Monday December 6 :: Lunar 11/3

Today is a bright spot—a rainbow in the raven’s wing. The rest of the week is suited to monks, introverts, and people with patience. Ravens advised ancient leaders all over the world, and still conspire with communities who remember their language. The voices of our ancestors spoke through their calls. Ravens also bring successful hunts. They tilt their wings to tip off hunters from the far northern lands. The number of caws could also correspond to hexagrams of the I-Ching. We can refine today’s generally positive omen with divination, which comes easily. We have the support of heaven. Happy last day of Hanukkah! Auspicious activities include bathing, house-cleaning, gift-giving, consulting a doctor, entering retreat, getting married or pursuing romance, negotiating contracts, enjoying the arts.

quick winter rainbow
flashes in the raven’s wing
across the white sky

Tuesday December 7 :: Lunar 11/4

There may be setbacks today. Pausing or loss can be part of the process. Knowing when to abandon our plans is an important part of success. At the fork in the river, we may have to take a route we never intended to travel. We can either lurch forward or hold back. Either could work, and both are in the air. Today is a good day for shedding inessentials, which sometimes means letting go of expectations. The name of the constellation means “to bristle in anticipation of negativity.” lol. It’s not a day of calamity, but of pulling back to avoid it. The Thunder god is sometimes seen in monkey form, who represents foreknowledge of misfortune and the magic necessary to avoid negative fate. The day is not dark if caution is used. Auspicious activities include retreat, routine work, cleaning, attending to our health, and paying attention to elders.

light bathroom reading
the wolf in the woodgrain waits

Wednesday December 8 :: Lunar 11/5

We are now in the Great Snow qi node. It’s a time of visions and magic. Our inner Yang sees strange images in the Great Yin. Things are not as they appear. We register the natural ebb of yang energy as the last leaves… leave. Nothing really needs to be done right now. The constellation Orion governs borders, and shows us the need for limitations and boundaries. The human body is an excellent limitation. I love not having to figure out if I’m a lamp post. Not doing heroin is another good boundary. So is a budget. Financial responsibility includes generosity, but it’s not a good day to buy a bunch of crap. The day’s mixed auspice has to do with knowing when and how to tighten the belt, eliminate qi vampires, end bad habits, and guard our resources. Recklessness goes poorly. “Humility is the key to success on a Trio day.” Auspicious activities include weddings, commerce, traveling, negotiating contracts, gift-giving, caution, feng shui adjustments, and shedding inessentials (haircuts, old clothes, ideas, etc.).

master of its domain
dewdrop

Thursday December 9 :: Lunar 11/6

Established structures can be naturally upended today. The daily hexagram shows us a sacrificial goat, who taps into great instinctive strength with his life at stake. Its stiff, lunging movements symbolize all instinctive, desperate attempts to escape fate. We have the will to live and the reservoir of untapped strength that our instinct unleashes when we need it. Today yang overcomes yin. Stable readiness and confidence bloom into activity. The Well governs apologies and repairs, and symbolizes consensus morality. This constellation has to do with correcting our selfish behaviors, and not expecting to be immediately forgiven. It’s a good day to give back without expectations. Other auspicious activities include making repairs to houses, cars, and bodies, feng shui adjustments, caring for pets, children, and gardens, medical treatments, sexual abstinence, and gift-giving.

falling star
the revelations we face
in the bardo

Friday December 10 :: Lunar 11/7

Hexagram 64 gives us the image of a fox who gets its tail wet crossing a frozen river because the ice is not fully formed. Consult the oracle today to avoid miscalculation. If you haven’t begun working with an oracle from your ancestral traditions yet, remember that dreaming is the oldest form of divination. Your dreams will give you the lowdown. So will waking life, for that matter. Careful attention to what happens around us and the “feeling quality” of people, places, and situations usually gives us plenty of information to make choices or recalibrate. Today is a “ghost” day, so the otherworldly portals are open. Avoid the wilderness, abandoned buildings, and bars (places where ghosts gather). Instead, place yourself in an environment you trust (a literal place, or a figurative place, like painting), and open yourself to what comes through. Auspicious activities include divination, entering retreat, meditation, initiation, giving money to temples/people/causes, consulting a doctor, studying, renewing commitments, and dreaming.

my otherworldliness
is big-boned

Saturday December 11 :: Lunar 11/8

Slowing down brings good fortune. “Gathering clouds but no rain” means we are preparing, but not yet ready to act. The hexagram describes a well-intentioned person who needs to wait, but may not wait, for sufficient support. We are being asked to not overestimate ourselves. Ancestral support is not yet solidified, and pressing forward (especially alone) will result in frustration and delay. Small succeeds! Working together slowly, and planning goes well today. Key words are patience, humility, and alliance. There is an aloof, otherworldly quality to the day that lends itself to prayer, offerings, and retreat. It’s a good day for funerals and burials. Other auspicious activities include paying debts, taking stock, herbal remedies and medical treatment, staying home, and working around the house.

the sperm that won
finishes what it started
funeral service

Sunday December 12 :: Lunar 11/9

One thing at a time is the formula for success. The almanac advises us to emphasize safety and continuity over speed and aggression. The daily hexagram (Waiting) describes a vulnerable pause in a situation’s natural growth. Sensitivity to the auspices (when to wait, when to move) gives us the opportunity to do great things. Deliberately delaying keeps us safe today. Auspicious activities include leisure, housecleaning, simplifying, gift-giving, cancelling plans, paying debts, writing letters, gardening, repairing clothing, and routine study.

caught in the spider’s web
a winter rainbow