the 4 bigrams produce the 8 trigrams, etc. until 64 six-lined hexagrams are produced. The 64 hexagrams are the ultimate expression of the symbolic constituents of the I Ching and can be used to delve into any aspect of reality.
For divination purposes the hexagrams are usually broken down into trigrams and the information derived from these trigrams, by way of their attributes, are reflected upon. Conclusions are then drawn from these reflections that refer to the situation one is inquiring about.
The trigrams follow two main cycles which can be referred to as the 'spirit' or intangible cycle and the 'manifest' or tangible cycle. The intangible cycle is called the Hsien Tien or Early Heaven cycle and the tangible cycle is known as the Hu Tien or Later Heaven sequence.
Though the trigrams in both cycles are identical, their sequence ordering are distinct. The Early Heaven sequence depicts the trigrams in their pure and balanced positions. It is a representation of archetypal, unmanifest energy, prior to its manifestation. The later Heaven on the other hand, expresses energy that has coalesced and taken shape or form in the physical world. The co-mingling of these two great cycles results in the events that transpire in heaven and on earth, thereby influencing humanity.
The Early Heaven sequence begins with Chien and ends with Kun, and is known as the 'Creation' cycle. Its order is as follows: Chien- Tui- Li- Chen- Sun - Kan -Ken- Kun.
In the later Heaven, the cycle begins with Chen and is completed with Ken. The ordering is: Chen- Sun- Li- Kun- Tui- Chien- Kan- Ken.
Although it may not be apparent, the two cycles work 'hand-in-hand'. The Later Heaven sequence is a reaction to the Early Heaven sequence; in fact, it is a consequence of the Early Heaven's structure. It completes what the Early Heaven initiates. They both follow a different course but they emerge from the same Tao, and function simultaneously.
It may be difficult for the mind to grasp this idea because the modern mind has been programmed to believe that events manifest themselves in a step-by-step process of physical cause and effect, but ultimately cause and effect, beginning and ending, or Early Heaven and Later Heaven are concurrent.
The Early Heaven sequence is thought to have been created by Fu Hsi and the Later Heaven sequence has been credited to Ken Wen. In some systems or methods of the I Ching both sequences can be used together. For example, in the Plum Blossom method ( see other articles on this blog concerning Plum Blossom) the hexagrams are usually formed by the use of the Early Heaven cycle of trigrams. In other words, the Early Heaven sequence is used to represent the unconfused, or that which has not yet happened. Then the Later Heaven sequence of trigrams is employed to interpret the outcome, or way in which the unmanifest will materialize, according to their attributes.
The cycles can be 'expanded' so that the 64 hexagrams are used in the cycle rather than the basic 8 trigrams. The hexagram cycle gives us a larger vision or more expanded view of the energetic process represented by the trigrams. It is important to remember that the principles are the same whether looking at the 64 hexagram chart or the 8 trigram chart, and that they are replicas of each other in an expanded or contracted design.
Watch for future I Ching articles in which all of these principles and the hexagrams themselves will be explored in depth.

Interview On Penetrating The I Ching

2007-08-17T11:33:00.000-04:00

The following is a small portion of an interview I gave less than 2 weeks ago on the subject of penetrating the I Ching. Click to listen.

Book Recommendations For Luo Shu Astrology

2007-08-14T20:12:00.000-04:00

I have received several e-mails inquiring about the recommendation of books on Luo Shu Astrology (9 Ki). I can think of 4 that are valuable.

1. The Ki (Takashi Yoshikawa). This is the best book I've seen on personality
analysis. The second part of the book on directionology is not completely
accurate in my opinion. He uses the 60 degree segments for the
diagonal directions and 30 degrees for the cardinal points, which can create
problems. There are a few other questionable areas also. If it is character
profiles you are interested in, however, then this is a very good book.

2. The Nine Ki Handbook (Gagne and Mann). This one has been out of print
and may be difficult to find, but it does give a good basic understanding on
the subject. Be careful with the day star numbers in the book as they are
completely inaccurate. When I spoke to Mr. Gagne about it he told me that
the editors printed it completely wrong when the book went to press. When
he talked to the publishers about it, they never corrected the problem.

3. Nine Star Ki ( Michio Kushi).

4. Practical Feng Shui Astrology (Simon Browne). I believe this is the title.
At one point it carried another title.

The Price For Education

2007-08-13T10:15:00.000-04:00

In the old days the student's journey in eventually becoming a future master may have begun by walking through the mountains or forests with their own master and enduring the hardships of the terrain. They may have went for days eating herbs to survive, stopping along the way for deep periods of meditation or contemplation. The student and master relied on each other for many things; the master relied on the student for his young, energetic, physical energy and the student relied on his master for his wisdom and experience. It was a tight bond, and the student was in many ways closer to his master than to his own father. They went through years and decades of practice and learning and eventually there would come a day when the master sensed that the student was about ready to pass on the tradition to another up-and-coming student. The patience involved in cultivating the student was enormous. No shortcuts were taken and there were no time constraints in rushing the student.......sometimes the lessons took a lifetime, but when the student was "let loose" the master knew he was ready and was confident that the world had gained another master.

