A Sheltering Wall, a Settled Foundation

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Tuesday, 29th of June

Master Mouse Says:

The Lunar Lodge for today is THE HOUSE, next to last in the week-long Northern Palace of the Black Tortoise.  The asterism for which it is named is composed of two stars of Pegasus, The Winged Horse.  They form the right side of the large square that’s usually taken as the horse’s chest.  For the Chinese, this square formed the confines of a ritual enclosure, and the right side of it was the “Western Wall,” which it was sometimes called.  In ancient tradition, an enclosure was made of four “walls” of earth and cut saplings, within which a ritual pyre was constructed for a sacrifice to the gods before the end of Winter.  The square of stars then, does not depict a house, per se.  For modern understanding, it would be perhaps more accurate to this image to use one of its other names:  ”House of Fire,” “The Encampment,” or “The Enclosure.”  But the character used for this Lunar Lodge is the common one for “house” ( 室 shì), and this is the way it’s referred to in modern almanacs and common speech.  Indeed, capped by yesterday’s “roof,” the four walls, holding a fire, fulfill completely the rudiments of what humans need in a “house.”

The association of this Lunar Lodge with the close of Winter (and the promise of the coming Spring), and the image of the ritual offering to the gods (both the construction and the fire), make this a sign of extremely good auspices.  Beginning activities or businesses (particularly, beginning construction), holding weddings and their celebrations, moving house or business, and—as one might expect—performing religious rituals, all derive benefit from the energy and timeliness of the day.  In keeping with its association to ritual actions, THE HOUSE is a time for maintaining the “middle way.”  Thus, both avoiding social interaction at one extreme, and over-indulging at the other, are inappropriate.  Yesterday’s Lunar Lodge having been so favorable to burials and taking risks, today is devoid of such auspices.

The spirit animal for THE HOUSE is the Pig.  This seems quite natural, since the character for “household,” or “family,” ( 家 jiā ) is a picture of a dwelling with a pig inside it.  Then again, ritual celebrations and offerings (at least in the domestic sphere) are virtually required to include pork.  The Pig means prosperity and proper hospitality, and adds, to the uprightness and good demeanor necessary in the “House of Fire” ritual, the warmth of social welcome, and the strengthening of community relations and friendliness.

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The Solar Index today is SETTLE, and represents the third month of spring in the agricultural calendar, from early April through early May.  This is the time when the previous two months of heavy labor show appreciable results.  The character for SETTLE ( 定 dìng ) is a picture showing “moving things until they’re in the right place in the house,” a jostling of things until they’re brought into the correct arrangement.  It could also be translated “fix,” “stop,” “determine,” or “arrange.”  It indicates a time when work can be eased off enough to reconsider the options for work going forward, and adjustments can be made aiming to capture the best benefit.

This is a time to re-tune the intentions laid down during the time of DESIGN, and make sure they stay responsive to the turnings of reality and chance.  As such, this Solar Index is a very bright indicator for the day.  As long as one can shake off any influence of nostalgic pride in “the way it was planned,” there’s still time to meet things as-they-are with creativity and engagement, and to yield great result.  But the brightness of the day comes partly from the fact that a great deal of the work has already been done.  Don’t drop back and re-design the whole thing;  jostling into position is what’s called for.

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Talk to the Animals

Born in the Year of the Rat: The Metal Dog on duty today has a bright attitude, a quick grasp of essentials, and a bone-deep reliance on the power of repose, and he’ll find himself near bliss under the energetic support of the Horse Moon and the reassuring protection of the Tiger.  This condition leaves you free range to work within the variabilities of life, and to take advantage of smaller opportunities left unattended by others.  Be careful, however, not to be too complicated in your strategies, or too ambitious in your appetites;  if cornered, you’ll have to be forth-coming with an honest declaration of your aims and purposes, and it’s better if they seem perfectly harmonious with your unassuming—though unrelenting—needs.  You can easily gain access to Great Favors, but only if you join into the festive and friendly spirit of the day.  Tomorrow’s Pig will be even more festive for the Clan of the Round Ears, but it will be very hard to get anything productive out of your enjoyments.

