Confucianism, at its heart, is the ideal of taking the individual and the society to their highest potential. It parallels western notions of chivalry and civility. All have fallen into disfavor in modern culture.
During the social revolutions of the past, notions of decorum felt too restrictive. We questioned, rightly, everything society told us we must do. Now we have the opportunity to follow ideals of civility consciously rather than reflexively.
The Metal Element
We need the best of all our elements, but perhaps none so much as Metal at this moment in history. There is great beauty in cultivating our own Metal element. It is the part of us that chisels the raw, blunt rock into an exquisite statue.
When we look at the boorishness, anti-intellectualism, and plain meanness that we are devolving into, we have the choice, each of us, to act daily to create a better world. There are two ways we can start doing this now:
Cultivating Awe & Reverence
Perhaps the simplest way to shift our behavior is to create the habit of awe and reverence for the beauty around us. If we take a moment to hold reverence for a stately old tree, we will naturally begin to treat the environment around us with more respect. If we allow ourselves the vulnerability to sit in awe of the man or woman or child before us it will transform our relationships into greater harmony and mutual happiness.
To feel reverence = to really see someone or something
We hold reverence when we see the magnificence of the one who stands before us. It is what everything in existence craves; to be seen in truth.
The Golden Rule
This simple age-old rule has stood the test of time because it is so perfect. It guides us to practice empathy in our daily lives. If I were an elderly person standing on a crowded subway, how would I want someone to treat me?
If you already have a highly developed sense of empathy and perhaps need to be kinder to yourself, the corollary also holds: “Do unto yourself as you do unto others.”
A Balance
Civility does not mean having people run all over us. There are people who need boundaries and we can set them with finesse. Civility guides us to ask the questions “How can we structure society to increase the odds our children grow into good adults?” “How can we contain dangerous people so the rest of society is safe?” “How do we stop rewarding bad behavior in public places?”
Civility has an integral place in our daily and spiritual lives. It is time we honor the gift of the Metal Element within us.
It is Oben’s favorite year in the 12 year cycle of Chinese Astrology; the year of the dog.
General predictions
There will be a lot of change, opportunities, and hard work this year. I mean lots of hard work. Careful not to exhaust yourself. It is a good year to initiate healthy habits and schedule regular relaxation time. This is how you will best take advantage of all the good coming in while avoiding the pitfalls; like adrenal exhaustion.
Many predict issues of security and violent upheavals, but I guess every year on earth is like that. We have an opportunity to move into alignment with our higher moral character; personally and collectively. The dog, after all, represents loyalty and honesty. We can chose to make our upheavals ones of increased social justice and collective kindness.
There will obstacles, but they can be overcome with wisdom.
Earth (digestion, networks, family, stability) is greatly strengthened if you play your cards right. Wood (liver, stress) and Water (kidneys, adrenals, hormonal balance) elements are weakened if you don’t. More on that below.
Is this a good year for you?
Yes, as long as you position yourself well. Most astrologists would say 1/3 of people are doomed, 1/3 are cautiously lucky, and the rest just get more of the same, but I believe my answer is more Daoist. There is always a way to benefit. It all comes down to understanding the energies coming in and what you need to thrive. Also, the more you work on yourself and evolve, the more the positive opportunities are magnified and the troubles just minor bumps in the road.
Simplified version:
Dog = Yang Earth
It is also a Yang Earth year.
This means a lot of Earth and a lot of Yang energy coming in.
The Good = groundedness, things coming to fruition, loyalty, networking, nurturing, family (a good year for marriage)
The Bad = stuck, stubborn
Health – protect liver and kidneys (adrenals), especially if these are weak areas for you. Take advantage of strong Earth to build digestion.
Feng Shui – Include Wood and Metal elements in your environment to control the excess Earth; i.e. houseplants, declutter, decorate with green or white.
Lifestyle – set goals and regimens; wear greens, white, gray.
Detailed version:
5 Element Interactions
The Generating Cycle shows how the 5 elements build and nurture one another. When you can break down something into elements then you know how you can strengthen the part you want. For example, if you want to execute a creative project such as writing a book (a Water element trait), it helps to organize your space and materials and schedule time for the project (Metal activities).