Today is a completely different story. In these modern times a person can become a master in 4 weeks by sitting in front of a computer and sipping a coke and typing away at the keyboard in a half-dazed state of confusion. All it takes are two things basically. These two things are money and the ability to put your faith in a person who claims to be a master. Whereas in the old days the journey began in the mountains with your master, today the journey begins by calling a self-proclaimed master on their cell phone or e-mailing him/her and giving them your credit card number. Then you take their correspondence course (CC) and you will eventually become a certified master. I guarantee you that I can find a person out there who has never heard of the word Feng Shui and within approximately 4-8 weeks become a certified master. No years of experience... no walks in the forest... no deep meditation... none of that stuff. As they say, " all it takes is money honey". Today "masters" are reeling in students like a fisherman reels in fish. "Masters" compete with each other to see who can catch the most fish, and you can be certain that there are fish to be caught. Once a master has you hooked you can forget about it, he'll keep throwing out more bait such as new classes, computer video seminars, new CC's, new e-books, "latest information", and so- on- and- on- and- on. The "master" will act as though nothing else in the world matters other than your education...but as soon as you run out of money he will want to have nothing to do with you. It is a sad but true reality. Recently I saw a picture of a guy who promotes himself as a master (who I've mentioned on my blog before) with many of his students/victims around him. The picture reminded me of a fat cat with swarms of lifeless fish surrounding him. The fish looked lifeless...but the fat cat looked content... like he was going to have quite a feast with all the fish he captured. Well, fish are fish and cats are cats...what can you do.

If you are in the market for a metaphysical education be careful. Although there are some good teachers and masters, the majority are promoters and business men/women. These types are charging thousands of dollars for this "education" that eventually runs into the tens of thousands of dollars and the cycle never seems to end. Don't believe you can become a master or qualified practitioner by taking a CC or a few classes. Don't believe these exaggerated claims. Anyone who tells you that you can become a qualified practitioner in less than a year is lying to you. Anyone who is churning "masters' out of his students by the droves is doing an injustice to themselves and to the student. We can stop them by refusing to be tempted by their dazzling claims. If we refuse to buy into their exaggerations they will eventually have to go work a regular job, whether teaching high school mathematics or whatever. It is ultimately up to us to put an end to all this nonsense.

Numerical Ratings For Luo Shu Astrology

2007-08-12T06:35:00.000-04:00

Nine years ago I developed a Luo Shu Rating Method that I am now sharing with the public for the first time. It compares and evaluates the compatibility between the numbers and gives a numeric value for each possible combination. It has an infinite amount of uses and is limited only by one's imagination. There are 9 charts, one for each number and they can be combined and recombined by taking into account the Luo Shu number for a particular Year, Month, Day, Hour (or other time period). The chart shows the relationship for each combination and what the rating is according to the interaction of the five phases (wu xing).

1 WATER

1 with 1... reinforced ...+ 2
1 with 2... controlled ...- 4
1 with 3... exhausted ...- 3
1 with 4... exhausted ...- 2
1 with 5... controlled ...- 4.5
1 with 6... nourished ...+ 4
1 with 7... nourished ...+ 5
1 with 8... controlled ...- 5
1 with 9... dominates ... +1

2 EARTH

2 with 1... dominates ...+ 1
2 with 2... reinforced ... + 2
2 with 3... controlled ... - 4
2 with 4... controlled ... - 5
2 with 5... reinforced ... + 2.5
2 with 6... exhausted ... - 2
2 with 7... exhausted ... - 3
2 with 8... reinforced ... + 3
2 with 9...nourished ... + 4

3 WOOD

3 with 1... nourished ... +4
3 with 2... dominates... +1
3 with 3... reinforced... +2
3 with 4... reinforced... +3
3 with 5... dominates... 0
3 with 6... controlled... -5
3 with 7... controlled... -4
3 with 8... dominates... -1
3 with 9...exhausted... -2

4 WOOD

4 with 1... nourished... +5
4 with 2... dominates... -1
4 with 3... reinforced... +3
4 with 4... reinforced... +2
4 with 5... dominates... 0
4 with 6... controlled... -4
4 with 7... controlled... -5
4 with 8... dominates... +1
4 with 9... exhausted... -3

