Lately I like to appreciate the Taiji of Line and Circle.
Bat and Ball games give us the Great lessons if we’re paying ample attention.
Any Dimension is available for your Quantum Extension.
Author: chibotaichi
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New-Moon Solar-Eclipse Notes
The coming New Moon in the 30th and final (the so-called “Anaretic”) degree of Aries carries with it the culmination
of all that Aries is purported to represent and signify. The anaretic degrees are often said to be loaded with extra
potency, almost like a dignified ambassador of the entire sign. As Aries is the initial sign of the Zodiac, the
Cardinal Fire which ignites experience, this New Moon has the potential to serve as a powerful impulse or spark to
launch us into whatever endeavors and adventures are next.This New Moon is also of added significance, featuring as a Solar Eclipse, when the light from the Sun is obscured
by the body of the Moon. Infusing some Cosmic humor to the mix, when the Moon obscures the Sun as an eclipse,
there is often an emphasis or heightened relevance of the Past, which is especially fitting, given that both Mercury
AND Pluto are set to station retrograde in the days following the New Moon in Aries. The juxtaposition of
Forward and Backward, Past and Future, makes this astrological phenomenon particularly curious and ripe for contemplation and possibly confusion!Shortly after the New Moon Solar Eclipse, the Sun enters Taurus on April 20 and it will be promptly greeted with a potentially-tense alignment from Pluto in Aquarius as the small-but-significant planet at the outskirts
prepares to station retrograde on May 1.On April 21, Mercury will officially station for its retrograde phase in the 16th degree of Taurus.
Mercury’s retrograde phase needn’t be a period of doom.
It often indicates a period when the Past (both Micro and Macro) may be more relevant or apparent;
when the Internal realms may be more significant and noticeable;
when fixity and structure may give way to plasticity and fluidity.
It is a time which affords opportunities, as well as potential challenges.The Quarter Moon in Leo on April 27 may be especially useful as a time to check in with ourselves
as it sets the stage for the next major wave of events.The aforementioned retrograde station of Pluto on May 1 will promptly be punctuated by an exact opposition
from asteroid Pallas moving into the sign of Leo. Being another affiliate or frequency of the Masculine Function,
Pallas may bring awareness to our experiences or memories of actions supported or stifled, of our relationships to
Male bodies and Masculine personalities, and how those experiences give us a taste of the power-dynamics
which are largely the domain of Pluto (a co-ruler of Scorpio, along with Mars).Mars’ primary rulership is Aries, and given that this eclipse cycle will begin in the anaretic degree of Aries,
Mars may be activated or prominent for many of us during the coming weeks.
At the time of the last Full Moon (April 5), Mercury was precisely aligned with Mars in the 6th degree of
Taurus and Cancer, respectively, and as this eclipse gives way to Mercury’s retrograde phase there may be added resonance to our experience of the Mars-laden dynamics of Life.At the time of the actual New Moon lunation, in Minneapolis, Ceres will feature near the MC opposing Neptune,
which will be in a nearly exact conjunction with the IC.
Both Neptune and Ceres carry resonance with the Feminine Function and can be thought of as octaves of Venus, and with Venus on the Descendant at the time of the New Moon Solar Eclipse, there may be a distinct shift from
Masculine to Feminine emphasis in the local experience as we shift into this eclipse cycle. -
That’s TaiChi
Simply stated, TaiChi is the deeply pervasive principle of our Reality which we call Relativity. YinYang is another way to refer to this Relativity. TaiChi is everywhere we could bother to look, and is even operating at the level of our very capacity for looking in the first place.
The more we try to apply YinYang as a method for defining our experience, the more we lose our grasp on the true reality of our experience. Everytime we try to pin down reality into a fixed-state or description, TaiChi functions to flip the script. Yin begets Yang, begets Yin again. TaiChi is present in the very process of reality unfolding.
YinYang hiding within itself, suggests the Tao Te Ching. No thing is merely as it seems, in Truth. Quality and Function are in a polarized mutuality. To be diametrically-opposed is to be inextricably linked.
That’s TaiChi, too.
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What is Kirtan?
Kirtan comes from the root Kirt, which can be literally translated as recite, narrate, describe, mention, etc. However, in its more colloquial use, Kirtan refers to the practice of call-and-response chanting or singing.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
Strictly speaking, this Practice is at its most effective when you don’t know much about the “meaning” of the words; when your Mind cannot DO anything with the content. Kirtan affords you a reprieve from the incessant internal-monologue of the Mind. If you notice words in your Mind which you understand, then you can rest assured that you have lost focus on the mantra and return to the chant. Kirtan is an opportunity to be free from sense-making, as you drop into a more purely-sensorial experience. In this capacity, it functions in a manner similar to many other well-known forms of meditation.
In a more traditional sense Kirtan is a chance for those who are not shy about embracing their inclination toward the Divine to directly offer praise and gratitude; to reach out for and feel connection with the Transcendent. Kirtan is a mainstay on the path of Bhakti-Yoga, the Yoga of Devotion. Various sects in India and throughout the world may focus that devotional energy on a specific aspect of the Divine, but as a Practice, Kirtan is not limited to any particular denomination or dogmas.
Ultimately, however, more than anything else, Kirtan is a dialogue with Love. Imagine the person (or Beings) you wish you could to talk to more than anyone or anything else in the entire Multiverse, across all dimensions of Space and Time, and treat Kirtan as an opportunity to speak to them; directly. Tell them, through the various Mantra presented, exactly what it is you wish to say. And, perhaps more importantly, allow yourself to Listen for the reply.
