Hi friends,
A warm welcome to this week in the cycle of time, especially to all the mamas and mama figures out there in the world! Happy Mothers Day. I hope you were celebrated and honored for all you do, and that you were able to receive it and assimilate it into your body.
For everyone-how did last week’s Gate of Receiving and Taurus new moon energy treat you? I again took the assignment quite seriously. I went to the botanical garden and allowed myself to receive the abundant beauty of flowers. The fertile new moon felt quite literal in the insectarium, where my daughter and I watched rhinoceros beetles and tons of other bugs engage in the wild orgies of spring.
Last week, I also allowed myself to receive some great bodywork, which felt so necessary after my season of sickness. I got some deep tissue massage, and in my sleepy-massage mental state I had the sensation that I was a lump of clay being molded into a new version of myself. Last week, like I mentioned, the sun was transiting through the most Yin gate in the entire I’Ching, so this felt really appropriate. I just finished a qigong class before recording this, and my teacher reminded me that “You are not supposed to find yourself within yin. Yin is chaos, darkness, the place where you dissolve”. So my lump of clay feeling was right on cue :)
Other times in the week of receiving, however, I felt quite depressed, slow in my body, exhausted. The feeling of formlessness, of not being able to find myself within the yin last week was really palpable for me, and within that I felt a deep desire to find myself, to be seen, to be found, to not dissolve or be invisible. My teacher today referenced the fine line between surrendering and collapsing when it comes to the yin field, and that really helped me see what was going on clearly. Surrender is anything but easy. to do! How did this earthy yin energy show up in your life? Let me know in the comments.
This week is a little more active, a little more edging toward yang and fire and inserting ourselves into the world. But we’re still in a lot of earth energy with Taurus season, so the action and thoughts this week are coming from a grounded place, out of deep reserves of internal yin power.
This week’s highlights:
We’re moving into the season of Fire in both the Indigenous Medicine Wheel and the Taoist Wuxing Cycle, transitioning from the Spring elements of Earth in the Medicine Wheel and Wood in the Wuxing Cycle.
It’s the final week of Taurus Season- what has changed over the past month?
Human Design/I’Ching:
We start the week in Gate 23, the Gate of Assimilation or “Splitting Apart”. (This is the same Gate where Uranus met up with Jupiter a few weeks ago, so it might sound familiar!)
Then, on Wednesday, the sun transits into Gate 8: Contribution or “Holding Together”, the last gate of Taurus before moving into Gemini
This week’s themes:
Distilling complexity into understanding
Trusting your inner wisdom during times of change
Be a rebel with a cause, an influencer with a purpose
Free your mind (and the rest will follow)
Our Place in the Wheel of the Year
Medicine Wheel Direction: East > South
Wuxing Cycle Element: Wood > Fire
Pagan Season: Beltane
Zodiac Season: Taurus (April 19-May 20)
Moon Phase: Waxing
I Ching Hexagram/Human Design Gates: 23 (May 10-14) and 8 (May 15-20)
23 = Mountain over Earth (“Splitting Apart”) or The Gate of ASSIMILATION
8 = Earth (“Holding Together”) or The Gate of CONTRIBUTION
Different Versions of Elemental Wisdom
I wanted to start out chatting a little bit about the Elements and how they are attributed to each season, within the different systems of thought that we talk about here on the Cycles of Time.
Most all of the systems include some reference to the elements, and they are slightly different from each other, which makes it fun to ponder the correlations of how different elemental realms show up in each season of the year.
I mentioned earlier that we are moving into the season of Fire in both the Medicine Wheel and the Taoist Wuxing Cycle. This is partly true, but I wanted to mention that there are many versions of the Medicine Wheel that vary depending on the specific region or tribe. The orientation of the beginning and ending of the seasons differs between the wheels- some show the season of spring, correlated with the east, beginning at spring equinox and ending at summer solstice, while others show Spring Equinox as the middle of the spring season and direction east, ending around the cross quarter day between the Equinox and the Solstice.
There are as many versions as there are locations, as the symbolism reflects the seasons of the earth in the specific regions where the ritual is practiced. There is no one right way, and we must remember that all of these systems function in a nonlinear, phase-based and location-based way. I explain them week-by-week in a generalized way, but there is always room for flow, change, and personal interpretation. It’s important to mention, too, that these elements and symbolisms may be showing up in the external world in one way, while in our bodies they might be showing up differently.