5 EARTH

5 with 1... dominates... 0
5 with 2... reinforced... +2.5
5 with 3... controlled... -4.5
5 with 4... controlled... -4.5
5 with 5... reinforced... +2.5
5 with 6... exhausted... -2.5
5 with 7... exhausted... -2.5
5 with 8... reinforced... +2.5
5 with 9... nourished... +4.5

6 METAL

6 with 1... exhausted... -3
6 with 2... nourished... +5
6 with 3... dominates... -1
6 with 4... dominates... +1
6 with 5... nourished... +4.5
6 with 6... reinforced... +2
6 with 7... reinforced... +3
6 with 8... nourished... +4
6 with 9... controlled... -4

7 METAL

7 with 1... exhausted... -2
7 with 2... nourished... +4
7 with 3... dominates... +1
7 with 4... dominates... -1
7 with 5... nourished... +4.5
7 with 6... reinforced... +3
7 with 7... reinforced... +2
7 with 8... nourished... +5
7 with 9... controlled... -5

8 EARTH

8 with 1... dominates... -1
8 with 2... reinforced... +3
8 with 3... controlled... -5
8 with 4... controlled... -4
8 with 5... reinforced... +2.5
8 with 6... exhausted... -3
8 with 7... exhausted... -2
8 with 8... reinforced... +2
8 with 9... nourished... +5

9 FIRE

9 with 1... controlled... -4
9 with 2... exhausted... -3
9 with 3... nourished... +5
9 with 4... nourished... +4
9 with 5... exhausted... -2.5
9 with 6... dominates... +1
9 with 7... dominates... -1
9 with 8... exhausted... -2
9 with 9... reinforced... +2

With these charts you will now be able to compare the interaction and compatibility rating for any two (or more) entities. For example, if you are to analyze a numerical relationship rating for two people, you can follow these steps. Let us say that the rating is for Robert and Mary's energies. Roberts natal numbers are 7-3-2-1 and Mary is 1-4-2-2. We will first look at how Robert perceives the relationship by specifically looking at his numbers to see how they relate to Mary's. Then we can do the same for Mary. The person who's perception we are taking into account would represent the first number in the chart. In any relationship, the perceptions of one person to the other is very rarely identical. One spouse usually feels the relationship in a different way than the other. The charts and ratings can help us identify this tendency. We calculate Robert and Mary's yearly 7 and 1...then their monthly 3 and 4...the daily 2 and 2... and finally their hourly 1 and 2 numbers. Looking at the above charts we have :

Robert's Perception
______________

Step 1 - Robert's Yearly perception = -2
Step 2 - Robert's Monthly perception = +3
Step 3 - Robert's Daily perception = +2
Step 4 - Robert's Hourly perception = -4
Step 5 - Robert's Total perception = -1

Mary's Perception
_____________

Step 1 - Mary's Yearly perception = +5
Step 2 - Mary's Monthly perception = +3
Step 3 - Mary's Daily perception = +2
Step 4 - Mary's Hourly perception = +1
Step 5 - Mary's Total perception = +11

We can see by the final rating that Mary's energy is much more receptive to the relationship than Robert's. Most of the stress and complications involved will affect Robert more so than Mary. If a divorce ever became a consideration Mary would be less likely to comply to the separation, whereas Robert would feel more liberated by the breakup and would likely want to go all the way with the separation procedure. Again, these charts can be used for much more than spousal relationships. It is useful for employer/employee compatibility, tenant/renter compatibility, athletic partnership compatibility, or any other type where an interaction of more than one entity takes place. The range for the ratings would be from -20 through +20. If we decide to factor in the stems and branches in the same way, we would have a much wider range of possibilities. You can also include the hexagrams to widen the range even more. Remember, the possibilities or potentials are entirely up to you.

Two Poems

2007-08-10T09:58:00.000-04:00

RASPBERRY RAGS AND THE COSMIC JOURNEY

I've decided I'm running away
with Raspberry Rags in a cosmic display
Ten paces from heaven, and turn to the right
then just keep on walkin' till you run into the light

And on my journey I run into Sweet Silver Cup
He pauses a moment and says "Hey there what's up"
I shrug my shoulders and lifted my head
and said "I haven't a clue, I just rolled out of bed"

And the waves of the river was waving goodbye
and the bright moon was hangin' its head in the sky

Then Lollipop Louie shows up on the scene
and he's jokin' around with the king and the queen
then later that day, I swear I heard someone say
"Get the heck out of Dodge if you know what I mean".

