Apr. 4, 2025 - Clear and Bright

Today is the start of a new Seasonal Node. Each of the four seasons can be broken down into six smaller segments, called "Seasonal Nodes" (or "Solar Terms"), which come with specific instructions about what to do (and what not to do) to stay healthy and happy and harmonized with the natural world.

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The next 15-day period is called "Clear and Bright."

The name is a reference to Yang (the fiery, active, bright, warm, responsive, transformative aspects of the Universe).

Yang is really starting to come to the surface now. The flowers are blooming. The animals are busy. The winds and thunder are fierce.

The human body is a microcosm of Nature.

Our Yang (in other words, our Qi - warm, active, transformative) should be surfacing right now, emerging from deep to superficial and filling mind and limb with notions of creativity, movement, and productivity. We should feel clear and bright right now!

If this isn't so...

Then failure likely occurred months ago.

In order for Yang to emerge clear and bright in the late spring, it must have been properly stored in the winter.

Did I sleep enough in winter? Did I keep warm? Did I eat cooked, bland foods? Did I let Qi rest and abstain from calling it too often to action (physically and mentally)?

If not, then Qi will certainly not feel clear and bright today.

A lot of folks are complaining about fatigue and foggy minds right now. There's only one thing for it: Do better next year.

Hibernating through spring and summer is not an option. That will just cause a different set of problems. Always follow Nature's rhythms.

But maybe play out this year's spring and summer programs in easy mode. Then when winter comes around again, really follow the rules.