Born in the Year of the Ox: The Metal Dog on duty today has a bright attitude, a quick grasp of essentials, and a bone-deep reliance on the power of repose, and he’ll find himself near bliss under the energetic support of the Horse Moon and the reassuring protection of the Tiger.  The Dog’s appetite for relaxation and efficiency may seem a tad too much on the “uncommitted” side for you, but with the backing of his Best Friends, you can hardly expect to make much of an argument against his Wisdom of Laziness.  Consequently, any success you had in striking a slower pace should simply be taken around the course for one more day;  you’ll find that once you harmonize with his refusal to Pull Hard just for the sake of it, that you too get some benefit from Focus On Efficiency.  You’re going to need extra resources to make it successfully through the Sheep Moon coming up in just under two weeks, and this could be an important opportunity to start building them up.  Tomorrow’s Pig will delay you even more, but have far more satisfying rewards to justify any sense of lost momentum.

Born in the Year of the Tiger: The Metal Dog on duty today has a bright attitude, a quick grasp of essentials, and a bone-deep reliance on the power of repose, and he’ll find himself near bliss under the energetic support of the Horse Moon and the reassuring protection of the Tiger.  This arrival of Three Best Friends will not recur until October, so don’t even think of devoting its pleasures to anything less than Full Enjoyment of your nature, appetites, and favorite pastimes.  The prerequisite for you taking action is always the resolution of your inner sense of timeliness, and that in turn rests on the proper balance of Taking Things Seriously and Just Toying Around.  You’ll have plenty of opportunity today for the latter, and you can afford to take that opportunity Quite Seriously;  don’t be surprised if it shows you how the labors and duties you’ve signed yourself up for through the rest of the year can also be a source of Full Enjoyment.  Relax today, and see how much strength that gives to your sense of purpose, and how much resilience it adds to your spirit.  Tomorrow’s Pig will bring you more personal satisfactions, and guide you to an energetic investment in your social connections.

Born in the Year of the Hare: The Metal Dog on duty today has a bright attitude, a quick grasp of essentials, and a bone-deep reliance on the power of repose, and he’ll find himself near bliss under the energetic support of the Horse Moon and the reassuring protection of the Tiger.  These Three Best Friends have such a tight complementarity, that you might imagine you’d be left out of their camaraderie and ad hoc celebrations;  but that could not be further from the truth.  The stimulation you offer the Canine Clan will be well-rewarded today, and events will go so favorably for you today, that you’d be well-justified in thinking that the Friendly Trio have come together specifically to make you the Guest of Honor of their partying.  Don’t be shy in taking a leading role in the direction of things;  you may not be perfectly predictive of the way the party will progress, but it will only be a short negotiating distance from your instigations that will bring things to Universal Satisfactions, and “a good time had by all.”  Tomorrow’s Pig will have a much more intuitive grasp of what will please you, and will allow you to sit back, and have it all brought forward for your enjoyment.

Born in the Year of the Dragon: The Metal Dog on duty today has a bright attitude, a quick grasp of essentials, and a bone-deep reliance on the power of repose, and he’ll find himself near bliss under the energetic support of the Horse Moon and the reassuring protection of the Tiger.  When the Dog is in this sort of well-positioned strength, you might expect that your access to advantage is at its deepest ebb, and that your best expectation would be the lucky chance that you might simply Be Ignored.  However, you do have attributes that impress the Horse and Tiger, and as long as you accept a position at the low end of the table, you’ll find that you’re entirely welcome to the party this Friendly Trio will be throwing.  That requires, of course, that you table your ambitions and hold your fireworks in abeyance, in expectation of a more appropriate time;  but there’s a certain theatrical flair demanded to carry off the “beggar at the banquet” to convincing effect, and I think you’ll find the role as fulfilling as it is difficult.  Tomorrow’s Pig will allow you to unfurl your grandeur to a small degree, in preparation for a fireworks display on Thursday.

