KI REVIEW
I offer shiatsu along with a ki energy health evaluation, supported by basic macrobiotic dietary and way of life guidance, in Fairfield, CT, and Manhattan. I also offer classes in Five Transformations theory and Nine Star Ki, from my personal viewpoint. For further information, please contact me at
Tel: 203-254-1795.
I am taking appointments for housecalls in Manhattan on Thursdays and Saturdays.
While based on my understanding of the macrobiotic teachings of Georges Ohsawa and Michio Kushi, and of Daoist and Buddhist thought, my blog entries, unless mentioned otherwise, are original material following my personal line of thought, the result of in-depth research over many years. I hope you enjoy this material, find it informative, educational, interesting and helpful. But please, if you pass any information from this blog on in any way, whether complimentary, critical, or otherwise, be sure to mention my name and the website address, so others can decide for themselves. Thank you.
Present
Kurt Cobain, 6 Metal ☰
(2.20.1967, Aberdeen, WA – 4.5.1994): American musician, artist, songwriter, guitarist, and poet … formed the band Nirvana, seminal in the history of rock music. (Wikipedia)
Before proceeding further, we should keep in mind that rock music is electric music, meaning Metal music, and that “grunge”, the style of music Cobain was associated with and an originator of, has in the word “grunge” a sense of heaviness, that at least partially be associated with Metal. There is also a Soil quality.
Crosby St., NYC, 6.1.2017
Wikipedia
Metal cuts
‘When Cobain was nine years old, his parents divorced. He later said that the divorce had a profound effect on his life, while his mother noted that his personality changed dramatically; Cobain became defiant and withdrawn.’
‘In the 1998 documentary Kurt and Courtney, filmmaker Nick Broomfield investigated Tom Grant's claim that Cobain was actually murdered. … Not that he was murdered, but that there was just a lack of caring for him. I just think that Courtney had moved on, and he was expendable.’
‘During his second year in high school, Cobain began living with his mother in Aberdeen. Two weeks prior to graduation, he dropped out of Aberdeen High School, upon realizing that he did not have enough credits to graduate. His mother gave him a choice: find employment or leave. After one week, Cobain found his clothes and other belongings packed away in boxes. Feeling banished from his own mother's home, Cobain stayed with friends, occasionally sneaking back into his mother's basement. Cobain also claimed that, during periods of homelessness, he lived under a bridge over the Wishkah River an experience that inspired the song “Something in the Way”. However, Nirvana bassist Novoselic later said, "He hung out there, but you couldn't live on those muddy banks, with the tides coming up and down. That was his own revisionism."’
“… parents divorced … became defiant and withdrawn … a lack of caring for him … he was expendable … Feeling banished from his own mother's home”: Separation issues are common in Metal people profiles, especially 6 Metal. It includes feeling alienated, divorced from, as an outsider, lonely, and alone. I think it reflects the way metal in its organic form is actually separated from the earth. The earth could be a metaphor for people in general, while metal with those who in some way find themselves in a position considered “above” the average person. From another perspective, in the 6 Metal I Ching trigram, “Heaven”, we can say that heaven is part of this world, but separate from and above earthly life; the elite, and those considered special in some way.
‘Cobain befriended a homosexual student at school and suffered bullying from heterosexual students who concluded that he was gay. In an interview, he said that he liked being associated with a gay identity because he did not like people, and when they thought he was gay they left him alone. He stated, "I started being really proud of the fact that I was gay even though I wasn't."’
“… he did not like people, and when they thought he was gay they left him alone.”: In the above examples, we see the direct effect of others on him, however, this quote suggests a fundamental sense of separation that is either inherent in his nature, or has been part of it for a long time.
“… That was his own revisionism.”: As I have mentioned before, the prefix “re” appears often in Metal people profiles; renew, restructure, reinvent for example, and I think it connects with the way metal can be melted down and used in a new way. In revisionism, we have another instance.
Of like minds
‘Cobain struggled to reconcile the massive success of Nirvana with his underground roots. He also felt persecuted by the media, comparing himself to Frances Farmer.’
‘Cobain expressed a particular fondness for John Lennon, whom he called his "idol" in his posthumously-released journals.’
“… Frances Farmer … John Lennon”: Both Farmer (9.19.1913, Seattle, WA – 8.1.1970), and Lennon (10.9.1940, Liverpool, England – 12.8.1980) were born in a 6 Metal year, so it seems fair to think that Cobain resonated on an energetic level with them.