You can also use this cycle to drain an out of control element. For example, if you are very angry (excess Wood), finding humor (Fire) will drain and transform the anger.
The Control Cycle is the natural way that the 5 elements keep each other in check. For example, a spirited motivational speaker (Wood) can mobilize someone who is stuck in a rut (Earth). Too much control is not a good thing. For example, if that motivator crosses the line into a domineering drill sargent bullying someone who doesn’t like confrontation, the control cycle becomes pathological.
In this case we have a lot of Earth energy coming in which can nourish weak Earth (stability, family, digestion) or Metal (order, righteousness, lungs), but also over control Water (movement, creativity, mystery, kidneys, urinary bladder) or drain Fire (spontaneity, fun, humor, heart, small intestine).
10 Heavenly Stems 天干 (tiāngān)
The ancient Chinese calendar was based on a 10 day week: the Yin and Yang of each of the 5 Elements. This evolved into 2 concurrent cycles of the 10 days with the 12 animals to create 60 day cycles.
They are “heavenly” in that they are also the names of the 10 suns, which are believed to have been previous worlds prior to our current one.
12 Earthly Branches 地支 (dìzhī)
The 12 animals evolved from observations of Jupiter’s movements and then the 12 months of the year. This was of course translated into the language of Yin and Yang and the 5 Elements.
The 12 animals are a mnemonic (memory) device to remember the 5 element/Yin&Yang pairings with a redundancy of the Earth element.
This year is Yang Earth + more Yang Earth.
Now that we know the elements and Yin/Yang balance of the year, we need to know where you are weak or strong in your elements so you can thrive this year.
4 Pillars of Destiny 四柱命理
This is basically your birth chart. The good news is that in Daoist philosophy, Heaven Luck (or astrology) is only 1/3 of your destiny. 1/3 is your lifestyle and 1/3 is your environment.
Each of us is our own combination of the 5 elements and Yin and Yang. We need to know what energies balance and weaken us to know how to prepare.
Yang Earth controls Water (Kidneys/Adrenals and Urinary Bladder) and can insult Wood (Liver and Gallbladder). It is a good year to strengthen the Earth element (Spleen and Stomach)
If Earth is a harmonizing element for you, take full advantage. But if it is not, you want to strengthen Wood and Metal in your life:
Time for intense and positive changes and transformation. Time to take advantage of tons of energy coming our way, and get things done. This is a big year for love and romance.
If you want a quick and positive read on what the new year has in store for you, check out this Horoscope.com post.
If you want details you will need to understand a little more. Each year provides a new matchup between the 10 Heavenly Stems and 12 Earthly Branches, and it is the alchemy between those elements, and your own, that predicts how you will fare.
The 10 Heavenly Stems (天干, tiāngān) are combinations between Yin and Yang and each of the 5 Elements:
The 12 Earthly Branches (地支, dìzhī) are the 12 animals that represent further Yin and Yang and 5 Element combinations:
Those combinations then interact with your personal birth chart, called the 4 pillars:
By andrews|2019-03-26T14:29:31+00:00January 28th, 2017|Daoism, Feng Shui, Spirituality|Comments Off on Happy Chinese New Year! Yin Fire Rooster 2017
When I would get an astrological reading it felt like I was receiving a sentencing. I was told who I was and what was in store with no chance for negotiation. It wasn’t until I began studying Daoism as part of my Chinese medical training, that I was able to embrace it. Ancient Chinese culture also had its rich history of astrology, but being a culture accustomed to adversity, they figured out how to outsmart heaven down to the percentage point.
Daoist master Mantak Chia, well known in the West for his work on Daoist sexual practices, laid out how to mitigate any undesirable shenanigans of the stars during the introduction during his course on Chinese Astrology. He wanted us to understand what our options were before we could feel confined. There are 3 types of luck: Heaven luck, Human luck, and Earth luck.
Heaven luck pertains to the movement of the stars and planets, all of which are beyond our control but constantly exert influence over our lives. The time we are born sets a certain course for our lives, and it is helpful to time our activities to work with the movements of heaven. But, this is only 33% of what happens to us.
