I've been reading some interesting literature lately, ...more specifically Taoism. I've picked up a set of old books from an long friend who was moving away. They still sit in piles in boxes under my desk in my apt. I happen to pull out two to four that were of immediate interest...a double volume on crystals, and making elixirs from crystals. ...some interesting alchemy channeled by a man Gurudas ..of St. Peters account to correspondences to precious/semi-precious stones( ..it's incredibly technical, and my beginning attempts seemed useful ...but lacking a certain something.). And these other two by Benjamin Hoff "The Tao of Pooh" & "The Tei of Piglet", of which I have sunken my teeth into quite readily.
What what the books discuss through allegory and example in "Winnie the Pooh" stories of common archetypes ...illustrating as it progresses a wide range of new images to "fix" my mind to. I strongly suggest both of the Benjamin Hoff books, ..he's other ones, yet I haven't read them or possesed them yet. He's quite lirical, and has a great understanding of the subject he's writing about.
As with most philosophy books, and I have to choose the ones I read wisely, I tend to find ways to synthesize the info into new ways of dealing with everyday happenings. That combined with a great interest in Kundalini Yoga. Seems I have found a untapped fountain through an old friend whom I trust greatly, she's been my instructor in yoga for over 2.5 months now, ...and I am through the classes, and the work we are doing, drawing closer to whichever it is that is at my core.
She starts with some warm up exercises, ...in the beginning they were easier, but we are doing lots of great stuff that is very difficult in some part...working out our chakras inside a total philosophy of itself. We've seen some great progress in all of us in the recents weeks, ..I even had one of my school mates from highschool join me for several classes.
We're strengthening the lower chakras first, and it's quite a nice thing to be in able hands with a proper yogi instructor, than with the other "teachers" I have attracted in my past. Gratitude for them all, always.
I've had to keep busy any which way that I can...things on the social/personal front have taken a major shift and change of frequency and form. Even though Im out of my Hermit year, ..and into the Wheel of Fortune for Growth Cycles, Im still spending lots of time alone. I have been forgiving the past mostly within from the fall out of the past year before September. So much hardship, ...karma balancing inside the inner dimension of my experience.
Such dynamic energy...Full Moon Lunar Eclipse on the 8th of October ...it brought out some important notes on where I need to find growth and open up to possibility again. I fear I may not recognise myself though ...by this time next year. Who knows what new adventure I will be on....not a lot holding me back any more. Not my friends, or work, or family, or some days even myself.
One of the more notable anecdotes in the second book "The Tei of Piglet" ..is ability of underdog to overcome through it's own understanding of itself. That when we are able to see ourselves for what we are in our totality we can then decide to take that first step in intention towards virtues.
I haven't finished it yet, the second book..Im about half way through...yet what I am understanding is when we find true virtue, ...that is harmony with nature; we find ourselves suddenly surrounded by all the abundance we had our own cheek turned to. Maybe that's just a long way of saying, "You, don't know what you love until it's gone." ...superfluously. And still though, there's no virtue I believe in missing something that is lost. ...of course, until it's almost found again. (if ever found again at all)
I have not always really looked to virtue to for answers, ..maybe I thought to not kill, and rape, and thief, and manipulate in my my life. And anyone who knows me closely, Im not cherub stock. ...I guess I just chose some different battles this lifetime. Understanding the body(ies) I attend seems the most important part of living. Being inside virtue, ...kind of dodgy ground in todays apathetic society and masses. Just looking to get eaten if you're "too good". ha ha
I've started using this new App to log and analyze my dreams...needless to say when I spend my leaving hours of the day going over the morning recordings, ..I sometimes don't remember a thing from the images in the morning recordings of my dreams...so something that which would have been lost is found already in the first week.
Im even going as far as to when going through my writings lately to digitally log my journals, to record in the App the dreams that made it into my "morning pages". Which I admittedly am still keeping with after a year and a half. I sometimes miss a day or two over a couple weeks, and my morning ritual has changed surprisingly in a twist.
I basically have my ex's and I's last year journaled every day ...reading through it is "ridiculous" ..to say the least.
So much to tell...but really, I have to keep something for later.
These Taoism books are great, very easy to read, and giving a good synapse of the material...I think Im going to have to read the rest of his books and just see what's his end note is on his work. Getting through the "The Tei of Piglet" is an adventure I was not expecting. Let alone the first book...I am doing it out of a keen interest to just stay open (as I said earlier) to possibilities. Staying in a dimension where I can be in harmony with the environment. Taoism is all about that. ...
Less is more, ...force is friction, ..flow and be like water.
<3
