The Gate of Faith
Other Names: Spirit, Abundance
Biology: kidney and pancreas
Archetypal Insight from the I Ching, by Ma Deva Padma; when this description resonates, a shift from novice expression to wisdom is likely imminent:
Times of abundance are a sign that life is at a peak, and all seems It is right with the world. It is the greatest opportunity to provide for and support others, to be expansive, celebrate, and express gratitude. The experience is not necessarily dependent upon bank balances, although it often accompanies an upturn in the healthy, wealthy, and wise side of things. But fundamentally, the feeling of abundance comes from within; it’s when your inner landscape is rich and fertile, so full to the point of overflow that you are glad to give because you have so much. There is a smile on your lips and it’s great to be alive.
Abundance is the sweet time of reaping the rewards of work done well; it is the harvest that gathers up all that has been sown and then spreads it out bountifully. The traditional I Ching compares it to the sun at its zenith – invigorating, enriching, and illuminating all that it touches. The nature of existence itself is exuberantly prolific. We get zillions of stars, never just a handful. Impossible combinations of color and form, textures and tunes, all for the viewing, tasting, touching, listening. Abundance makes its entrance gradually, after lean times or periods of contraction, and once the first blush of ripeness appears, the promise of plentiful profusion is not far off. Stay mindful to not expect abundance to last indefinitely, and to not squander its rewards. Farmers aptly refer to it as “Make hay while the sun shines.”
There are all kinds of abundance, including one that is independent of externals that is only known by tapping in to the inexhaustible source of riches within your own being. It enables us to be hearty and warm with a “yes” to supporting others yet maintains a centered self-respect that withdraws whenever it is needed, in order to be restored by silence, in nature, and in aloneness. A sense of well-being is the ultimate richness, and it starts where you are; it requires responsiveness to the unfolding moment whatever the moment is offering, and it begins with being abundantly loving of yourself. Abundantly honoring your own being supports wholesomeness, self-respect, and a sense of self-worth. And it flowers into a charismatic luminosity that is independent of decorations and possessions.
You always have the choice to stay small or to think abundant. One path leads you grumbling down the same-old same-old; the other makes the most of the now, appreciating this moment as all, as golden, as a gift. Each of us is continuously challenged by life to create abundance from a rich soil of possibilities, and even when we refuse the invitation, we’re still given more.
Partaking of the abundance that is Tao means spreading your wings, opening your windows, unlocking your heart and your thinking. It is only possible from an attitude of receptivity. If you’re shut down inside, no matter what you’ve got, it’s never going to be enough or bring you joy and peace of mind. Whenever your perspective shifts even for a moment from “slim pickin’s” mode, life becomes an opportunity for renewal, and then you can have some cake and eat it, too.
The Changes (additional insight for applying the Line of an activated Gate)
Line 1 – Investigator/Information
There is an aura of great good fortune around someone who genuinely experiences the pleasure of their own company. If you find such a person in your life now, enjoy the sunshine of their presence. If you are such a person, be grateful for the opportunity to share.
Line 2 – Responder/Hermit
The only way to ever really know and experience a sense of well-being is to take responsibility for both the subtle and overt messages you’re sending out into life. Waiting for it to arrive in the mail, or to happen once you win the lottery, is taking the risk of waiting your life away. Your future is in your hands, heart, and thoughts now. Be bountiful with yourself; nobody else can be responsible for your joy.
Line 3 – Explorer
Abundance comes in all shapes and colors, and its energies can sometimes bring about a kind of Doppler effect of past blunders and unconscious behaviors. In other words, there can even be an abundance of stupidity from time to time. There’s no point in getting agitated or frustrated about it. Try to find the cosmic comedy in it, and wait it out. Remember that all peaks are complemented by valleys, including this one.
Line 4 – Stabilizer
Don’t let unexpected surprises throw you off balance. The fact that you’ve suddenly stumbled across just what you need, despite the fact that you weren’t even looking for it, is exactly what existence must have wanted for you now. No need to be suspicious of it; it really is a gift. Nor is there any point in trying to figure out what you might have done to get yourself into this charmed situation so that you can do it again. Gifts like these, given unconditionally and freely, work under a different set of laws that are more like mysteries than rules.
Line 5 – Visionary Leader
Give of your goodness, and provide what you can to help make this world a better place. The more you share what you have, the more enriched your life will be. You will find an uncommon receptivity to what you have to offer now.
Line 6 – Adept/Role Model
When mind is busy achieving and attaining, there is no time to experience yourself in the abundant spaciousness of the here and now. Stop fixating on what you want or what you’re lacking. As long as your focus is on what’s next or what could be, you’ve lost touch with the abundance of what you really have.
Other aspects
Astrological Sign: Pisces
Dynamics: Clinging (fire) + Arousing (thunder)
Color: yellow + red
Attributes: enlightening, clarifying, communicative, intelligent + provoking movement, shock, impulsive, disturbing
Action(s): to radiate and share
Developmental: conception + birth