Fruitful darkness

[Litbyfireflies]

My natural gift to myself and all living things is a paradox. I am absolutely platonic, meaning to me that I don't want anything others don't want to give to me, and I don't want to give anything others don't want from me. But at any moment, with others consent, I will give what is asked of me and I will take in what is given to me for the healing of all.My question was about the fruitful darkness. "What is the shadow side of my personality?" This is where I draw from the dark stillness wisdom to be brought to the light about the world's wounds so we can heal collectively. I got #14 increasing, changing to #63 already fording. Looking for objective and subjective thoughts on this. Thank you.

 

[Litbyfireflies]

Oops! Having trouble editing my post. I meant #42 increasing, change to #63 already across.

 

[my_key]

"What is the shadow side of my personality?" #42 increasing, change to #63 already across

In simple terms, this could mean that your shadow side is increasing and you'll be seeing more of it soon.

The shadow is a complex part of our psyche and so I expect everyone that posts a response here will have a different story to tell you. With this type of work only you will really know what the divination means for you. What your divination means for me is something along the lines of

The shadow side of your personality
Hex 42: Is that part of you that enhances your power, connects you with with your past and ancestors and is the blessing that transforms you
line 3- explore emotional reactions and how / why you do things thoroughly so that you can truely benefit and learn
line 6- be honest with yourself; look at things from all sides and especially look at what you project onto others or you will miss out on what your shadow is looking to bring to your attention and you'll more than likely get bitten on the bum.

Hex 63: You are already in the flow of shadow work; you may not recognise some of what is going on as such. Keep your eyes and senses peeled and you'll be able to make the best that you can of this crossing .

Our shadow is a tricky shapeshifter and things are not always what they appear to be. Indeed, none of this may be true for you....so good hunting.

Good Luck

 

[Litbyfireflies]

Thank you so much. Your insight is much appreciated and what you said about emotional reactions really spoke to me. I have always yielded to other in order to keep the peace and this had lead to my absolute self-confinement. Recently I have learned that people try to control others emotionally, on purpose. I always thought they did it by accident. I have come to fully realize the difference of me and not-me and crafting a response. I see people shutting others down by overwhelming them, and I have found that a smile instead of submitting to their attempt to control is fitting for me. What they do with their body is their business, what I do with mine is mine.

 

[moss elk]

I have always yielded to other in order to keep the peace and this had lead to my absolute self-confinement.

We all have modes we can operate in.
Like gears in an automobile or hat-of-the-moment.
Jellyfish (or firefly) is one mode. They float around, usually gentle and beautiful. Firefly, you learned to become a jellyfish for self protection purposes. (whether you did it consciously or unknowingly)

Recently I have learned that people try to control others emotionally, on purpose.

Yes, inferior people do this.
They may do it consciously or unknowingly.
Humans naturally are adverse to such psychic or spiritual domination because it is painful, and pain is natures way of letting know there is a problem.

I see people shutting others down by overwhelming them, and I have found that a smile instead of submitting to their attempt to control is fitting for me.

Yes. two very different responses to the same problem: Combat or Floating above, untouchable.
The important thing is to know which tactic is appropriate for the moment.
(look at 4.6)

What they do with their body is their business, what I do with mine is mine.

Correct.
There may come a point though, when transgressions have to be dealt with.
When someone uses their body to dominate your body, they have transgressed a boundary. In this case, Yi advocates for smiting.

 

[radiofreewill]

Hi Litbyfireflies,

"What is the shadow side of my personality?"
42.3.6 to 63 ~ It's the part of you that increases through entanglement with negative events.

I am not a therapist ~ this is just my opinion.

If you are interested in exploring somatic illness, then I can highly recommend Dr. Reginald Ray's book, "Touching Enlightenment":

"...everything that is not ready to be received by our conscious mind at this time, everything that is denied admittance to our consciousness, abides in darkness. As we have seen, the totality of the darkness exists in the body in an enfolded state: the conscious mind not being ready to receive the information it holds, it abides in a highly condensed, impacted state in our body, out of sight. There it waits, impending, until the moment in the spiritual journey arrives when ~ as karmic fruition, out of the darkness ~ it approaches our consciousness to be received, experienced, and integrated with our conscious awareness."
​

I'll paraphrase the book and say that your shadow side exists in a pre-verbal state, deeply embedded in your bone marrow and DNA. Your shadow side is not a product of intellection ~ it's not accessible to thought...

...until it is called into action by events (usually negative) in your life. Once the shadow becomes active, cognitive reactivity and mental lethargy insure that the somatic behavior gets unconsciously acted out, with the usual negative consequences, and then re-sealed back into your bone marrow.