THE RECLUSE

I once knew a master, wise beyond words

who has fallen from grace and is now seen as absurd
Like a clown in a circus who bends all the rules
then falls flat on his ass, and looks just like a fool

And the recluse abandons fortune and fame
with no tangible sources and shuns even his name
trading houses and mansions, for mountains and caves
and not a single condition nor reason he gave

Yang chases Yin
and Yin catches Yang
in a strange cosmic process
that folks can't understand

And so peace will find danger
and danger finds peace
in a self-contained cycle
that never will cease

So chase your dreams if you must
for whatever it's worth
knowing that some day
it is sure to reverse

Then the masters will yell
"Hey, I can alter your plan"
but they know little of heaven
No, they don't understand

So while everyone's running
and catching their breath
the recluse just smiles
and lays down to rest.

c. Andy Nicola

The Rabbit

2007-08-07T10:25:00.000-04:00

On Oct.10.2006 a student of Joseph Yu named Mark Andres who calls himself "The Rabbit" wrote the following on the Astro fengshui yahoo group list :

"To me, for anyone to "claim that Shao Yong's formula is invalid" merely shows ignorance on the part of the person making the claim. Ignorance beneath contempt."

He wrote this about me in defense of his "master" after I made public the unethical practices of Joseph Yu. I would like to respond to his comments . First and foremost the Rabbit's statement is a lie. I have NEVER claimed that Shao Yung's formula is invalid because I have never believed that Shao Yung created the Plum Blossom (Mei Hua) method of divination. Joseph Yu has been stating for years that Shao Yung is the inventor of the PB method and when I stated in a post on a yahoo list that it is unlikely to the extreme that Shao would create such an unbalanced PB dating system he publicly called me arrogant and ignorant and said I was showing disrespect to the great Sung scholar. For me to mention that Shao Yung did not invent the PB would make the feeble-minded master look incompetent in the eyes of his students and the public should my opinion be correct. He kept insisting that Shao was the originator and Mark Andres with his Blind Faith in full bloom made the statement above. More recently, however, Joseph has shifted his views and wrote on his blog :

"The formula may be the work of Song Dynasty scholar Shao Yong or it may be not. "

and ..........

"the system is beautiful whether invented by Shao Yong or any other wise person."

It may seem like a trivial matter on the surface but it certainly reveals a few things. The first is that Joseph's initial lack of flexibility and his contradicting character is 'leaching' onto his students. It would kill Joseph to admit that my statement may have been correct so he 'hedges' his stance by making the above statements where he tries to 'graciously' reverse his opinions without saying I might be right. With Joe's statements above, the Rabbit may have to conclude that his master is "Ignorant beneath contempt", to use his own words. Mark Andres is an absolute perfect example of the Blind Faith I wrote about a few days ago.

Mark's comments surprised me. He has no idea of either my works or myself and the only time I have ever met him in person was on an August weekend night last year when he called my home phone at 1 AM to let me know that he and one of Joseph's top students who came to stay with me just left a 'seedy' nightclub and I could go pick up Joseph's student at an area closer to my house (I'm not a drinker so I declined their invitation to go drinking with them). When I got to the destination, the glassy-eyed and wobbly Rabbit looked a little "shaky" and I was hoping he would make it home OK as he slurred his good-nights. That is the only time I've ever met him. I also talked with him on the phone once or twice concerning Plum Blossom. He told me that he was not a PB expert and that he had only studied PB for less than a year. In spite of this, he gives PB readings and promotes himself as a "Professional" certified by Joseph. He was/is actually charging people for consultations with his less than 1 year of study. Good heavens...I have studied it for about a decade and a half at an extremely deep level and I refuse to charge for consultations until I can know more. This is a perfect example of people exploiting the public for money and hiding behind the curtain of spirituality. Joseph was steaming when I made a comment that his (Joseph's) PB teachings were nothing more than what Lillian Too or other elementary authors have been trying to shove down the public's throat. Joseph's usual response to claims like these against him is "prove it"..."prove it"..."prove it". It seems to be the only words he knows when someone says he's wrong or questions his expertise. However, he did not ask me to prove my claims, even after I publicly stated that I would elaborate on my views if he cared for me to. The offer still stands, and if he would like for me to "prove" why I believe his PB knowledge is inadequate I would be happy to do so. Although, if he doesn't respond I may give my views in future blog post to let the public be aware of how he is presenting his PB ideas.......at a hefty price I might add.

In concluding this post I would like to say that "The Rabbit" will not likely be pleased with this post but then I wasn't all that crazy about his comments either. His drinking buddy (whose name I won't mention) will not be pleased either. The drinking buddy will probably be reading this and he knows why I am writing this post. He knows I can tolerate many things, but one I will not tolerate is when someone gives me their word and then lies and breaks their promise. He knows how close we were and he knows I won't mention his name, but deep down he also knows what he has done for me to break my trust in him and write these words. Disloyalty and the breaking of one's word is something he knows I will not forgive.

