Monday, 12 July 2021
Yin-Yang Context
For many years I’ve talked about mental health and metaphysical ailments. When I say mental health, I’m talking about meditation and mindfulness exercises. A friend, Rick (not name), many years ago mentioned the world went into 20-year cycles of yin-yang.
So, what did Rick mean when he said yin-yang and 20-year cycles? Imagine for a moment that yin and yang are characteristics – not hard since this is partly what the symbol is trying to represent. You know, the dichotomies of natural forces, each with its unique attributes and the gentle transition between the two.
It’s much like day and night. These are the most appropriate for Rick’s statement of bi-decade cycles. Day and night have distinct characteristics; however, to transition from day to night, we need to pass through dusk. Likewise, to move from night into the day, we need to pass through dawn.
For anyone, who has done an all-nighter or woken before dawn to see to sunrise, there’s not an exact “aha” moment to point to when the sky is bright, even if you sense and can see the gentle graduation of light.
Of course, there’s sunrise and sunset to mark specific times when the sun crosses the horizon in respective locations. The yin-yang cycles work in much the same way with the years.
Rick mentioned his observations were that the even decades were typically the yin peaks amid yang dominance. For instance, the ’60s had the Vietnam war; war is a very yang energy, but at its peak was the hippie movement, which he considered very yin.
The Dusk & Dawn of Yin-Yang
In the dusk and dawn analogy, the peak of hippie and war was midnight and midday (figuratively speaking) of the 20-year yang cycle. He likened these moment years and the odd decades were like the yang’s turn – but not exactly. The peaks got offset by a couple of years from the turn of the decade, 1963 (maybe) to Rick’s mind.
It might be observing the 20-year cycles at the height of their popularity, works like this: the 60s had eccentric hippies, peace, and beans, leading to the 70s of finally ending the Vietnamese war.
The 80s were about flamboyance, which led to a financial market recession, and there were arguably many psychic fairs and self-help gurus about – at least, around where I lived. Following the 80s, exuberance was the lean, mean 90s, self-help morphed into management and leadership books, and the home computer age was born.
In the naughties (the 00s), we were back to healthy eating and living and recreational drug used seemed to be more a hot topic, and by the mid-10s travel, fitness was back but in a more rounded approach. Now we hit the 2020’s, and subtle signs indicate we’re heading back into a yin cycle, prompted in no small way by COVID-19 to look at our mental health and looking at our inner selves.
Supporting Rick's Hypothesis
To support Rick’s observations, I searched the Internet and came up empty-handed. There is nothing but fortune-telling games and the sexagenary (60-year Chinese Astrology year cycles). The Chinese Astrology uses 60-year cycles, and within these, there are 20-year branches but nothing to hint at Rick’s hypothesis.
Yin-Yang for Today
So, what has this got to do with my day? Lately, I’ve been talking about tarot, mental health, mindfulness, meditation, and intuition more than I have in a long time. All that self-reflection and self-help and analysis ring true for a while, then people get sick of hearing about it, and it goes off the boil.
It’s not because they don’t like the topic or eschew it – although there are some; it’s like the market for this type of knowledge reaches a tipping point. And as suddenly as it seemed to have arrived, it goes away. Like after a sleep where you know you’ve dreamt but don’t quite remember how you got to sleep.
People needed time to assimilate the new information, plus other more physical concerns began to take over. Then that too reached its peak, and people sought something with more meaning and depth. And the cycle starts again with a yawn.
Like a person who wakes up but isn’t sure they want to talk to anyone just yet, but at some point, most likely after a cup of coffee, talking happens. Talking is almost an act of courage by this point, but once you get going, nothing can stop you!
I raise the yin-yang cycle because the aspect of my life, without prompting, is being discussed once again, which is what happened today at work. The yin has subtly been reawakening, but we’re beginning to see its light over the horizon.
Today's Cards
Yin-Yang Analysis
Carryover Cards
No cards carried over from yesterday.
Cross
Intensity is in the Now influenced by Slowing Down. The Goal of the day is Schizophrenia. The Master sits comfortably in the middle of the layout in the Distant Past position and has loaned his energy to the more Recent Past to give it Courage to pursue intensely. From the Intensity of Now to the Future Energy of Awareness.
Briefly, Intensity is the energy behind rekindling an old flame, talking about some of the psychic moments of my past. The topic arose after a “Slowing Down” period, where I caught up with a colleague, and the discussion came about naturally.
To talk or not to talk about having psychic moments was the question today (Schizophrenia), and to talk about those moments took Courage. Later in the day, the Awareness of the yin cycle returning began to take hold.
Base
The current phase is Exhaustion. My Feelings are that I’m exhausted from exerting myself without tapping into something more fun, something that will bring me back to enthusiasm.
Others’ Views are that I’m delaying (Postponement) doing what I love doing.
Contrary to Others’ Views, my inner Hopes & Fears reflect I’m comparing myself with others (Comparison), or I fear I am coming up short. My hope is the comparison shows me progressing favourably.
The Outcome shows Laziness, and this might just prove the Others’ Views right. In that, by postponing it, things I’ve worked hard to build might start crumbling or falling behind.
References
- Osho, Osho Zen Tarot – The Transcendental Game of Zen, St Martin’s Press, ISBN 0-312-11733-7