With a spiritual practice, however, the witness learns to 'watch' the shadow in action ~ without either reacting to it or ignoring it ~ floating above, untouchable, as Moss Elk said ~ thus weakening the somatic response, and eventually releasing the illness.

So, the shadow side increases (42) through unfortunate events (line 3) that clash with the body...but are blameless to the witness when viewed with sincere calm. The insincere person, otoh, invites misfortune with continued somatic aggression (line 6) in a closed loop of negative dysfunction (63.)

I hope this helps.

All Best!

 

[Litbyfireflies]

Thank you! You aren't the first person who has referred to jellyfish when describing me. The smiting is something I am coming to terms with. Up til recently, I have viewed people who are attempting to control me or others as babies who are screaming because they need something. My instinct has been to nurture and provide. A skunk sprays to ward off Intruders, not to draw someone closer who is retreating. So my smiting a transgressor will be one word, "no", said with every ounce of power I possess.i will shake heaven and Earth with the unshakeable self.

 

[Litbyfireflies]

Thank you, radiofreewill. I will get the book you are referring to and also keep in mind all the wisdom you imparted. The way words are said, not the words themselves, is very painful. Everything you said is good medicine for me.

 

[Freedda]

Lit by fireflies, for your reading, 42, with moving lines 3 and 6 resulting in Hex 63:

I'll start first with an aside. I'm curious how you define "platonic," because how you describe it doesn't fit the meanings that I know of for the word.

As to your reading - and please excuse my fanciful take on the imagery - I'm wondering if the response here is not so much describing your shadow, but is instead describing those aspects of yourself that keep your shadow hidden?

It might be describing a certain intensity, like a tree with its roots planted in Thunder (instead of in soil), so what comes from the limbs and branches are sparks, but not fruit. Perhaps you might be living intensely in your thoughts and even your feelings - in the details and intensity of new ideas, but this may feel less than fruitful for you?

So, (and assuming what I'm saying rings true) perhaps some 'grounded stillness' might be the antidote for your intensity. It's like you're replacing the "platonic" - as in being intimate but not sexual; or, having words, ideas, and ideals which do not lead to action - with stillness and earth's fecund aspect - to be fertile, productive and inventive, to - in a word - be fruitful.

This stillness and grounded-ness could then lay the groundwork for uncovering the shadow and whatever else is hidden (even one's demons?), which would then allow you to work with and transform them into something fruitful.


Best, David.

 

[Litbyfireflies]

Platonic. I'm coming from a musical background in using this word, has a paradoxical meaning. The perfect 5th interval in music (fire over yin earth, or hex 35) is both absolutely stable with no tendency to expand or collapse, and also resolves all other harmony and can lead into any other harmony. It is difficult to explain and I'm working on a class to teach about this. It is absolutely sexual and nonsexual simultaneously. In the tai ji symbol it is the seed of function within purpose (young yin, little girl or yeilding inside old yang, self direction, father) and the seed of purpose within function ( young yang, teenage son, pushing through old yin, mother, receptivity). When these are in harmony, the 4 voices produce an overtone, a 5th note. That is spirit talking through the body. It is consent. This is where I sit naturally. More later, wanted to send this before I take care of something.

 

[Litbyfireflies]

Also, platonic means no desire to possess, sex or no sex.

 

[Litbyfireflies]

The situation I'm in and that led to my question about shadow, is that I'm in a very controlling relationship. I'm not a victim, I'm. Witness and I know there's a reason I'm going through this. I have no family, no friends, no money, no car, just my heart to hold on to. I want to get out of this so badly but the only option I have is to surrender myself to a homeless shelter, and I am too tied to my piano to leave it behind. I'm waiting for the intimation of feeling to give me directions. I receive wisdom every day and have no outlet besides writing everything down with the intention of teaching it someday. My piano is really the only grounding to my body that I have. I do meditate and do chi Kung, and I hike almost every day. This may not be the place to post these things but I feel spiritual kinship through noncontending. The most important thing in life to me is relationship and I can't wait to create and be part of healthy community.We don't understand opposites so we can't find the center or harmonize. We have lost our language and bearings. I'd love to teach us how to speak and behave towards each other. That is my function and purpose. Yes means yes and no means no as it pertains to what I do with my body, mind, and presence. I have become a slave, I don't blame anyone but myself for this and I am working on reclaiming my freedom every day.

 

[Litbyfireflies]

The man I am with is impossible to talk to. There is spiritual, emotional, psychic and physical domination. Sometimes because of the difference in perspective between the tangled labyrinth of the mind and the purity of the heart, we think we are saying I love you but we are really saying I hate you.