Luo Shu House Assessment Sample

2007-08-06T16:23:00.000-04:00

This article will give a sample of how to use the Luo Shu (9 Ki)method of divination in a very practical way. Though there are many aspects and procedures possible with the Luo Shu chart and numbers to arrive at an accurate prediction, we will concentrate here mainly on house assessment. In our hypothetical sample let us say that we are going to an interview for a new job. And we wish to know the energies involved in terms of Luo Shu Astrology. We will say that our Luo Shu birth numbers are :

Year 9

Month 8

Day 4

Hour 1

If we have the luxury of choosing the day to schedule the interview, we will have a great advantage. Let us say that the year and month is Solar Septembert of 2007. We already know that the first two numbers are 2 for the year and 4 for the month. We are off to a superb start because our birth year number is nourished by the TIME year number and our month year number is nourished by the time month number as well. In other words, our year and month numbers are in a very nourishing relationship with the Earth and Wood energy alignment of Solar September 2007. Let us say we have the whole month of September to schedule our appointment and the first day we decide to analyze is a 9 Fire day. We will see that on a 9 day our DAY number 4 falls in the 9 house. This is not a favorable day because the 4 Wood's energy is drained by 'feeding' the 9 house. In addition, the 5 is opposite the 4 because it is residing in the 1 House. So although the year and month is favorable, we could certainly choose a better day. We search further and look at a day where the 3 is in the center of the Luo Shu chart and find that our day number (4) resides in the 6 Metal house. Again no good, because the 4's wood is being "chopped up" by the metal of the house. So we look further and analyze a 6 Metal day. We now see that our 4 Wood day number sits in the 3 House. 3 and 4 is a reinforcing combination and we now have a situation where all 3 of our natal birth numbers are in a favorable relationship with the qi (chi) of the time. We can get an idea of what to expect on this particular day by looking at the attributes of the house we reside in. The numbers have both positive and negative attributes and a rule of thumb is "when your numbers are in harmony with the times, use the positive attributes, when they are not use the negative ones". This is a rule of thumb and in more advanced studies there can be exceptions under certain conditions.

In Luo Shu Astrology 6 Metal is associated with employment, authority, older men, etc. It is likely that any number when in the 6 house will experience employment/job related issues. So is it wise to set up the interview when in the 6 house since it is related with employment if the numbers conflict ? I would say no. You may also wonder if it it wise to get involved in a job situation if the Luo Shu number is not connected with employment but your number is in harmony with the house. This is where the art of Luo Shu analysis plays a huge role. There are creative ways to harmonize yourself with the energies and this is where you have to have a clear mind. If you're in a house that is not compatible with you or employment and you must attend the interview then you look for a favorable situation within the event of the job interview. Example : if you are a 2 and in the 9 house for the day you can see that 9 will not generally give an overall advantage in terms of employment (9 and 6 clash), altough your 2 is being favorably nourished by the 9 for that particular day. In this case you look for 9 Fire attributes to align with at the job interview. If there are 3 people who may be interviewing you and one is a middle-aged female , another a male over 60 and the third a young male, then try to have the interview with the middle-aged lady. Her energy is associated with 9 which is the nourisher of your 2 Earth Luo Shu energy. You have to use your wits a little and with practice it is not overly difficult. Another way is to use Directionology to overcome potential problems. Using directionology down to the Day level is extremely complicated regardless what you may read in the books. Takashi Yoshikawa's book "The ki", is a good book but his section on directionology definitely needs improvement. It is nowhere near as easy as he explains it. Using yearly directionology principles for monthly or daily analysis as most everyone is doing today will cause some problems. I am not saying I am right and everyone else is wrong, but if I showed you a few things involving detailed directionology analysis you will see things in a completely different light. The principles are undoubtedly quite difficult to absorb and master.

There is of course so much more to Luo Shu analysis than what little we have discussed here and I wish you luck in making your own discoveries through deep thought and research. It is quite a remarkable area of study and very rewarding in a both abstract and practical way.

Luo Shu Considerations

2007-08-02T10:17:00.000-04:00

The Luo Shu system of astrology and divination (also referred to as 9 Ki, 9 Star Ki, 9 Palace Fate Calculation, 9 House Astrology, and other names), when used properly and responsibly will reveal a wealth of information to the diviner. There are, however, many discrepancies that can create considerable problems. Today we'll discuss the issue of 'house occupation', or in other words, which house a person occupies at a certain time period. In Luo Shu Astrology the chart is sectioned off into various segments and a person will find their natal energy 'residing' in one of those segments, which is called a House. The chart segmentation occures for any time period, depending on which particular period the diviner is focusing on. The time periods range from very large time units to very small ones. One can work with Eras (360 year units) or Generations (30 year units) down to Minutes or Seconds. Many believe that the Yearly number of a person's birth carries the strongest and most influencial weight, and to an extent this could be true, but it is far from the complete picture. To calculate the yearly number is an easy procedure. :

1) Add Together all the numbers of the year

2) Reduce the numbers to a single digit

3) Subtract the single digit number by 11

As an example, the year 2007 would be considered a 2 Year. That is.......2 + 0 + 0 + 7 = 9. The single digit number subtracted by 11 = 2. Another example would be 1997. 1 + 9 + 9 + 7 = 26. 26 reduced to a single digit would be 2 + 6 = 8. Then 11 - 8 = 3, making 1997 a 3 year. This method will work for the years 1924 through 2104. The other years require a modification, but that is beyond the scope of this post and can be discussed at another time.