The Metal sense: smell
‘Patrick Suskind’s novel Perfume: The Story of a Murderer inspired Cobain to write the song "Scentless Apprentice" from In Utero. The book is a historical horror novel about a perfumer’s apprentice born with no body odor of his own but with a highly developed sense of smell, and who attempts to create the "ultimate perfume" by killing virginal women and taking their scent.’
“… Patrick Suskind 's novel Perfume … a highly developed sense of smell, …”: In classical Chinese medicine and philosophy, the sense of smell corresponds with Metal. Interestingly in this regard, Suskind (b. 3.26.1949, Ambach, Bavaria, Germany [Wikipedia]), like Cobain, was born in a 6 Metal year, the inference being that Suskind was in touch with his inherent Metal nature with this interest in scent, and in some fundamentally energetic way, it resonated with Cobain. On a healing level, we might expect that those born in a Metal year manifest this sensitivity to smell negatively, as allergic reactions to certain smells.
The lungs correspond with Metal
‘Throughout most of his life, Cobain suffered from chronic bronchitis …’
'According to The Telegraph, Cobain had depression …’
“… chronic bronchitis … depression …”: The lungs and large intestine correspond with Metal in CCM, and should be the strongest organs for someone born in a Metal year. However, in reality, it appears that Metal birth people tend to suffer disproportionately from diseases of these organs; thus chronic bronchitis. Depression is also not uncommon and is often reflected in a posture that suggests weak lungs; a concave chest and rounded shoulders.
Heaven imagery
‘In the intervening decade, Cobain, a small, frail but handsome man in life, has become an abstract Generation X icon, viewed by many as the "last real rock star" [..] a messiah and martyr whose every utterance has been plundered and parsed.’
“… has become an abstract Generation X icon, …”: In the relationship between Heaven and Earth, Heaven represents the part of nature that earth responds to; climate, the seasons, rain, while Earth the myriad things that grow in accord with the “will” of Heaven. In this sense, Heaven stands for the “Creative”, the instigator, the inventor, and in practical terms, the template that the masses follow. Like John Lennon, Cobain’s music has had enormous influence on other musicians and listeners. Just this week, in looking at the “page view statistics” of his Wikipedia entry, it has been visited more than 220,00 times in the past three weeks, even though he died 23 years ago, and this photo of him was taken just last week.
Travis Kalanick, 6 Metal ☰
(b. 8.6.1976, Los Angeles, CA): American computer programmer and businessman. … co-founder of the peer-to-peer file sharing company, Red Swoosh, and the transportation network company, Uber… estimated net worth according to Forbes magazine in 2014, US $6.3 billion. (Wikipedia)
Riding Shotgun With Uber CEO Travis Kalanick, by Adam Lashinsky, Fortune, May 18, 2017
Heaven trigram
Adam Lashinsky’s new book, Wild Ride: Inside Uber’s Quest for World Domination, the author prowls the streets of San Francisco with the startup’s pugnacious CEO and learns how he feeds on adversity.
“… how he feeds on adversity.”: If his inherent 6 Metal nature is strength, confronting adversity is a way of exercising this quality and making it stronger, since strength is needed to deal with it, thus he “feeds” on it, and in the process it becomes a way of getting ahead of the competition.
Boundless sky
‘Uber, the privately held company he runs from his base in San Francisco, has become a global phenomenon in the mere six years since it first began connecting ride-seeking urbanites with drivers via a simple smartphone app. Now operating in 76 countries, Uber booked $20 billion worth of rides worldwide in 2016 and brought in $6.5 billion in revenue. As its business has boomed, the startup’s investors have continued to bet big on Kalanick’s creation. To date the company has raised $17 billion in debt and venture capital, and has been accorded a gargantuan market value of $69 billion.’
“… Uber … has become a global phenomenon …”: First, Uber is the German for “above”, and thus a most appropriate name for a company run by a 6 Metal person, even though Kalanick was not responsible for it. Heaven images the sky, a locus without boundaries. In like manner, a 6 Metal person’s mind may not be limited by earthly restrictions, such as country designations or traditions. We also have in this quote another quality of Metal, the other meaning of the Chinese character for Metal: gold! I would maintain that in discovering our own gold, what is special about us, and processing and refining it, we find the way we create “gold”, our financial wealth.
Metal shapes wood
‘… the ride-hailing startup wasn’t initially his idea—but he is indisputably its central character. Kalanick supplied the critical insight that transformed someone else’s startup idea from merely interesting to undeniably groundbreaking, by hitting on the idea of enabling freelancers rather than hiring drivers and buying cars. And he has been Uber’s iron-fisted, omnipresent chief executive from the time it first gained traction and began expanding beyond San Francisco.’
