Ox turns Heaven and Earth 牛转乾坤

As this is the year of Ox, a new expression appeared in the Chinese websites in the beginning of the year:
"Ox turns Heaven and Earth" - "Niu zhuan qian kun" 牛转乾坤.

This sentence is a word play. It comes from the Chinese idiom: "Niu zhuan qian kun" 扭转乾坤, which means "to bring about a radical change in the situation; reverse a bad situation or unfavorable condition to one’s advantage". This phrase is also translated as “to turn the tables”, because it derived from the ancient Chinese games. The player that is in a disadvantaged and weak position, turns the situation around and wins the game.

So, now in Chinese there are many wishes such as: "Wish you good luck and let the ox turn the Heaven and Earth!", "Ox turns the universe", etc. ;-)
This shows the hope of people for better changes and better times. Like always...

Annie Pecheva

The Winter Solstice and the energy

December 21st is the Winter Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere. The Sun is at 270 degree on the ecliptic.

The 3-4 days before and after the Winter Solstice are characterized with very powerful positive energy in Nature. This is a good time for receiving energy from Nature, important time for more meditation and relaxation. Even in a non-meditation state one can feel how the energy and the blood circulation in the body are very intensified as if in a meditation state.

Now the qigong meditation is very qualitative, it gets easier and faster to enter into the deep levels of subconsciousness. The taoists, buddhists and the qigong practitioners give a great importance to the meditation during the Winter Solstice and they utilize this period for more intensive cultivation. This is not accidentally. At the Winter Solstice the yang energy starts to increase (and the days start to get larger), while the yin energy gradually starts to diminish (and the nights are becoming smaller). Slowly and almost unnoticeably the heat in Nature and within the human body is increasing from inside towards outside.

To a certain point, this is also related to the lunar month of Rat (zi), in which we are now. It is represented by the “Fu” 24th hexagram in I Ching:



Lao Zi says "Returning is the movement of Dao". Fu hexagram means “Returning, Coming back" and it consists of 1 yang and 5 yin. The past month (hai) was completely yin – with 6 yin, but now a new cycle is beginning, in which the first rays of the Yang energy start to appear. In Chinese, this is called “Yi yang chu” 一阳出 (“the appearance of first yang”). That's why this is considered a great time for cultivation.

During the different 24 solar terms of the Chinese calendar, the qi is concentrated at different energy points (guan 关) of the small heavenly orbit 小周天.



Now, during the 15 days of the Winter Solstice period, the qi is concentrated at hui yin energy point of the body as well as in the lower dantian. Now it starts to activate especially on the du mai (the yang meridian) of the small heavenly orbit. At the same time, the flow of energy can be felt much better and faster throughout the whole body.

In the past times, the Winter Solstice in China was regarded as an official holiday and the New Year's day. The scholars and practitioners of metaphysics have done important forecasts namely during the day of the Winter solstice.

With best wishes to all,

Annie Pecheva