HOUSE ASSESSMENT

_________________

Pick up or look at any book on this subject or search the internet and you will discover that every single source uses what I believe to be a very inconsistent way of analyzing house assessment. I think what happened is that one person wrote their views about it and everyone throughout the years followed suit without taking the time to analyze it deeper. I am shocked that even the so-called masters have not realized the dilemma. The problem is that today (and in the past) everyone is using the YEAR number to fit the slot of every other time period segment to make their predictions. In my opinion, this will eventually cause distorted readings. I have mentioned this to a few 'high level' teachers and they very much agreed with me, but had to confess that they could not reveal this to their students because the students would feel that they have been given misguided information for the money they've paid in the past. So the teachers kept lecturing the same outdated information and they do so to this very day. ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE !!!

I have mentioned that the procedure being used today is based on evaluating only the year to the rest of the time periods. That is, Year to Year...Year to Month...Year to Day...Year to Hour. I strongly suggest that the proper procedure should be Year to Year...Month to Month...Day to Day...Hour to Hour. I could give many reasons and explanations why this method is more balanced and makes sense, however this post would then run quite long. But you don't need me to prove it to you as you can surely do your own analyzing and see the beauty of it. If you mention this post to your teacher or master and ask them why they have not mentioned this concept before, they will probably pause a moment and say that they knew about it but it is too complicated for the average student, or that they've heard of it but there hasn't been enough research, or some other lame excuse. They will not admit that they didn't know about it because it would make them look incompetent........and this, they want to avoid at all costs.

THE SOLUTION
____________

We now know one of the problems of House Assessment, so let us look at a solution. The first thing to know is your four Luo Shu numbers...not just the year, as we have been told for so long, but ALL your numbers. Even this in itself can be a problem because everyone uses different techniques for attaining the numbers, and believe me when I say that some of the methods being proposed today border on the rediculous. This in itself is quite another topic that I'm sure we will eventually explore on this blog. If you don't know your 4 Luo Shu numbers you can respond to this post and I'll provide them for you according to the methods I work with. If you are analyzing a certain Day and would like to know which Luo Shu House you are in for that specific day, you look at the Luo Shu day number chart and look at your own DAY number (not year number) and see where it falls in the chart.......that is the house you occupy for that day. If your numbers are 4 year -3 month -1 day and the Luo Shu number for the day is 1, you will see that you occupy the 5 House for the day. Your teacher will tell you that you occupy the 8 house for the day because your year number is 4. But we know better.

An advanced way to look at the Luo Shu is to take a time period's numbers from year to hour and then look at your own year to hour numbers. In other words, look at any time down to the double-hour (down to the minute or second causes severe headaches ha ha ha) and convert them to Luo Shu numbers and note your year to the Times year, your month to the Times month, etc. You will then have a true rendering of your natal energy to the atmospheric flow of energy for that particular time. There are ways where you can then take all this data and form a numerical rating from a range of -20 through +20 and analyze just how potent the qi (chi, energy) is for you at that time. If the rating is highly positive you can expect fortunate results, if the rating is negative you can expect less favorable results. The techniques are limitless, for instance, you can factor in stems and branches alongside the Luo Shu numbers, or you can incorporate the I Ching (Yi Jing) hexagrams with the numbers to get a more refined rating. It is basically up to how deep you can go with your imagination. Joseph Yu has written that 9 Ki astrology is not as accurate as some of the other methods and will reveal much less because it produces only 9 stages of energies to analyze. This is not completly shocking comming from Joseph as his understanding of the subject is quite lacking in depth. He may not understand yet that the 9 stages can be transformed into 81 stages, 729 stages, and beyond to provide very detailed information. His comment was very irresponsible. Be careful if you purchase his $30 book, I have seen it after someone sent it to me for my opinion and the book's lack of adequate explanations causes confusion and the ideas in it are poorly presented and unsatisfactory. The second portion of the book containing the day star numbers are severly erroneous and downright inaccurate. It is amazing that a man who calls himself a master and charges thousands of dollars for his services has such little knowledge on a subject he has written a book about.