“… transformed someone else’s startup idea …”: According to Wikipedia, Uber was founded by Canadian businessman and investor, Garrett Camp (b. 10.4.1978, Calgary, Alberta, Canada), who was born in a 4 Tree year. 4 Tree is a rising energy reflecting a tree growing towards light. It suggests someone with a strong imagination and ability to visualize; an “ideas” person. In Five Transformations theory, it is commonly said that “metal chops wood”, that Metal has a controlling influence over Wood (Tree). To me, such a saying implies negativity; the lowly side of wood, as a fuel for a fire. A more positive interpretation to me would be that Metal “shapes” Wood. In this example between Kalanick and Camp, Kalanick combined his strong, materializing energy with the idea (Camp), to realize something that works in this reality. A most successful example of this combination can be seen in the writing partnership of John Lennon (10.9.1940, Liverpool, England – 12.8.1980), 6 Metal, and Paul McCartney (b. 6.18.1942, Liverpool, England), 4 Tree. “… hitting on the idea of enabling freelancers rather than…: The freelancer’s independent streak has something of the nature of 6 Metal's "heaven as outsider" position, and therefore not surprising that a 6 Metal person would think of it. “… Uber’s iron-fisted, omnipresent chief executive …”: To me, we have here, two images we can see in Metal. “Iron-fisted” directly expresses a Metal quality, while “omnipresent” reflects the boundless sky already mentioned.
Wired
‘Kalanick’s timing with Uber was impeccable. The company perfectly exemplifies the attributes of the information-technology industry’s next wave. It is emphatically a mobile-first business; if there had been no iPhone, there would have been no Uber. And it expanded globally almost from its beginning, far earlier than would have been possible in an era when packaged software and clunky computers were the norm.’
“… a mobile-first business [versus clunky computers] … expanded globally…”: To me, this quote highlights the two aspects associated with Metal, and how they come together. In the body, according to CCM, the lungs and large intestine correspond with Metal. In the former in its relation with air, we have the connection of Metal with “Heaven”, and in the latter, a connection with Metal as a physical phenomenon. In this quote, we see how the heavens in the form of global communication, depend quite simply on metal implements to function, and further, in the image of Metal’s contracting energy (this smaller device (yang)), that through speed and reach, makes the world smaller (more contracted: yang).
Heavens above
‘“I think there’s this question out there,” he says, shifting away from general memes to himself. “‘Is he an asshole?’ Since you’ve spent time with me, one of the big questions you’re going to get is, ‘Is he an asshole?’” … Engineer that he is, Kalanick wants to believe there is a scientific answer to the question. I suggest the answer is and always will be in the realm of opinion, not fact. He rejects this.’
“… Engineer that he is, Kalanick wants to believe there is a scientific answer to the question…”: This quote might suggest a problem people could encounter with 6 Metal people; a possible detachment from their emotions since “Heaven” is of this world, but outside and above earthly experience. Incidentally, to me, it is worth noting that Kalanick’s father was also an engineer, a civil engineer, and the engine corresponds with Metal since it is made of metal with the intention of making life easier, lighter, by doing things (much) more quickly, all qualities we could ascribe to Metal.
A tree grows
‘The “asshole” question was answered for good in the eyes of many early in 2017 when a video of Kalanick berating a driver went viral. Kalanick suggested publicly the incident showed his need to “grow up.” But he made this statement having recently entered his fifth decade. Youthfulness alone can no longer explain his behavior.’
“… berating a driver … Kalanick suggested publicly the incident showed his need to “grow up.” … Youthfulness alone can no longer explain his behavior.”: “Berating” according to Merriam-Webster’s 11th Collegiate dictionary is defined as scolding which in turn is defined as “to find fault noisily or angrily … to censure severely or angrily”. Anger, short temper, and expressions of frustration, all correspond with Tree, according to classical Chinese medicine (CCM for brevity). A tree grows, and indeed in the person, the Tree related organ, the liver, can grow back, even if 80% of it has been removed. Other organs may influence growth: Water may supply the nourishment for growth, Fire, the motivation, Soil, the environment, and Metal may shape or destroy growth. However, the actual mechanism of growth corresponds with Tree. Thus, growth issues, physical, mental and/or spiritual, can all reflect the condition of the liver’s health. It is interesting to me that the author equates anger with youthfulness. Youth is a time when we grow quickly (growth spurts), thus Tree energy is especially strong at this time, and if there are not sufficient outlets to express this energy, there is more potential for it to be expressed as anger. So, when we infer that someone is acting in an immature way, and/or, they need to “grow up”, we are most likely identifying a liver energy problem, reflecting in simple terms, a blocked liver. A tree grows toward light. On a mental or spiritual level, it suggests to me that the full discharge of a person’s liver energy requires in the person a clear image of something to develop and grow towards. Physically, most basically, it suggests that the person is probably consuming an excess of animal food and/or dry baked foods such as bread and crackers, and/or excessive salt intake, and a lack of dark green leafy vegetables and/or an overall light sense to the diet, along with excessive alcohol and/or oil, and/or other toxic substances intake.