 

[danadanadana]

Hexagram 42 - Wilhelm/Baynes: "Wind and thunder: the image of Increase. Thus the superior man: if he sees good, he imitates it; if he has faults, he rids himself of them."

the oracle reminds us that we are on a path moving forward, trying to improve, and that all our actions are moving us forward, step by step, at every turn (or not).

line 3 - the oracle grants that there is some benefit (insight) in calling forth the shadow (evil events and forces) and sincerely learning or gaining something from the experience, but then one must return to a day to day life of acting correctly all the time according to your principles which are independent and free of your shadow. Right action does not require understanding one's own shadow because right action is always simple and clear, in the end, we just have to do it.

line 6 - Here I believe the oracle speaks about evil existing out side yourself in the form of other people you do not like, or even know, sometimes they seem to attack for no reason. Fundamental to understanding the shadow is seeing that these other people, the ones you do not like, whose behavior is unacceptable to you, are in fact demonstrating your shadow to you. They are a mirror for your own shadow work. The realm of the shadow is often so shameful that it can only be seen as existing outside of one's self, often in the actions of other people. Understanding this aspect of the shadow is powerful because it reduces the tendency to react against perceived misdeeds of others.
Also, we must not let the influence of the shadow (again often seen in the actions of other people) to deter us from right and proper behavior. Even when others are stingy, we must be generous. Even when people don't care about us, we must care about them. That is the balanced, socially aware, consistent behavior and insight favored by the IChing.

resulting in Hex 63: Wilhelm/Baynes: "After Completion. Success in small matters. Perseverance furthers. At the beginning good fortune, at the end disorder."
The shadow is dangerous and disruptive (a time of crossing the water) but hopefully the negative impact can be minimized through insight as a result of one's psychological inquiry. It is important to ground the insight in consistent actions that bring order and stability to life. That is the best preparation for the meeting the shadow.

 

[Litbyfireflies]

Thank you! What you said about line 6 is exactly what I was looking at. I know that others are a reflection of me. When I say "love you", I mean love yourself, take care of yourself, see yourself in others. I want to understand what this one person's treatment towards me is showing about myself. I am honest, brave, I will look at my vulnerability, I am truly compassionate, serene...even when he is being aggressive towards me, I understand that is what he is doing with his body, and I don't even ask him to stop. I walk away calmly and he follows me and becomes more aggressive. I told him once that it feels like he is forcing himself on me. What triggers him is when I have any type of independent thought, spiritual, political, anything. So I don't speak. His tactic is to overwhelm by flooding anyone's attention with aggressive emotion and talking excessively. As soon as I sense the slightest resistance in anyone, I back down and listen, hold space, support. Maybe his behavior is reflecting my self control, though it is not difficult for me. I don't need to be heard or agreed with, I enjoy diverse viewpoints. As soon as his ragsful episodes Are over, they are over and I don't hold it against him, I understand.I also k ow that his mother was raped as a teenager and forced to carry him, and then he was adopted as an infant. I can't imagine the extent of her emotions while she was pregnant. I am very soft towards him, I have never raised my voice.What I said about saying "no" with all my power was what I will do if he tries to physically force himself on me again.

 

[Litbyfireflies]

The moment is like a day at the park And there is a child on the swing set (me) and her mother (also me) is reading on a bench nearby. Out of nowhere comes a vicious dog (him) headed directly towards the child. I feel the only thing I can do, the only effective measure to protect my child is to get up, run towards my child and say no with force.

 

[Litbyfireflies]

He does it to other people too and honestly, I feel like becoming the other's guard dog. Put my body between he and the other and growl, bare my teeth. He doesn't even notice how uncomfortable, threatened the other person feels though it is obvious by their face and body language. I have been told by several people that the only reason they continue to be nice to him is for my safety. I want to ask these people for help, they can see I am in trouble but I am terrified to find out that they will not offer help beyond their prayers and kindness.

 

[diamanda]

Hi Litbyfireflies,
I'm sorry to hear you're stuck with an aggressive @$$hole.
Line 42.6 is very common to describe such scum. My best wishes for you to find a way out.

 

[danadanadana]

The moment is like a day at the park And there is a child on the swing set (me) and her mother (also me) is reading on a bench nearby. Out of nowhere comes a vicious dog (him) headed directly towards the child. I feel the only thing I can do, the only effective measure to protect my child is to get up, run towards my child and say no with force.

You are in fertile territory here! From your writings it seems like you have a lot of clarity about your relationship with this angry and abusive person. It is easy to see what you need to do - to set up very clear and consistent limits. I think line 2 is helpful here, too, because it speaks about learning from an encounter with the shadow and then applying that knowledge to all your daily decisions. You must say "no" consistently, with ongoing commitment, not just when someone attacks, but having a fundamental policy against that kind of behavior, period. You see the pattern, so you are prepared. Create sanctuary in your mind and heart!

 

[Litbyfireflies]

Thank you x1,000!