If you would like to know the numbers for any time period you may be interested in, just leave the longitude and time period and I'll post the numbers correlated with that time. Example format would be : June 12, 2001 1:20 PM 75 degrees. If you don't know the degrees you can leave the town. If you want just an estimation you don't even need to leave the longitude or town.

Blind Faith Leads To Poor Vision

2007-07-31T07:13:00.000-04:00

It is no secret that the ancient Chinese left behind a myriad of divination methods and techniques that are in use today. I myself, am truly grateful to the ancient wise ones, whose wisdom was deep and unfathomable. I have often wondered if it is possible to convey my gratitude to them for the gifts they have left. I attempt to do so in dreams, contemplation, and meditation. I have had dreams too numerous to count where I am engaged in lengthy conversations with the ancient Chinese Sages and Masters. Many times I have been working on extremely complicated matters in the physical state that I have only been able to sucsessfully complete from information recieved in the realm of dreams/spirit. I keep a dream journal and have filled more than 9 full-sized volumes with information from my dreams. When I look at some of the patterns in my journal and compare them to the patterns my life and studies have taken, I am absolutely certain that we do have the ability to connect with "higher beings" and recieve information from them. I often wonder if this happens with others, and I have concluded that it must........for I am certainly no more special than anyone else. I have learned that it IS possible to express your thanks to the wise ones of the ancient past.

We hear of the passing down of secret information from master to disciple, many times orally to avoid discovery by outside sources. This clearly suggests that the wise ones in the past did not have intentions of their methods becomming public knowledge, but throughout the ages the masses were evntually able to reap the benrfits and the methods were slowly revealed. I guess you can say that humanity was never that good at keeping secrets.......but in this case we can be thankful.

From thousands of years ago to the present day, the 'politics' game has been in effect in metaphysics and spiritual matters, although today it has gotten completely out of hand. We have also fallen into the Blind Faith trap. I have seen a leading macrobiotic 'guru' who has become a multi-millionaire that advocates a very strict, clean, and pure diet and lifestyle who has been seen on numerous occasions eating many of the foods, and participating in many of the habits he preaches strongly against. Another spiritual guru with a large following, boldly (and publically) claims that he has had not eaten a single bite of food for many years and lives on sunlight through solar-gazing or what others call "sun-eating". To back his claims he states that he was observed by NASA and went through documented tests with them. A little research revealed that : 1) NASA has never heard of him, and 2) He was observed by a film crew making 3 trips to the buffet line in a California restaurant, and also seen eating at an Indian foods buffet in Texas. Both these gentlemen have large followings and I have heard that it is not uncommon for them to scorn their students for not following the principle they preach. If this is not hypocrocy, then I have no clue what it is. I used to belive that religion and politics were the hypocrites, but now I understand that spirituality has joined in the game. Even when the masters are revealed and the news becomes public, their students and followers will continue to defend them strenously. They refuse to see things as they truly are and they try to convince others and themselves that it is all a conspiracy against their masters.......or that others are 'attacking' their master out of jealousy.......or a million other reasons. This is called BLIND FAITH and it is poison to the student/follower.

Chinese and other metaphysical groups or cultures are notorious for the Blind Faith syndrom. Much of metaphysics/spirituality is about business strategy, jockying position, and advertising/promotion. There is no doubt that there are more politicians in metaphysics than there are masters. To find the metaphysical politician is very easy, just grab any spiritual magazine or tune into any spiritual broadcast and 9 times out of 10 the charlatan stands out like a sore thumb. There are so few deep-thinkers in metaphysics.......most are Surface Scratchers, meaning that they barely scratch the surface. Many hide behind fancy clothing or sophisticated words to cover up their inadequate knowledge. I wrote a short saying to myself a few years ago and I try to always remember it :

" Beware of the man who hides behind words,
the more sophisticated the word
the more confused is the man. "

People who hear sophisticated words become hypnotized and conclude that the speaker must know what they are talking about because the words sound so confusing. A lot of people say that Deepak Chopra is an absolute genius because the words he uses are quite sophisticated and elegant. Mr. Chopra is a master hypnotist, we must give him that, and if he is a wizard genius and worth the mega-millions he has made off people can only be a matter of personal opinion. When the master or guru speaks, the listener then becomes a follower and the blind faith game begins. If you don't believe in blind faith, look closely at what what governments are saying, look at how the masses react, and then look at the conditions of the world. You would have to be truly blind not to see it or notice it. The same thing happens in the spiritual field. The master takes the position of the politician or government, the student/client is equivalent to the masses, and the false knowledge stemming from the false words can be correlated to the declining conditions of the world. Truly a sad state of affairs.

We will talk about some of the false masters operating today in future blog posts. We will talk about their tactics and strategies and the conditions they are creating in Chinese metaphysics. In the meantime remember that, blind faith leads to poor vision.