Heavens above
‘Uber showed it hadn’t lost the appetite to dream big. In late October 2016 its top product executive, Jeff Holden, published a 99-page white paper devoted to Uber’s research into flying cars, of all things. He dubbed the project “Uber Elevate.” The report begins: “Imagine traveling from San Francisco’s Marina to work in downtown San Jose—a drive that would normally occupy the better part of two hours—in only 15 minutes.” It goes on to explain Uber’s vision for a network of cars that take off and land vertically and the infrastructure it would take to build it. … Whatever Uber’s shortcomings, it’s safe to say it literally considers the sky to be the limit.’
“… Uber’s research into flying cars, of all things. He dubbed the project “Uber Elevate.” … the sky to be the limit.”: Here, we have further reinforcement of a connection between 6 Metal and “heaven”. It reminds me of the Japanese architect, Arata Isozaki (b. 7.23.1931, Oita prefecture, Japan [Wikipedia]), also born in a 6 Metal year, who designed cities in the sky (“Cities in the air”, 1960 – ‘63”, and the Qatar National Library, 2003. (“Arata Isozaki”, by Ken Tadashi Oshima, Phaidon)
And Also
Robert F. Kennedy, 3 Tree ☳
(11.20.1925, Brookline, MA – 6.6.1968): American politician and brother to John F. Kennedy, 35th President of the United States, (January, 1961 – November, 1963), who served as junior senator from New York (January 1965 until his assassination).
How the Thug Became a Dove, by Michael O’Donnell, WSJ, June 9, 2017
In this following review of a new book on Kennedy, “The Revolution of Robert Kennedy”, O’Donnell makes a point I think is most significant in terms of 3 Tree energy:
‘While serving as attorney general, Robert Kennedy wore his hair close-cropped in the style of the early 1960s. After a trip to the barber it could almost resemble a crew cut. But after President Kennedy’s assassination, he began growing it out. By the time he became a candidate for president in 1968, he had an unruly mop. Shrieking teenagers mobbed him like a Beatle, and his many enemies found an easy target. “All hair no brains,” read one hostile protester’s sign. Kennedy’s hair grew at the same rate as his radicalism. The more he spoke with fervent vagueness about revolution, the more he had to hand-comb it off his forehead, in the eerily familiar manner of his late brother. … It may seem like a trivial detail, but as John R. Bohrer shows in “The Revolution of Robert Kennedy,” Bobby’s evolving look reflected a persona in flux. With JFK’s death, he no longer stood on anyone’s shoulders. As the 1960s wore on, Kennedy harnessed the most dynamic political force of his generation: the country’s youth. He not only spoke their language and addressed their concerns but looked like them. And he offered that most intoxicating of political aphrodisiacs: authenticity. He was blunt to a fault, and his favorite campaign activity was arguing with college students. To many, his idealistic opportunism was irresistible.’
“… Kennedy harnessed the most dynamic political force of his generation: the country’s youth…”: In the 3 Tree I Ching trigram ☳ called “Thunder”, a strong force described by the unbroken lower line sits below two weak lines, suggesting it is forcing its strength against them. Henry Wei, author of “The Authentic I Ching” also calls it “Quaking”, implying an explosive force. It corresponds with the very beginning of spring as new plants first break through and into the light. It is described in the above profile on Kennedy in terms of his “authenticity” in the sense that it is a primal force, that is, a force not leaving a space for it to be modified, and for the same reason “blunt to a fault”. However, most importantly, energetically speaking, it is a young energy, and from what I see, people born in a 3 Tree year, express a youthfulness in different ways. It may be that they become prominent for some reason at an early age such as Malala Yousafzai (b. 7.12.1997, Mingora, Swat, Pakistan), or they maintain their youthfulness even into their senior years, such as Mick Jagger (b. 7.26.1943, Dartford, Kent, England), and /or, they appeal to young people, like Kennedy did, again, even in their senior years, such as primatologist, Jane Goodall (b. 4.3.1934, London, England).