It’s important to remember that these systems of thought are all maps of how we as humans connect to the seasons, the earth, and the cosmos. They are maps, not the actual territory. The elements and the symbolism behind each of the systems of thought we talk about here are related to each other through a constant flow of changing energy, never a sum of stagnant pieces. My qigong teacher Jaye today also mentioned that the motions of qigong, like the flow of the seasons, never stop, and are never isolated. Like a calligraphy pen writing, we must always be in motion, or else a blob of ink will leak out. The beauty is in the motion, and all of the phases ebb and flow between eachother.
So when it comes to associating elements with seasons, there are many maps for the territory, and many ways to attribute conditions of the elements to the season. In some versions of the Medicine Wheel, fire is attributed to the south, which corresponds with summer and youth, while in other versions, fire is associated with east, spring and childhood or north, winter, and adulthood! In the Siberian Shamanic Medicine wheel, fire is the south, the time of summer, which corresponds with the Chinese Daoist system. I think of fire as something that spreads outward, definitely when things are alive, so I mention being in the beginning of fire-time right now as the weather warms up, but know that there are many maps, and many ways to consider the elements within each season.
How is the last week of Taurus different from the first?
Here we are at the last of the 6 gates of Taurus season, already. I can hardly describe how fun it is to live the year through meanings of the ancient Chinese system of 64 hexagrams within the context of the more familiar (to me) ancient Babylonian/Sumerian/Greek system of 12 Zodiac Signs.
As the sun transits across the ecliptic each year and through each of the 12 Zodiac Signs, it also transits through the 64 Hexagrams of the I’Ching (aka ‘Gates’ in the Human Design system.) There are 5-6 Gates/Hexagrams per Zodiac Sign, and the sun transits through each one for about 5.5 days each.
I like to look at each gate that the sun transits through as a unique phase of the year or ‘micro-season’. The wisdom of each Gate is filled with beautiful insights about living life in harmony with other people, the natural world, and cycles of change.
The similarities between these ancient systems of thought, the I’Ching and the Zodiac, in the context of the wheel of the year, are quite incredible.
This real-time study of mine has been an intellectually stimulating research project for sure. But I’ve been truly surprised for how walking the wheel this way, forming a relationship with these seasons and ‘micro seasons’, has made me feel so grounded into the present moment as well. It’s a practice that is helping me connect these ancient myths with the feelings in my body with the things that are happening with the plants and weather in the world around me. It’s so cool.
I’m all about embodiment as the best teacher, and it has been so beautiful to utilize these ancient prompts and symbols to tap into that way of learning about beautiful mama Earth’s cycles.
The first gate that’s fully in Taurus season was the Gate of Care, followed by the Gate of Rationalization, about returning to your own self. Then we transited through the Gate of Receiving, about being open to gifts from the world around us. The next gate was about assimilating these gifts together from deep inside and far outside - the gifts that arise from both our internal worlds and external worlds. Our final gate of the season of the bull is Contribution, which is about being our authentic selves and collaborating with others in order to make a contribution to the larger world.
I love the arc of this Taurus season story, which to me shows the multifaceted nature of the bull archetype very well. Relaxing into the season of late spring, settling into the earth, receiving care, being grounded with ourselves. Then, once we’ve settled into our own inner worlds and allowed ourselves to receive from what is in the world around us, we can then join our authentic selves with others to make a powerful contribution. From the symbol of the sitting bull in the meadow to the double oxen pulling a cart to till the fields, the gates of the I’Ching and Human Design show up quite clearly in relation to the Zodiac!
How have the energies of ordering, care, rest, receiving, assimilation and contribution shown up for you this Taurus season? How did Taurus season compare to Aries season? I’d love to walk the wheel with you and learn how they resonate in your life 😘
Gate 23: Assimilation
Hexagram 23, also known as “Splitting Apart” or “Po” represents a time of decay, separation, and disintegration. It is known as the Gate of Assimilation in Human Design, and a person with this gate in their chart signifies the ability to bring together these disparate and complex parts into an understandable whole. The archetype of this gate is also called The Translator.
Mountain Over Earth: The image of the hexagram is a mountain resting on the earth, symbolizing the need to remain grounded and centered during times of change and upheaval.
Decay and Separation: Hexagram 23 is associated with the idea of things falling apart, decay, and separation. This can manifest in various aspects of life, such as relationships, jobs, or even one’s sense of identity.