Born in the Year of the Snake: The Metal Dog on duty today has a bright attitude, a quick grasp of essentials, and a bone-deep reliance on the power of repose, and he’ll find himself near bliss under the energetic support of the Horse Moon and the reassuring protection of the Tiger.  The party this Friendly Trio will be throwing is an open affair, and there’ll be nobody checking credentials at the door, so you have the opportunity to join in the festivities, and slide through the crowds, schmoozing it up with the best of them.  Just make sure that you don’t find yourself at the canapé table, hoarding goodies, or badgering the waiters for yet another glass of champagne.  Any way in which you reach for excess today will be responded to with immediate ire, and you’ll find yourself in deep Social Embarrassment—and perhaps in legal difficulties, as well.  Keep your aim low, and you’ll be able to succeed richly;  aim high, and you’ll only invite a farther drop, from which you may need weeks to recover.  This is particularly to be considered since tomorrow’s Pig will be taking over duty from the Dog, and he’d like nothing better than to feel fully justified in giving you a Harsh Sentence.

Born in the Year of the Horse: The Metal Dog on duty today has a bright attitude, a quick grasp of essentials, and a bone-deep reliance on the power of repose, and he’ll find himself near bliss under the energetic support of the Horse Moon and the reassuring protection of the Tiger.  The festivity the Dog is hosting for you and the Tiger is the sort of affair great novels are written around, and your chance for a life-altering insight into your appetites and their fulfillment has never been higher.  The important thing is for you to remove Second Guessing from your agenda today, and to follow every whim of yours as if it were an Order From Heaven.  You can be assured that the Tiger and Dog will not let you go too far, and that your sense of yourself will verge on the oceanic, and your wisdom of belief in the physical will shine like a bright star for all to see.  If you can arrange to view the sunset this evening, and stay for the appearance of the first few stars, you’ll find the stillness of the night is like a cool drink amidst the heat, and you’ll go to your rest with expectation of a night full of empowering dreams.  Tomorrow’s Pig will also bring an atmosphere of festivity, but you’ll no doubt be pressed into service to help accomplish some of the heavy lifting.

Born in the Year of the Sheep: The Metal Dog on duty today has a bright attitude, a quick grasp of essentials, and a bone-deep reliance on the power of repose, and he’ll find himself near bliss under the energetic support of the Horse Moon and the reassuring protection of the Tiger.  This trio of Best Friends will be insisting on a party atmosphere, without the fuss of agendas or guest-lists adding stiffness to the affair, or limiting the availability of Spontaneous Happenings bringing a spirit of creativity to the enjoyment of time.  You, of course, will be entirely welcome to this shindig, but it will inspire your appetite to step in and handle all of the Small Details which you are among the first to notice, and never the last to be ready to deal with.  Do try not to make your service a Main Event;  the attendees have not come to witness or applaud your excellent attention to logistics and social niceties, nor should the under-pinnings of a Ripping Good Party rise to such prominence that they become the Floor Show.  Your anonymity of contribution will bring you the greatest satisfaction, and enable to you to feel no distinction between Helping Out, and Joining In with the revelries.  Tomorrow’s Pig will recognize your talents, and make a much more public to-do of pressing them into service.

Born in the Year of the Monkey: The Metal Dog on duty today has a bright attitude, a quick grasp of essentials, and a bone-deep reliance on the power of repose, and he’ll find himself near bliss under the energetic support of the Horse Moon and the reassuring protection of the Tiger.  This member of the Canine Clan has an unusual appreciation for your viewpoint and talents, and even if the party he’s throwing for his Two Best Friends were not a perfectly open affair, he’d be making sure that you were admitted—though it might have to be through the gate at the back of the garden.  Try to harmonize with his generous discretion, and take the day as an opportunity to enjoy that anonymity that’s only available at a masked ball, or in a public place where you’ve never been, and you’ll never go again.  If you succeed in suppressing your appetite to make a show of yourself, the conversations you’ll be admitted to will be extremely informative, and the furtive glances you’ll catch from the curious party-goers will deepen your belief in your power to Maintain Mystery.  Even if you can’t show up in Stripes, at least keep your Long Tail well-concealed.  Tomorrow’s Pig will have an interest in you remaining at the party, but it will mostly rest on the chance that he can make you blow your cover.

