THE TIGER CURSE
My paternal grandmother (whom I refer as Nai Nai, paternal grandmother in Mandarin) grew up in Keelung, Taiwan. When she was born, her mother (whom I referred to as Ah Zoh, great grandparent in Hokkien) celebrated exuberantly by announcing a feast complete with a slaughtered pig. This was highly unusual, counter-cultural and was seen as extravagant, as Chinese tradition in the 1930s did not particularly value the birth of a daughter, and certainly not with the life of precious livestock, which during those modest economic times, meat would be reserved only for seasonal festivals and other significant milestone celebrations.
WAYS WE BLOCK OUR CREATIVITY (AND WHAT WE CAN DO ABOUT IT)
I wanted to highlight the importance of how this relates to our bodies, emotions, and psyche this time of the year, when you or those around you are going through the Earth energy of this Water Rabbit Year.
YOU ARE THE ENERGETIC COMPANY THAT YOU KEEP
To the wu shamans, and later Daoists and Ch'an Buddhists (whose sentiments can still be found in present day Chinese culture, such as in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Chinese Astrology), the separation between consciousness and landscape did not exist.
SIMPLE MOON RITUALS FOR POWERFUL ENERGETIC SHIFTS: IN COLLABORATION WITH GOOP
I return to goop, and was interviewed about Moon rituals that highlights principles of Yin, Yang, and Daoism (the philosophy that birthed the Five Elements and Chinese Zodiac) in general. The idea is to slow right down, get tactile, and relate differently than you typically would.
MIST IN DAOISM
In Daoism (Taoism), mist (and fog) is often used as a metaphor for the Unknown, the Hidden, or Mystery. Mist as a symbol of the hidden forces of nature, the secrets of life, and the elusive nature of the Dao (Tao) itself.
SPIRIT IS THE BODY
There are some spiritual beliefs that are focused on freeing spirit from matter, from the body.
There is also another way, an ancient way— the animist tradition that sees the Spirit in Matter, in the Body.