Andy Nicola

Tellin' It Like It Is

2007-07-28T13:34:00.000-04:00

At first glance, the name of my blog may not seem fitting for Chinese metaphysics. The different media types paint a distorted picture of angelic proportions where bliss is floating around in abundance, leading one to believe that there is more spiritual energy than air pollution circulating in our atmosphere. In reality, this view is very biased and things are not quite as these folks portray. If the true nature of spirituality as it is being practiced today were revealed to the masses; there is little doubt that the gurus, masters, pundits, teachers, etc. would quickly find themselves out of work and standing in the unemployment line. Perhaps now you may begin to get a glimps and understand why they must promote spirituality in an extremely exaggerated manner. Given the choice of "feeding the family" or "standing in the welfare line", which do you believe most would choose ? Almost all students, when confronted with this dilema will admit that, "yes, things are out of balance in this field, so thank heavens that I have a genuine master and not a false one". Every student has convinced themselves that they are blessed to have the only genuine master on the planet. This biased perspective actually stunts the growth of the student to eventually develop into genuine masters themselves. In my opinion, it is one of the reasons the world lacks true masters.

Tellin' It Like It Is will attempt to bring back into balance the distorted messages that have been implanted in our conciousness. Many may not like what they hear...and many may love it, but I do believe it must be told. I have practiced Chinese metaphysics for many years at a profoundly deep level and from the beginning I promised myself not to get involved in the exaggerated promotions and outlandish claims that seemed to be the norm in the field. This decision has caused me to remain financially lacking but spiritually true. Overall, I believe it was a wise choice and do not regret it. Being truthful can many times create enemies along the way, but I would rather tell the Sad Truth than a Happy Lie.

I will share many of the discoveries I have made over the years, along with insights and revelations I have gained. You will read things you have never read or heard of before and I will always be Tellin' It Like It Is to the very best of my knowledge. Thanks for stopping by my blog and I do hope you enjoy the tour .

Tellin' It Like It Is

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A Glimpse Beyond the Facade

Book Update

The Inherent Cycles Of Existence

Patterns Of Reality

Mission Accomplished !

Shao Yung : Pentetrating The Classics

The Luo Shu Oracle Update

Ancient And Modern Conditions In Chinese Metaphysics

Diet And Divination

The Grand Illusion ( a.k.a. The Social Structure)

One Dream Away from Paradise (Chasing The Carrot)

Update on the Luo Shu Oracle

Shao Yung : The Man And The Chart

Viewing Nature

Education

Text Judgements For "The Luo Su Oracle"

My Teachers

With Some Help From My Friends

The Luo Shu Oracle .......Table Of Contents

The Luo Shu Oracle : Penetrating The Mysteries Of 9 Ki Divination

Payin' The Piper

HAPPY LI CHUN

Get Yourself A Good Pair Of Boots

THEN AND NOW

Life Is Short --- Learn To Fly

Happy Birthday Shao Yung

Eric And Richard Tell It Like It Is

Ti And Yung Charts For Plum Blossom (Mei Hua) Part 5 Of 5

Ti And Yung Charts For Plum Blossom (Mei Hua) Part 4 Of 5

Ti And Yung Charts For Plum Blossom (Mei Hua) Part 3 Of 5

Ti And Yung Charts For Plum Blossom (Mei Hua) Part 2 Of 5

Ti And Yung Charts For Plum Blossom (Mei Hua) Part 1 Of 5

The Two-Stage Process Of Initiation And Completion

The Concepts/Theories Of Ti And Yung

Comments Option Re-connected

The Future Of Chinese Metaphysics by Eric Teoh

A Christmas Poem

Experiencing Freedom

In The Zone

Thank You Lord

The Purpose Of Life

Last Words Of A Wise Man

The Gang's All Here

Temporarily Removing The Comments Option

Everyone's A Hero

Talking With A Sage

Crazy Little Thing Called Love

Saints And Sinners

Assigning Time/Space Coordinates In Plum Blossom I Ching

Advertising And Promotion

I Ching Concerns : Repeated Questions

Knowing The Tao

A Song for Sammy

The Flaw Of Attraction

Working With The 81 Segment Luo Shu

Response To A Post

Buying An Education

Qi And Objects

I Wonder

Dust In The Wind

A Brief Discussion On The I Ching Charts

Conventional Thinking Will Cripple You

A Tale Of Li Chun

The Tao Of Luo Shu (9 Ki)

I Ching (Yijing) Insights

Interview On Penetrating The I Ching

Book Recommendations For Luo Shu Astrology

The Price For Education

Numerical Ratings For Luo Shu Astrology

Two Poems

The Rabbit

Luo Shu House Assessment Sample

Luo Shu Considerations

Blind Faith Leads To Poor Vision

Tellin' It Like It Is

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