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Old News
Back in August of 2019 I had the delight of sharing a conversation on a podcast. I drank way too much coffee beforehand, and I honestly don’t recall much of what we discussed, although I know we delved into language, the practice of kirtan, and religion in varying degrees. In lieu of any other posts recently, I thought I’d share this here. Enjoy, if you dare!
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Find Center
Before you proclaim to have found your Center, be clear with yourself:
Have you found YOUR Center?
Have you found THE Center?
Have you merely found A Center?
You may discover an Orbital Center- a point, tangible or not, around which revolution occurs. Your whole body, or a specific body part, may be an actor in revolving around a point.
You may discover a Geometric Center- a point, tangible or not, which is equally distant from two other points (again, tangible or not). In this context, there must be defined boundaries: No Edges, No Center.
You may recognize a Mutual Center- a point, tangible or not, which is both the mid-point between two defined edges as well the point around which orbital activity occurs.
Finding and knowing your Center requires, understanding the full Nature, and variety, of Centers.
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TaiChi Encourages Epistemic Humility
What do You see?
What does He see?
What do We know?TaiChi as a principle implies polarity across all dimensions.
There is always, it would seem, a plane or a point you cannot see.
If your attenion is focalized anywhere, something will be obscured from you.
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Prana and Qi
How do Chakras relate to DanTian? Do TaiChi movements help balance the Chakras?
Strictly speaking, these ideas are built upon completely different systems of energetic anatomy.
They can be regarded as similar (to the extent that they are) but they are equally distinct.Chakra is a Sanskrit term, commonly translated as “Wheel”, and in the tradition of Ayurveda is used to describe spinning wheels of Prana (the Ayurvedic term for Vital-Energy).
The seven primary Chakras are located along the spine, and more or less correspond to various nerve-plexes or glandular-organs in the body.DanTian is a Chinese term, sometimes translated as “Elixir Field”, and in the context of Traditional Chinese Medicine is usually a reference to three “storehouses” of Qi (The TCM term for Vital-Energy), or The “Three Treasures”.
The lower DanTian holds Jing, the original essence of the body.
The middle DanTian holds Qi, the energy available through breath and food.
The upper DanTian holds Shen, the spiritual power and wisdom.
This is not an accurate depiction of the Chakras and DanTians, but rather just a rough illustration of how the differing energetic anatomies relate.
The lower DanTian is “located” similarly to the second (Sacral) Chakra, but also accounts for many of the qualities associated with the first (Root) Chakra and third (Solar Plexus) Chakra.
The middle DanTian is similarly located to the fourth (Heart) Chakra, but also shares characteristics with the third and fifth Chakra.
The upper DanTian is essentially located at the sixth (Third Eye) Chakra, but shares qualities with the fifth and seventh (Crown) Chakras.One key thing these systems do share is a relational-wellness, or holistic dimension.
If any of the primary Chakras is operating in a dysfunctional manner,
it will have an impact on the others as well as the overall health of the Pranic and physical body.
Likewise, if one of the primary DanTian is not in an optimal state, the others will be affected
and the overall functioning of Qi will be compromised.The practice of TaiChi Ch’uan or Qigong is well suited for influencing and interacting with the DanTian and pathways of Qi, known as Meridians.
The many methods and numerous practices which fall under the umbrella of TaiChi were developed with the particular nuance and nature of Qi as a focal point.
The physical practices of Yoga are rooted in Ayurveda, and as such are steeped in the specific perspective of Prana, including Chakras, Marma (Pranic Doorways), and Nadis (Pranic pathways).Practicing Yoga can have an effect on Qi, the DanTians, and the Meridians.
Practicing TaiChi can have an effect on Prana, Marma, and Nadis.Ultimately, it is your intent as the practitioner which will determine the most apparent effects you experience.
If your mind is attuned to a Pranic or Chakra-based perspective, then you will more readily detect the effect of your practice on that system. If your focus is on Qi and the Meridians, you will be more likely to notice the effect your practice has on them.
The distinct energetic anatomies of both Ayurveda and TCM are operative in the human body.
Though the energy systems are equally accessible with various practices, the traditions of each have been built with their particular energy-framework in mind. -
Longitudinal Epiphany
The value of Longitudinal Epiphanies (“discoveries that can only be made by walking the same path again and again”) is blatantly acknowledged by many of the Philosophies of Mind/Body.
Repetitiousness is boring to most people because the brain craves novel experiences. Others find repetitiousness comforting; the predictability of anything is a relief given the apparent chaos of the world.
Leaning to either tendency is perhaps natural, though in a sense less than ideal. To be trapped in the perceived-misery of perceived-monotony and to be caught in the desperate drive to escape them is a similar dilemma.
It has been said that the distinction between a Routine and a Ritual is that, while Routine tends to stagnate or drain Energy, Ritual builds and cultivates Energy.
The line between these can be blurry, no doubt.
But if we can transcend the privilege of our petty boredom, if we can embrace repetitiousness, we may realize that the novelty we seek has been waiting right where we left it. When we are less obsessed with the repetitiveness of an action or routine, and pay attention to the inner-experience we are having, we can discover a rich and perpetually novel circumstance which is inherently refreshed with every iteration.
You cannot enter the same river twice. You cannot repeat a breath. And only by breathing constantly, by stepping into the river repeatedly, can you truly experience how much change is incessantly unfolding.
Yin-Yang-Yoga 