Obituaries
Glenne Headly, 9 Fire ☲
(3.13.1955, New London, CT – 6.8.2017). American actress; most notable performances in “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” and “Dick Tracy”. (Wikipedia and the following obituary)
Glenne Headly, a Versatile and Scene-Stealing Actress, Dies at 62, by Richard Sandomir, New York Times, June 9, 2017
There are three significant issues we can learn from her obituary. First is from the cause of death, “pulmonary embolism”, a “blockage of the main artery of the lung or one of its branches by a substance that has travelled from elsewhere in the body” (Wikipedia). I have found a far higher incidence of heart and circulatory diseases in those born in a Fire year, the Energy that rules the heart and circulatory system, than in those born in any other of the Energies. It suggests to me that 9 Fire people should pay especially close attention to the health of their heart. Second concerns her early years. From my research there is a far higher than average experience of separation from loved ones in the early years in those born in a 9 Fire year, and Headly is another example. In her Wikipedia entry we are not told details regarding her father’s relationship with her mother, but:
‘Her first years were spent living under the care of her mother in San Francisco and her maternal grandmother in Lansford, Pennsylvania. Early in her elementary school years, she joined her mother, who was then living in Greenwich Village, and grew up having a rich cultural life.’
Third concerns her choice of film roles. According to this obituary:
‘… when she played Tess Truehart in Warren Beatty’s “Dick Tracy,” she took the character’s name literally. “I think ‘Truehart’ suggests to me a very caring and large-hearted woman,” she told The Los Angeles Times, “one that does things because she believes in them, because it’s actually the character’s credo.”’
Since the heart corresponds with Fire in CCM, it seems a most appropriate part for her to play, and further, that she might provide some special insight into the feelings of the heart. I was especially drawn to her use of the word “believes”. In the way she uses it, I think we can see a reason it corresponds with Fire (which we can relate with the expression, “I believe with all my heart”), and thus, so often mentioned in relation to one’s connection with religion, which, since it should elevate our spirits, we can connect with Fire.
Adam West, 9 Fire ☲
(9.19.1928, Walla Walla, WA - 6.9.2017): ‘the classically handsome baritone actor who turned a comic-book superhero into live-action Pop Art in the 1960s television series “Batman” …’ (from the following obituary)
Sad Day for Gotham: Adam West, Who Played Batman, Dies at 88, by Anita Gates, The New York Times, June 10, 2017
A fire can become huge
‘the classically handsome baritone actor who turned a comic-book superhero into live-action Pop Art … the show was such a phenomenon that Mr. West appeared in costume on the cover of Life magazine, the highest tribute to national popularity at the time.’
“… who turned a comic-book superhero into live-action Pop Art …”: Fire rises the highest of the Five Energies. The superhero corresponds with the highpoint of a flame. Since Fire is the most active of the Five Energies, “live-action” is a most appropriate expression of its nature. “Pop” is derived from popular, and since a fire draws attention, popularity can be equated with Fire. “… the show was such a phenomenon …”: Since a fire can become huge, we might expect a close connection. “… the highest tribute to national popularity at the time.”: Already addressed.
Blood corresponds with Fire
‘The cause [of death] was leukemia’
In CCM, blood corresponds with Fire. According to Wikipedia, “The word leukemia, which means "white blood", is derived from the characteristic high white blood cell count that presents in most afflicted patients before treatment.” As I have mentioned before, diseases of the heart and circulatory systems, in my research, occur far more often in those born in a 9 Fire year than in any of the other Energies. West’s case suggests that it may include blood diseases.
The tongue corresponds with Fire
‘In later decades, he did a great deal of voice work, including a spectacularly long run (2000-17) on the animated series “Family Guy” as Mayor Adam West, a politician who might best be described as sadistic, corrupt, vacant, clueless and utterly charming.’
“… he did a great deal of voice work…”: In CCM, the tongue corresponds with Fire; the way that we express ourselves may reflect the health of the heart. Former Senator from Nebraska, and 24th United States Secretary of Defense, Chuck Hagel (b. 10.4.1946, Omaha, NE) who was born in a 9 Fire year expresses himself in a way that would lead one following this line of thought to show concern for his heart:
‘His sentences are too often arrhythmic, breaking in the middle, when what he’s saying takes an unexpected turn that seems to startle him most of all.’(Chuck Hagel’s historic moment, and what it means for a declining presidency, by Charles P. Pierce, Esquire magazine, April 2007)
However, if you follow this blog, you will see the same principle expressed in terms of the use of language in a variety of ways.