Earth luck our physical environment; things like our geography, the quality of our water, etc. Feng shui is the Daoist system to assess and create the most supportive environment for our who we are and what we want to accomplish. Feng shui takes into account your astrology, the astrology of the home, the climate, the flow of the neighborhood, the materials the home is built out of, etc. and offers ways to play up the good and mitigate the bad. This is the second 33% of what happens to you and it is within your free will.
Finally Human luck is your personal development. It is entirely your choice. This is where nutrition, lifestyle choices and self-care choices come into play. Acupuncture, herbal medicine, massage…all of these build body’s strength. Chinese facial Diagnosis (Mien Shiang) allows us to see our innate gifts and challenges as they evolve in real time. Qigong and tai chi were developed to maximize our Human luck potential. This comprises the final 33%.
So your free will outnumbers your destiny 2 to 1. This is a good thing or a bad thing depending on how proactive you are and how the heavens choose to shine on you.
I admit I was a little sad to wake up this morning to one single (albeit beautiful) flowering orchid after we attended the Redlands Orchid Festival yesterday. She was a phalaenopsis hybrid that was too good a deal to pass up. After the Tamiami Orchid Show, Dr. Judith Andrews and I came home with a dozen flowering plants. This time we knew the plants we wanted and that we could get a lot more of them if we purchased bare root plants.
Aerides odorata with new root growth and flower spike.
Bare root plants are usually found in bins at orchid shows for a steal compared to the price if they were potted. They look half dead and unappealing, but with a little TLC they spring back to life. The above Aerides was a bare root cutting I purchased 2 months ago from Robert Palmer Nursery. Even after being abused (I put her in high sun and burned her leaves) she has significant new root growth and a flower spike.
We went to the show with a plan: better plants, long term blooming, and more of them. The problem is, bare rooted plants don’t always thrive. I have already learned to repot every orchid I acquire. For phalaenopsis and paphiopediliums I use fine coconut fiber, fine orchid fir bark, stalite, and sponge rock. For cattleyas, oncidiums, and dendrobiums I use a mix of stalite, sponge rock, coconut chips & charcoal. I have nearly lost several plants after believing vendors who say,”You don’t have to worry about repotting for 1-2 years.” That may be true in other climates, but in South Florida (or any wet climate) sphagnum moss or regular tree bark can turn orchid roots to mush in a matter of weeks. Orchid vendors pot their orchids to endure neglect and survive, not to thrive in home orchid collections.
Southwest Florida Orchid Society president Barb Murza advised us on how to treat bare root orchids. She explained that they have been through a lot of abuse. They have been shipped from other countries and jostled around. They endure cuts and broken roots leaving them wide open for fungal infections that can wipe them out. She recommends treatment with a systemic fungicide such as Aliete. Further, many successful growers soak any orchid they are repotting (bare root or established) and their growing media in a combination of fungicide, Super Thrive, and fertilizer.
Some of my favorite orchids are the cascading dendrobiums of the dendrobium, callista, and phalaenopsis sub groups. These display true Fire (startling and fun) and Water (drama and romance) qualities. I began growing orchids last October and I want to share my mistakes so others can avoid them.
Mistake #1: Dendrobium Phalaenopsis Doesn’t Like Cold!
I assumed all dendrobiums could handle the minor cold in southwest Florida. However, this is not true for D. phalaenopsis. These hybrids use plants growing in Australia and Papua New Guinea where temperatures do not get below 50-55° F. I am unclear whether or not I have a Dendrobium biggibum which is even less cold tolerant (min 60°) and looks almost identical.
I left my poor plant outside in the cold this winter (it dipped down to 40°). She lost all her leaves. This year she sent up 1 new shoot and a keiki (from the stress).
I have 2 other D. phalaenopsis that wintered indoors because they were flowering. They have 2-3 new growths and no keikis. However, they have started to lose their leaves on the old stalks anyways. Apparently this is what happens. This plant does not grow into a specimen plant.