Letting Go: The hexagram suggests that it’s essential to let go of things that are no longer serving you or holding you back. This can be a difficult but necessary process, as it allows for new growth and opportunities to emerge
Generosity and Humility: The I Ching advises generosity and humility during this period, as it’s essential to acknowledge the impermanence of things and be willing to release attachments.
Inner Wisdom: Hexagram 23 encourages us to trust our inner wisdom and intuition, as it’s a time to listen to our inner voice and make decisions that align with our true nature.
Transformation and Renewal: Ultimately, Hexagram 23 represents a transformative period, where old patterns and structures are breaking down to make way for new beginnings and renewal.
In summary, Hexagram 23 “Splitting Apart” is a reminder to let go of what’s no longer serving us, remain grounded and centered, and trust our inner wisdom during times of change and transformation.
Gate 8: Contribution
Hexagram 8, also known as “Holding Together” or “Union” represents the concept of unity, cooperation, and harmony between two or more entities. In Human Design, it is known as the Gate of Contribution, and it encourages individuals to make a positive impact on the world by being their authentic selves. The Human Design interpretation is more focused on the individual, while the I’Ching is more focused on working with others, but both are about contributing to the greater whole.
Gate 8 is also known as the Gate of the Influencer, which I think is quite perfect for this week. Last week’s highly publicized images of celebrity fashion from the Met Gala, in contrast with the images of the genocide in Gaza, spurred a conversation about the book and film “The Hunger Games”, which addressed the sickness of extreme inequality and distraction culture. Since the Gala, we’ve seen widespread backlash against the shallow and self-indulgent nature of celebrity influencers. Many people on Tik Tok are unfollowing and blocking celebrity posts, which in-turn influences the algorithm. In the week of the Gate of the Influencer, I love this idea of turning influence on it’s head, and really thinking about what contribution and influence means to you.
Check out screenshots from a post by The Slow Factory below to learn more about this influential online activism, as you consider what contribution and influence mean this week.
Notes on Gate 8:
Water Over Earth: The image of the hexagram is water atop the earth. In general terms, the hexagram's upper trigram references external forces or energies, while the lower trigram references internal forces or energies. Earth here is about remaining internally receptive, and water is about shifting and fluid external circumstances. With this combination, it is helpful to find alliances to navigate through the waters of late spring.
As the first gate/hexagram before Gemini season arrives, the themes of finding others to collaborate and contribute with are quite fitting.
Commitment and unity: Hexagram 8 represents the binding force or commitments that exist between two people or organizations. It highlights the importance of strong commitment and authority, as well as the need to let go of personal desires for the greater good.
Achieving together: This hexagram is complementary to Hexagram 14, which represents individual success. Hexagram 8 emphasizes the importance of achieving together, as individual success is often dependent on the success of others.
Free will and obedience: Hexagram 8 suggests that free will is important, but so is obedience. It advises being open and honest, and letting others know in a way they can understand.
Consistency and unity: Getting Hexagram 8 twice in a row can be seen as a strong message from the universe, indicating consistency and unity. It may suggest that the situation requires cooperation and unity to achieve success.
Remedies and solutions: Hexagram 8 can be seen as a remedy or solution to a situation. It advises finding a way to unite and cooperate with others to overcome challenges.
In terms of personal growth and self-reflection, Hexagram 8 can be seen as a reminder to:
Cultivate unity and cooperation in your relationships
Embrace commitment and authority
Let go of personal desires for the greater good
Practice free will and obedience
Seek consistency and unity in your actions and decisions
Overall, Hexagram 8 is a powerful symbol of unity, cooperation, and harmony. It encourages us to work together, find common ground, and achieve success through mutual support and understanding.
All the love this week, my friends! As always, your likes and subscribes mean so much to me, as do your comments and feedback about how this week’s energies are showing up for you. You can find me on Instagram at cyclesoftimepodcast, and we also have a Cycles of Time Facebook group for community discussion about the weeks energies too, and I’d love it if you’d join!
If you’re listening and would like to receive this this as a transcript plus audio every Monday in your inbox, you can subscribe for free at astrosomatics.substack.com.
I hope you get split apart and put back together in the most gorgeous way this week. I’ll see you again next Monday for week 1 of Gemini season.
xo
Alison
Splitting Apart & Holding Together: Weekly Forecast for May 13-19