Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Happy New Year! ‘Tis the month of joy and blessings.
The last two months of the Chinese calendar cover these seasons of celebration, November 21st through January 21st. The eleventh month is the reed month, and the twelfth month is the ice month. Both of these months symbolize turning inward and preparing for rebirth, preparing for new beginnings. That may be where the New Year’s celebration and resolutions started.
Much of the symbolism attached to the reed comes from Rumi. Rumi identifies the reed as the soul of the perfect human. He talks about the flute music from the reed. I just did an episode on my youtube channel talking about the deities from the past. I spoke about the three deities from different parts of the world that had very similar stories: Kokopelli, Shennong, and Pan. They all played a reed flute. The flute played a magical, mysterious melody that would enrapture the listener.
Reading through Rumi’s poem, “Listen to the Reed”, I’m left with the impression that the music Kokopelli, Shennong, and Pan played was your life. The Buddhist philosopher, ZhuangZi would say you were caught up in the dream of a man being a butterfly or maybe a butterfly dreaming of a man.
And the next month is the ice month. It is the time to fall back asleep and prepare to be reborn. Maybe, like the butterfly, it is the time to hibernate only to emerge transformed and beautiful.
These last two months are filled with so many blessings. They are your opportunity to connect with the beauty of being human, the beauty of your life, and all the blessings around you while preparing to start a brand new year of opportunity.
IF YOU OR A FAMILY MEMBER ARE SICK
I thought the triple threat would have moved through by mid-December. RSV, the Flu, and Covid haven’t moved through. They seem to be getting worse, and something has changed with RSV causing hospitalizations in older adults.
Talking with other Western practitioners, RSV is highly contagious and is the one that is causing hideous symptoms similar to food poisoning. They are not letting RSV patients in the hospitals unless they think it is life-threatening.
We’ve been here before. If you or a family member are sick, I’m asking you not to come into the clinic. If you want to use Chinese Medicine to treat your symptoms, that is available through a tele-appointment and herbal therapies. For my clients, you know how effective these therapies are, especially if you catch the symptoms early. So, I will go out of my way to make time for you on my schedule on the day you call.
Thank-you and thanks for being proactive!