Edith Shiffert, 4 Tree ☴
(1.9.1916, Toronto, Canada - March 1, 2017): American poet whose work was profoundly influenced by the half-century she spent in Japan… author of nearly two dozen volumes of poetry … also known as a writer on, and translator of, Japanese poetry. (from the following obituary)
Edith Shiffert, a Poet Inspired by Nature and Her Life in Japan, Dies at 101
Considering she was born in a Tree year I found it interesting that a poem on a tree should be included in her obituary, and further that we learn how she created a connection with a tree in the way she wrote about it:
‘In “The Summer Tree,” published in The Christian Science Monitor in 1968, … the first four stanzas employ half- and whole rhymes in alternation. The rhymed lines also shift position from one stanza to the next, creating a feeling of rippling movement that suggests leaves ruffled by the wind’:
Summer Tree (1968)
Since winter ended for this tree, new leaves
filled all the branches, grew, could not restrain
themselves from coming. They will wilt and drop,
be nothing, but for summer they show green.
Light shines all around them. They do not
feel its warmth or shape. They wear the glow
belonging to the season while they grow.
They wear the light, and that is they are.
The rustle and the texture of the leaves,
the way they look, their smell and taste, do not
concern them on their stems and twigs. Each moves
as air moves, and when winter comes it falls.
Grow is not a word to lightly say.
The tree is there. It uses what it is.
Underground the roots expand. In air
branches rise and spread. The tree is there.’
Past
2015
Dorothy Howell Rodham, 9 Fire ☲
(6.4.1919, Chicago, IL - 11.1.2011): American homemaker and mother of First Lady, U.S. Senator, and U.S. Secretary of State, Hillary Rodham Clinton. (Wikipedia).
An article appeared in Saturday's New York Times ("Hillary Clinton Embraces Her Mother’s Emotional Tale", by Amy Chozick, June 12,2015) on how Dorothy Howell Rodham's life story "is forming the emotional foundation of her daughter's campaign for President, and will be a central theme in her big kickoff speech on Saturday". This article appears to have drawn on Dorothy's Wikipedia entry, so I have decided to refer directly to it.
Wikipedia
The early development of Fire
' the daughter of Edwin John Howell, Jr. (1897–1946), a Chicago firefighter....'Dorothy's childhood has been described as Dickensian. The family lived as boarders in a crowded house. The parents were dysfunctional and unhappy and prone to sometimes violent fights; they moved Dorothy amongst various schools, and paid only sporadic attention to the children before divorcing in 1927. The children were then sent on a train by themselves, unsupervised (Dorothy was eight, Isabelle younger), to live with their paternal grandparents in the Los Angeles suburb of Alhambra, California. The sisters endured harsh and unloving treatment from their grandparents. After Dorothy was caught trick-or-treating during one Halloween, an activity the grandparents forbade, she was confined to her room for an entire year except for attending school, and was not even allowed to eat in the kitchen or play in the yard.'
The above quote describes to me, different aspects of a Fire environment:
"[Her father was] a Chicago firefighter” ...: We might not be surprised if in some way, his job brought out a Fire quality in his personality, and/or, manifested in his offspring, Dorothy. "The family lived as boarders in a crowded house.": Crowds in confined spaces create heat, and activity becomes more noticeable; there is in this a Fire quality, perhaps positively in terms of greater social interaction, and negatively as volatility; confrontations, arguments and so forth. " The parents were dysfunctional and unhappy and prone to sometimes violent fights.": Joy and laughter are considered the natural positive emotions that correspond with Fire inCCM. Joy is an expression of happiness. In this sense happiness corresponds with Fire, and unhappiness, an expression of Fire imbalance of some kind. Violence and fighting clearly express Fire's negative side. " moved Dorothy amongst various schools": Fire is the most active of the Five Energies, and moving Dorothy in this way we might imagine, activated her Fire nature; for better or worse, we are not sure. " ... paid only sporadic attention to the children before divorcing in 1927": Fire depends directly upon its fuel source for survival; no fuel, no fire. The parent is to a child its fuel; the child depends upon the parent for its survival; no parental support, no fuel. No fuel - no fire, meaning no joy, no self-assurance to go out into the world and be able to function confidently. "The children were then sent on a train by themselves, unsupervised (Dorothy was eight, Isabelle younger), to live with their paternal grandparents in the Los Angeles suburb of Alhambra, California…”: What I have seen in numerous profiles of those born in a 9 Fire year is the loss or separation of the 9 Fire person from loved ones, in their early years, and we see it again in the life of Mrs. Rodham. Such a loss is something we can imagine one feels in the heart, the Fire related organ in CCM. " ... harsh and unloving treatment from their grandparents.": Fire burns and burning causes pain; pain corresponds with Fire. We might imagine that for a child, the pain of harsh treatment caused in the children a negative effect on their heart, and the lack of love left them with an emptiness, that again contributed to a sense of uncertainty in their nature. " ... confined to her room for an entire year ... not even allowed to eat in the kitchen or play in the yard...": Lack of social interaction, the heart is the social organ, associated with expression, of voice and emotions.