Mistake #2: Do Not Allow the Stems of Dendrobium Anosmum to Sunburn or the Stems Will Die
I was very upset to see that one of my favorite plants, a D. anosmum with lovely lavender flowers looked near death. Experts at the Southwest Florida Orchid Society questioned watering, sun, and media, but I couldn’t figure it out. I observed them more intensively and it finally dawned on me what I had done. I mistakenly placed my Dendrobium anosmums in almost full sun this winter because that is what my Dendrobium nobile and lindleyi seemed to like. I then moved them to the area we grow our cattleyas in the spring. The plants flowered but then showed signs of stress. The first picture shows a D. anosmum var. alba I purchased already flowering that I never put in full sun. It has both strong growth from the base and keikis. This is my healthy model.
The second picture shows a lavender variety D. anosmum. All her stems were sunburned. They yellowed, shriveled at the base, and stopped supporting growth at the ends. There is no new growth yet, but a desperate profusion of keikis.
The third picture shows another D. anosmum var. alba (I think they are more rigorous). The stem that was sunburnt dropped its buds and produced keikis. The stem that wasn’t flowered well and then sprouted new growth from the root close to that stem.
According to culture sheets these also do not like to get below 50°, although that did not affect flowering or health on unburnt stems. I am attempting to rehabilitate my beloved plant. Hopefully this saves other plants out there from the same fate.
Feng Shui is the Daoist practice of modifying our living and working space to harmonize our environment with our personality. According to Mian Shiang and Feng Shui expert Patrician McCarthy, the flat, swampy lands of Florida have an excess of Water and Earth element. Those with a great deal of Water and Earth will feel at ease. Other element types will feel stuck in the mud and crave order and movement. I was not surprised to find that bonsai and orchids, both very Metal hobbies, are incredibly popular in Florida. Bonsai specifically is the antithesis of the sprawling disordered growth natural to the tropics.
Having bonsai pieces in your home, garden, and work space will bring significant Metal element into your life; adding such qualities as purity, refinement, order, high standards, quality, and clarity. These can be placed throughout your space and particularly in the West and Northwest directions (Metal areas of the bagua). For example, perhaps your thinking has gotten muddy or you want to attract a higher quality of people into your life. Better than simply buying bonsai, taking up bonsai as a practice is immensely therapeutic for those craving a little Metal.
My mom, acupuncturist, and master gardener, Dr. Judith Andrews, DAOM, L.Ac. went to a class on African Flat Top and Pierneef (a rounder style) tropical bonsai. This style was created by South African bonsai artists imitating the natural growth of native acacias.
African acacia tree; the inspiration for the African Flat Top bonsai style.
Judith begins with a pre-bonsai; a beautiful little Brazilian Raintree. Trees such as acacia, raintree, tamarind, and Jamaican ebony lend themselves to this style. Their small round leaves growing on straight branches easily create straight lines. Brazilian raintrees also develop thick, tortuous, and mottled bark over time when their sudden growth spurts break their bark.
Baby Brazilian Raintree Pre-Bonsai
Slab wired for bonsai. Slab made by master potter Barbara Murza.
Tree is defoliated, wired, and now Judith removes dirt and extra roots.
She removes 70% of the leaves with her fingers. She runs two wires through her bonsai slab (flat pot) in order to secure the tree. Then she removes the dirt and excess roots. Her teacher, bonsai artist Mike Lane (at Wygert’s Bonsai), creates a “pot” on the slab by making a moat out of muck (half soil, half spagnum moss). A fast draining bonsai soil mix is added, after which the tree is wired in place. Tropical bonsai was adapted to handle the climate and variety of trees that grow in hot, humid regions which require a departure from the traditional northern bonsai practices. The materials must weather daily monsoon rains in the summer, for example.
Bonsai artist Michael Lane creates a “pot” out of muck on the slab.
Wiring bonsai tree in place.
Finished African Flat Top bonsai.
The tree, slab and all, are immersed in Superthrive for 5 minutes, followed by more soil, fertilizer, and a top coat of muck. The final tree must now rest in the shade for two weeks. She will then be placed in full sun and receive daily watering. It will take several years for this little tree to develop the clear flat canopy of the African style and the thick mottled trunk characteristic of mature raintrees, but it is this process of refinement and artistry that builds the Metal element within us.
Erik Wygert’s mature Pierneef Brazilian raintree bonsai.
By andrews|2019-03-26T14:29:32+00:00April 25th, 2016|Feng Shui|Comments Off on Feng Shui – Adding Metal Element to Your Home Tropical Bonsai
