Monday 10/25 : 20th day of 9th moon

Thunder brings sudden change. Breakthroughs and unexpected events can occur. Last night I dreamed of riding bareback, backwards on a gray stallion. Suddenly, he bolted. I lay down, wrapped my arms backward around his neck, and relaxed into the ride. Before I got sick, I would not have known to do this. Crisis is perfect for people like me, who require it to mature. Vulnerability has the potential to make us very strong. Developing deep trust and tolerance for radical change helps us turn mountains into molehills. Curveballs feel chaotic, but chaos is compost for a new order. It will work out. Lurching into the turmoil to course-correct has the opposite impact. Modulate your nervous system, and relax into ride.

what doesn’t kill you
prepares you for the bardo
morning glory seeds

Tuesday 10/26 : 21st day of 9th moon

Now we can be quick and decisive; the vibes are on our side. All activity flourishes, as we receive the smooth transfer of power from our ancestors. The strength of the human world eclipses the spirit world, so stick to your senses (the five popular ones). Spend or receive inheritance (money, talent, blessings). Recognize achievements with reward. Show yourself, and share yourself with the world. It makes your ancestors proud, and helps other people be brave enough to share themselves, too. We can mature without sadness, loss, or crisis. Consult the oracle for more information.

in stunning light
sun-cut mare muscle
and thudding plums

Wednesday 10/27 : 22nd day of the 9th moon

We have the unique and fleeting opportunity to do exactly the right thing. Swan-dive into synchronicity. No task is too large. If you build it, they will come. Today’s image of a mouth-like basket portends both praise and gossip. The other side of jealousy is celebration. Be happy for your friends, and team up with those you admire. Today’s surprises are good ones.

last October light
gilding fritillaria
ancient glowing bells

Thursday 10/28 : 23rd day of the 9th moon

After two high-octane days, it’s time to rest. The moon is winding down, and we’re nearly a week into Frost Descends, the last qi node before winter. “Winter is coming” sounds pretty good to me. The darkening days are a balm. One of today’s hexagrams describes an immature union. Co-factors have not congealed enough to support major moves. In health and industry, small gains can be made. Speaking truth is a good thing, but can cause awkwardness today. If you’re ok with that, then go for it.

refugees huddle
in the chill of the deep south
monarch migration

Friday 10/29 : 24th day of the 9th moon

Romance goes badly for the next three days. Don’t get married (or buried). Avoid medical treatment. Stay home and guard your resources, as being taken advantage of is more likely. So are car burglaries, so take extra precautions.

If you feel out of step, it’s not you. Well, it is you, but it’s everything else, too. Greed and self-interest may surface. Have you ever heard the saying, “If you want to learn about someone, watch them eat“? What we eat and how we get what we want say a lot about us. Personally, I eat like a pitbull. I feel so hungry for food, time, inspiration… Twenty years ago, on mushrooms in a redwood forest, I chewed my food with absolute presence. I probably haven’t chewed since.

Presence is not what I’m known for. The European cultural body doesn’t help much, either. Millennia of killing, stealing, and colonizing is a lot of dissociative momentum to override as an individual. Fortunately, individuals don’t exist. Internalized individualism breeds ecocide. We are interlocking ecosystems who emerge from lands and ancestors. We belong right here, right now. We have legs (whoa—what are these things), and gifts (lots). We are not alone because a) that’s impossible, and b) people throughout all times and places are presently singing good worlds into being. It only takes an act of factual imagination to thrive. And yes, thriving includes grief and illness. But also dancing. We can even thrive as we die.

numbering the stars
trazodone refill

Saturday 10/30 : 25th day of 9th moon

Doing very little goes well. Release expectations and rest. If you’re going to a costume party, have low-key fun, be the designated driver, and come home early. Even better, be the host (stay in).

the milky way
spiraling into control
for once

Sunday 10/31 : 25th day of 9th moon

The stage is set for an old-school Halloween. Halloween comes from the Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced SAA·win), when the faeries leave their mounds, and spirits come out to kidnap or possess the most likely candidates. That’s why we disguise ourselves. This year the cross quarter day of Samhain falls on November 6, but our cultural proxy for it occurs today. Paired with the day’s auspice of ancestral retribution, we’re wise to practice common sense. Feel your feet on the ground, keep your center, and stay sober to avoid possession. There is an additional “inappropriate seduction” indicator, so try not to sleep with them. It’s not about morality, but entanglement. It won’t be worth the enormous, dark complication. Happy Halloween. lol

starry night shiver
the window to history
has been left open