Hymn of Changes is coming!

Receptive mountain shots,
November Full Moon Silverton CO


a.foley copyright 2009

a.foley copyright 2009

a.foley copyright 2009


"The Receptive"
2nd of the 64 Hexagrams
from A Hymn of Changes by David La Chapelle
Revised edition coming DECEMBER 1ST !


The Receptive

The Receptive awaits the movement of Heaven.
With quietness and serenity the Earth receives
the impulses of Heaven
and substance is given to the unseen.
The Receptive mind is still, yet moves with contact.
It gives form to endless impulses without being overwhelmed.
It never tires as it is guided faithfully by trust and surrender.

To cultivate such receptivity
we must have the courage to remain still
and trust that movement will arise as it should
and when it should.

Yielding
Devotion
Faith


The Receptive

Earth above: Devotion, Receptivity Earth Below: Devotion, Receptivity

The womb of matter gives birth to The Creative. The Earth undergoes the labor pains of creation: for millions of years a mantle of matter gathers form and weaves the body of the Tao. The Earth has become a cradle of creation through unending devotion. Across the tides of time, the Earth has woven a constant response to the impulses of the spirit. This unceasing response is born of a profound devotion.

To be truly Receptive is to be remade continually by the heavens: a constant release of what has been generated. In order to undergo such a relentless process of change, firm foundations are important. Trusting implicitly in our own nature, we can surrender without reserve to the impulses of the Heavens. This trust is possible because we are, at the core, no different than the Tao. The paradox of this contact is that we are surrendering to our own being as we surrender to the power of The Creative.

The burning point of contact between The Creative and The Receptive is a dynamic moment of the potential becoming actual, spirit becoming form. Living our lives with such receptivity means being acutely alive with the power of creative action. All too often, people resist the deeply receptive places in their hearts because there is a fear of annihilation. If we are truly Receptive, then we are no longer in control; if we are no longer in control, then we fear we will be destroyed. This root fear is based on a mistrust of the Tao; for if we truly trusted, then we would unhesitatingly embrace The Creative and live our lives as expressions of the truth.

Closing deep upon itself, The Receptive forms a womb. This incubation is a spiraling inwards of intention and will. At the moment of purest intention, our will becomes the will of the Tao. There is a moment of intense receptivity just prior to the descent of inspiration. This fusion of personal will with the Tao is achieved by the discipline of our forms of expression. Artist, writer, dancer, poet, actress, and actor all cultivate the Receptive by virtue of their chosen discipline.

The Earth is heavy by virtue of its mass. An accumulation of matter builds a vortex of receptivity which is the nucleus of a planetary system. This gathering of form is necessary in order to sustain the fires of the creative process. In our own lives this accumulation of form is best done in a spirit of loving devotion. If we gather because of self-serving instinct and not because of faith, then we run the risk of materialism: cloaking ourselves with devices and material possessions to armor ourselves from the demands of The Creative.

A gathering of matter around the still point of the heart transforms our wombs into sanctuaries of love. For the love of creation we are willing to embrace our receptivity and honor the feminine…

with love,
Ananda Elise Foley
PO Box 542 Silverton Colorado 81433