In the preface of one of my favorite books The Complete I Ching, Master Alfred Huang recounts his experience of spending twenty-two years of confinement in prison saying “ As I saw the the situation of my country deteriorating, my heart became lighter. I knew after the long darkness there would be a dawn. When the darkness grew darker and darker, the dawn drew closer and closer.”
How can one’s heart become lighter as the days seem to grow darker? The wisdom of the I Ching tells us that when things reach their extreme they must alternate to their opposite. It is always darkest before the dawn.
At the IFSA conference in Singapore this past November, many speakers urged vigilance and caution as the ruling hexagram for the Metal Rat year is #36 Darkening of the Light which portends dark and turbulent times. There was a consensus that this year would be challenging and indeed dark times are now upon us.
People have asked me in the last couple of weeks if those with knowledge in Chinese Metaphysics knew that these challenging days were coming and my answer has been, to a large degree yes. In fact, every master I have studied with has been saying since 2016 that a massive financial crisis was due to arrive as we entered a five year cycle dominated by water which began with the Earth Pig year in 2019.
Water represents both darkness and danger and it takes away optimism and what market watchers call consumer confidence. A global pandemic as the catalyst for these economic disruptions while harder to see can also be understood given the timing of its inception.
COVID-19 is so named because it originated in 2019 during the final months of the Earth Pig year. Earth Pig is earth over water, earth and water together create contamination so communicable diseases were a likelihood that was also warned of for the Pig Year.
The COVID-19 illness emerged during the cusp period at the end of the Pig year in the month of the Rat when the current Metal Rat year ‘ascended’ or began to make its energetic presence felt strongly. The energy of the Metal Rat is metal which represents the lungs, and yin water which is like water vapor or mist. Yin water represents both a mode of transmission in water vapor as well as fluid affecting the lungs. With a lack of fire in this five year cycle and particularly in this strong metal and water year it means that the illness is fueled by this energy and hard to cure and control.
The question everyone wants to know is when will things improve and Chinese Metaphysics can offer some insights on this as well. In the short term we may see some improvements as early as next month as the strong Earth in the Dragon can help to control the strong water. However, it won’t be until the month of the Snake in May which brings fire of the summer season that we have a real chance to turn the corner on this pandemic.
The season of fire may offer some relief and an opportunity if circumstances are well managed to get gain the upper hand. However, the seasons of metal and water, fall and winter respectively, may be a time when another wave of illness is experienced as we are still in the Metal Rat year and the ruling hexagram Darkening of the Light is still the prevailing energy of the year. Next year is also devoid of fire so there is also a strong possibility that this illness may linger into the year of the Ox in 2021.
What is most important to convey about this information is that Chinese Metaphysics can offer tremendous insight about the energy of the conditions around us but it cannot predict how we will behave nor the power of the human spirit and will to affect our reality.
The outcomes of our current crisis are in large part a matter of human action and we must remember that what we do or don’t do has tremendous power to shape the trajectory of this pandemic. We must all take personal responsibility for how we behave and respond to one another. We must know and understand that it is ultimately our human luck that will have the greatest impact on this set of circumstances.
We can also remember that fire element which is so very needed during this time is also the element of spirituality. If you don’t already have a regular spiritual practice, this is an ideal time to connect to a higher power and to cultivate your inner flame which can provide a light for your path.
We should use this time wisely and make the most of this opportunity for rest, reflection, learning, growth, and self cultivation on so many levels so that when we emerge we will be stronger and ready to thrive in our new reality.
These are dark times but we must remember that the tide must inevitably turn and brighter days will come. The light may be hidden but it is not gone.
In the meantime, please, stay home, and stay well.