The heart corresponds with Fire in classical Chinese medicine
'In her final years, her health began to fail due to heart problems...'
“… heart problems.”: According to Wikipedia, she died of heart problems. As I have seen from reading numerous profiles from an Energetic view, significantly proportionately more 9 Fire people suffer from heart, circulatory and blood disorders, than those born in any other Energetic year.
On Bill Clinton
In light of what we now know about Dorothy, Bill Clinton's biography becomes more significant in terms of his relationship with Hillary, especially, we might imagine in the early years of their relationship when family matters were discussed. Reason, Bill (b. 8.19.1946, Hope, AK) was also born in a 9 Fire year, and he too went through similar experiences to Dorothy. According to his Wikipedia entry:
'His father, William Jefferson Blythe, Jr. (1918–1946), was a traveling salesman who died in an automobile accident three months before Clinton was born. His mother, Virginia Dell (née Cassidy; 1923–1994), traveled to New Orleans to study nursing soon after he was born. She left Clinton in Hope with her parents Eldridge and Edith Cassidy, who owned and ran a small grocery store ... Bill's mother returned from nursing school and married Roger Clinton, Sr....Clinton says he remembers his stepfather as a gambler and an alcoholic who regularly abused his mother and half-brother, Roger Clinton, Jr., to the point where he intervened multiple times with the threat of violence to protect them.'
2012
Ann Romney, 6 Metal ☰
(b. 4.16.1949, Detroit, MI): wife of Mitt Romney, former Presidential hopeful, businessman, and Governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007, making her former First Lady of Massachusetts. (Wikipedia)
Considering she was born in a Metal year and metal is obtained through mining, Mrs. Romney’s family history is interesting, energetically speaking. According to information in her Wikipedia entry, her father, Thomas Roderick Davies (6.2.1915, Wales, UK – 9.8.1992) was born in a 4 Tree year, but his business was Metal. He was born into a Welsh coal mining family and became a self-made industrialist co-founding a maker of heavy equipment for marine use. His father, David Davies, began working in the mines at the age of six according to a Time profile (August 28, 2012), called “The Ascent of Ann Romney”. In this story, in Ann, we see the two extremes of Metal, for on the one hand we see the family background going back to the mines in Wales, as mentioned, but also we see her ascent to a privileged life, a classic 6 Metal situation according to the way I understand 6 Metal energetics. Mrs. Romney is another example of the many women in prominent positions in society, who were born in a 6 Metal year. The following profile interests me because it quite literally describes her Metal nature. I have updated this profile since I first wrote it.
At Romney’s Side, a Determined Running Mate, by Ashley Parker, New York Times, June 15,2012
Images of metal and strength
The 6 Metal I Ching trigram, ☰, is called “Heaven”. It’s three unbroken lines image strength (unbroken lines), and motion/activity (movement without breaks), and indeed these qualities appear in Mrs. Romney:
‘… a Determined Running Mate …’
“… a Determined Running Mate …”: An expression of her strength.
'someone ....... who, friends say, has steel behind the smile.' … “I think behind the frivolity, between the warm humor, there’s a lot of steel that’s respected by everybody in the campaign because it’s respected by Mitt Romney” … “I consider myself a very strong person, …”’
“… steel behind the smile … a lot of steel … a very strong person …”: Classic Metal images. Further, we see how she expresses this Metal energy:
‘“… a very independent-minded person and someone that just sets my own path and goes my own way,” Mrs. Romney, 63, said. “I don’t worry about what other people think or do.”
