Fire in the Hole

[Guest guest]

Good morning,

The rain in Spain is falling mostly here, in the valley,

and the mountains are covered with snow,

while the new, green and gender leaves are

sprouting on the trees.

The seasons are out of sync, the Geese flying North at

this time of year are confounded by the amount of snow

and they and their cousins the Ducks are stopping off here

in the Verde Valley, surrounded by snow.

Feast or famine, flood or drought, what's it all about?

Extremes of polarities, the opposites, energy waxing and waning,

the Dance of the opposites is intertwining.

According to Huai-nan-tzu.--------

" Spiritual Fire-----drives away the yang which is inside the yin.

This yang flies upward and ascends, and at the ' original position

of the spiritual fire' it meets with the yin which is inside the yang.

These two capture each other, control each other, have intercourse

with each other, and knot together.---The Ch'i ( energies ) buttoning

on to each other and knotting together, produce change and also

transformation. Sometimes the phenomena of the " lad & the girl "

appear, and sometimes the shapes of the Dragon & Tiger.

With numerous changes they fly about, rising, running, & leaping,

never quiet for a moment, and never coming out from the vessel and

the stove.---So will the true (cinnabar ) meditation be condensed and

aggregated. This is the Tao. The two most important things are the

observing mind and the attracting spirit; both helping the efficacy of the

" fire-times. " The meditation methods of the Buddhists seem to be

valuable but are not really so. The Taoist who take deep breaths and

swallow saliva are pursuing trifles & abandoning what really matters. "

The last three sentences seem to indicate clearly that the " alchemical "

process is actually spiritual. It is of intrest that the image of the

interplay

of the Dragon & the Tiger was used in connection with the dances that

preceded the Taoist sexual ritual. And here again we are most likely

dealing with figurative language.

So, divorce old barren reason from your house, and take the daughter

of the vine ( Intuition ) to spouse.

Regards

S.C.