Born in the Year of the Fowl: The Metal Dog on duty today has a bright attitude, a quick grasp of essentials, and a bone-deep reliance on the power of repose, and he’ll find himself near bliss under the energetic support of the Horse Moon and the reassuring protection of the Tiger.  The Fabulous Affair this most clever of Dogs will be throwing in honor of his reunion with his Two Best Friends will be perfectly open for the enjoyment of all.  However, even though you’re to be not just admitted, but welcomed, to the enjoyments of the day, you’ll be risking a Happy Opportunity if you rest in your own presumptions, and rely confidently upon your personal predilections to guide you through the day.  The truth is that your natural attitude is liable to look rude, and your best efforts to offer compliments will easily be misconstrued as veiled insults.  Your best approach would be to imagine yourself as a catering critic, or perhaps an under-cover reporter on the Social Affairs desk:  mix and mingle as much as you can, and don’t call any attention to yourself, even if it means biting your tongue.  Don’t answer any questions that aren’t specifically aimed at you, and even then, make minimal response.  Be an embodiment of Yogi Berra’s famous aphorism:  “You can observe a lot just by watching.”  Tomorrow’s Pig will be show far less antipathy to the Clan of Feathers and Claws, and may even recognize you, despite your best efforts to continue to remain incognito.

Born in the Year of the Dog: The Metal Dog on duty today has a bright attitude, a quick grasp of essentials, and a bone-deep reliance on the power of repose, and he’ll find himself near bliss under the energetic support of the Horse Moon and the reassuring protection of the Tiger.  The party atmosphere brought in by this member of your Clan will be like heady wine to your senses, and will ensure a complete blending of the normally differentiated categories of Work and Play.  In celebration of the rare reunion with your Two Best Friends, you should drop all formalities, and treat the entire world as populated by long-time chums, the over-whelming majority of whom, you just haven’t met yet.  If you feel that might put you in jeopardy of mistreatment, or might lead to an indulgence that could only prove embarrassing, then you’re not showing much faith in the Bold Immediacy of the Horse, or the Fearless Authority of the Tiger.  Let your Earthy Wisdom come forward, and follow your spirit and whims;  the results will convince you of the strength of your position this year, and bring forward both your creativity, and a more proper assessment of your ambitions.  Tomorrow’s Pig will have his own Earthy Wisdom to bring forward, which will be no less satisfying for you to observe, and very instructive for you to attend to.

Born in the Year of the Pig: The Metal Dog on duty today has a bright attitude, a quick grasp of essentials, and a bone-deep reliance on the power of repose, and he’ll find himself near bliss under the energetic support of the Horse Moon and the reassuring protection of the Tiger.  As far as you’re concerned, the sort of party the Dog will be throwing in honor of his Two Best Friends, is Not To Be Missed, and is very likely to rank high in your social calendar for the entire year.  While the Dog will be so happy as to be almost disoriented, your enjoyments will be in a much more attentive and sophisticated vein, focusing on the delicious distinctions of one thing against another, and cataloguing the whole carousel of sensations for later examination and appreciation.  Your wide ranging awareness is going to be heightened, and your senses will be so filled as to make mental calculations or philosophical considerations clearly impossible, and moreover, entirely missing the point.  If you’ve been waiting for a day to indulge yourself, dive in;  if you’ve felt the lack of something in your experience of the world, start snooping around, and I’m pretty sure your Luck will take you to it.  Tomorrow’s Pig will bring the lovely afterglow that sometimes follows a Grand Affair, and give you the chance to gather those you hold Most Closely, even closer.

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Words to the Wise:

The peaches are hanging heavy on the bough that droops over the fence in the garden;

Still they’re green, and hard as wooden balls, but they show already a blush of red, a furring of velvet.

In her Celestial Orchard, the Ancient Lady must consider the limit of her crop, the worthiness of those who wish to taste it.

When I sample the first of mine, I’ll feel her gift of immortality, if only for a moment.

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“When eating, stop before losing appetite;  when daring, stop before losing means of escape.”

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