“…independent-minded ...”: To depend on others in any way does not fit the image of an unbroken line, but rather a space, and thus a weakness. “… sets my own path and goes my own way … don’t worry about what other people think or do …”: These all work in harmony with this consciousness of self-reliance. The thought occurred, that in a mining image, she has a kind of tunnel vision. Further, we see an example of these qualities in action:
'When she had a brief flare-up of her illness right before Super Tuesday, a crucial day of nominating contests, Mrs. Romney kept the health scare a secret and forced herself to continue campaigning. “I knew I had to take a break, and I knew I couldn’t,” she said.'
“… kept the health scare a secret …”: She is self-contained. “… forced herself to continue campaigning …”: Her internal strength; guts. “… I knew I had to take a break, and I knew I couldn’t…”: The energy channel of the Metal related organ, the large intestine, flows across the shoulders. A fundamental image we can think of in this regard is the miner, and the strength needed to carry a heavy sack over his shoulders, an image of a burden. In everyday life however, we can consider it in terms of responsibility; shouldering responsibility.
Metal cuts
'Since then, though, she has become her husband’s chief promoter, willing to plunge into the political fight and prodding him into his current race, even though most of her family was against it. While he was enumerating all the possible hurdles, she recalled, she frustrated him by cutting him off and saying, “No, I’m not going to consider those things because those change every day.”'
“… willing to plunge into the political fight and prodding him into his current race…”: “Plunge” and “prodding” are worth comment. To me, within this context, they both correspond with Water, suggesting strong constitutional kidney energy, which gives her drive and stamina. Plunge of course images jumping into the water and suggests one is ready to mix with others and go with the flow of events, while prodding resembles the pushing nature of a person, that we can see in the forward flow of water in a river, the fundamental image from which we derive Water metaphors. Prods are often made of metal, so there is a Metal image contained here as well; she’s pushing in a Metal-like way. “… While he was enumerating all the possible hurdles … she frustrated him by cutting him off…”: Metal implements cut. 6 Metal is the most positive of all the Energies, and as such, by cutting him off, she is actually cutting out his negative thoughts (a yang process, incorporating her Metal influence to contract the situation to the issues that are most important); to her, in “going for gold”, he wins by staying positive. “… because those change every day…”: When we know that Mitt (b. 3.4.1947, Detroit, MI) was born in an 8 Soil year, this issue becomes more significant. The first consideration is the 8 Soil I Ching trigram called “Mountain”, which in this quote is reflected in the image of “all the possible hurdles”, reason being that Mountain birth energy reflects in the person who often finds him/herself having “an uphill climb” to achieve a goal. Hillary Clinton (b. 10.26.1949, Chicago, IL) who was born in an 8 Soil year comes to mind with the “trudge up the hill” screenshot referring to Hillary, that flashed during President Obama’s correspondent’s dinner last year. Further, if we return to basics, the emotion of worry corresponds with Soil in CCM, and I think we can see the connection when we consider the actions of a farmer, Soil related work, that goes all the way back in Chinese history. Farming is cyclical, and a farmer who knows his/her land knows the possible pitfalls that may arise to prevent a successful harvest: the farmer projects into the future and worries about things that may never happen. In Mitt’s case, Ann is far more positive; she is “above” such thoughts: Heaven (the mindset of Ann) creates the climate, the seasons, and the rain, that Mountain/Earth (Mitt) responds to.
Metal energy moves inward
'While she describes herself as “tough,” her fortitude was tested in 1998 with a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. With the illness came bone-crushing fatigue. So tired that she barely had the energy to form words, she found herself in bed all day because of exhaustion, and depression soon followed… ‘Mrs. Romney largely turned inward. “I wasn’t sharing,” she said. “I wasn’t telling anyone what I was going through.”'
“… describes herself as “tough, … her fortitude was tested”: Within this context, “tough” and “fortitude”, both images of strength, correspond with Metal. “… depression soon followed.”: Her depression was preceded by fatigue to the point of exhaustion. We speak of metal fatigue. In CCM, the Metal organs are the lungs and large intestine. We can refer to both in terms of “collapse”; collapsed lung, collapsed colon (mines collapse too). In this way, we can connect the lungs with depression, which is not uncommon in Metal people profiles, for when Metal energy declines or is very low, in a slumping posture, the chest can become concave, the shoulders rounded; literally, a depression. “… Mrs. Romney largely turned inward. “I wasn’t sharing, … I wasn’t telling anyone …”: Metal energy moves from the external periphery to an internal point. The emphasis of the energetic flow is toward the self, and in times of trouble, the Metal person seeks for strength and direction, by looking inward.
Copyright© by David Sergel
Photographs© by David Sergel
One Peaceful World
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