Zen & reading the stars
Manoj Hermans interviewed by Gert jan Evelo on Monday 26 december 2005 about the AKHALDAN I CHING CALENDAR
What is Akhaldan?
Akhaldan is an astro-ecological society of learned beings, like you and me. This foundation stimulates, studies and deepens the 7 magical sciences (Hepthaparaparshinokh = the cosmic law of the sevenfold ness) to know:
1 Astrology (7 stars); 2 Music (7 tunes);3 Painting (7 colours); 4 Yoga (7 chakra’s) and because you have Yoga, you also get 5 Tantra (7 ways of saying yes) as a magical science, then 6 Alchemy (Mother Earth with her plants, herbs and elements) and last 7 Philosophy (7 religions Atheism, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam Judism, Taoism ).
What is Tantra?
Tantra is the art of saying ‘ Yes’ and Yoga is the art of saying ‘ No ‘, and then you get Alchemy, the art to work with the 7 elements (not counting Earth as a given issue!).
Which 7 elements do you mean?
Fire, water, thunder, wind, mountain, lake and heaven.
Are there 7 elements in the I Ching?
No the I Ching knows 8 elements, but when you take the element earth, as the given situation (starting point), then you can speak of seven elements and the system of 7 in the elements ( 7 – 49 – etc)! Last of the magical sciences is 7 Philosophy. This is the Alpha and Omega, the wondering human and the desire for insight.
What is the I Ching?
The I Ching is an Chinese oracle based on 8 elements, like described above. These elements are symbolized in broken and unbroken lines in the form of a trigram (3 lines).In combination with each other (8*8=64) this will give 64 hexagrams (6 lines).
Let’s go deeper into the word AKHALDAN. This word was introduced by Gurdjieff in his book ‘ Beelzebub’s tales to his grandson’. Can you explane to us what meaning Gurdjieff has given to that word.
It is an Atlantic word for an astrological society of learned beings, founded by Belcultassi in Samlios, the capital of Atlantis. This society knew about the oncoming catastrophe. A year before the continent disappeared, they send sailing ships to the other 5 continents (Asia, Africa, America) and there some of their knowledge and knowing survived in the form of the Tarot (Africa) and the I Ching (Asia).
AKHALDAN now is again a foundation, grounded in 1983 in Amsterdam, and since then the AKHALDAN I CHING CALENDAR is published.
The essence of Akhaldan is Atlantis and Gurdjieff. It means also:
AKH = Heaven; AL = God and DAN = Here and Now. It contains also the consciousness of the Here and Now and this I Ching calendar makes it possible, to see what the here and now is! In fact it is a combination of the grown wisdom in Africa and Asia after the fall of Atlantis.
How is the Akhaldan I Ching Calendar made?
With the help of Astrology, because for each day of the year there is a horoscope made. This chard is translated into the Tarot and the tarot cards are translated into the I Ching. So for each day we find an I Ching hexagram. So the positions of the planets are translated into tarot cards and with the given numbers, I can transform them into the I Ching. How this works, I will explane later on. So a person born on a certain day or an enterprise founded on a certain day, one can see straight the I Ching Way (TAO) in the form of a hexagram.
Maybe it is better to work with an example; what is the best day to sow?
This is determined by the position of the Moon. With New Moon in Taurus, that will be on Thursday the 27th of April 2006 at 20:05 Amsterdam Time. That day is the day of Wealth and the best day to sow. We have then the I Ching number 14 meaning “ Wealth “.
Why this AKHALDAN I CHING CALENDAR?
To be consciously in the Here and Now and to make use of the advices from the I Ching.
In other words I know that on this day (the interview is been held on the second Christmas day 2005, the day of success) the Moon is in Scorpio and that there are 4 enlightened planets (I call it like that), meaning that the positions of 4 planets are expressed by a specific tarot card.
To know: The Sun in Capricorn gives Power, shown by the 4 of the disks. Moon in Scorpio is not enlightened and gives no tarot card. Mercury in Sagittarius creates Swiftness = 8 of the wands. Then Saturn in Leo is expressed by the minor arcane card Strife = 5 of the wands and Venus in Aquarius has the card Defeat = 5 of the swords.
This gives the cosmic P.I.N. code number 4855 and that is Yin, Yin, Yang, Yang.
That creates the hexagram number 52 = The Mountain; Keeping Still, where 4 lines of the hexagram (from below to above) are occupied, so that the 5th line starts working! So one reads the judgement and the image of this hexagram and the 5th line of number 52.
What says the 5th line of the Mountain?
The 5th line in the book of Richard Wilhelm (the best edition) says:
Keeping Still; The Mountain
By keeping the mouth still, one’s words have order and remorse passes.
If one is in a dangerous situation, especially if one is not adequate to it, one is inclined to be very free with talk and presumptuous jokes. Injudicious speech invariable gives cause for remorse. Be reserved in speech; let it take ever more definite form; let every occasion for regret vanish.
So it is very nice to have this calendar. One can see the impact of a day. If it is favourite or dangerous. With the advice of the I Ching Oracle one knows how to act!
The essence is to be in the ‘Here and Now’. That is why this calendar is produced! One can see straight the I Ching Hexagram happening. So one does not need days searching what it will be!
Certain books are a must for reading the calendar!
Yes, in the first place the I Ching, the calendar is in English and also published on internet; www.akhaldan.info .
Do you also need the Tarot?
No, in fact you don’t need it, because it is the Akhaldan I Ching Calendar. The Tarot is an extension, something extra. Of course one can use the cards of the Tarot as a deepening of the day. I want to emphasize that with this calendar one get a lot of information on one day:
First: The position of the Moon, full Moon, new Moon, the Moon in which star sign it is.
Second: Which I Ching Hexagram is functioning.
Third: Which line of the I Ching Oracle is coming into practice (depends of the amount of enlightened stars = *)
Fourth: Which card of the tarot is there and
Fifth: If the judgement is positive or negative.
In the calendar one finds a page with the title “ How to use this I Ching calendar “.
To get your full material, emotional and spiritual fulfilment out of this calendar, you first of all need a meditative mind and an I Ching book and/or a Dakini Oracle book, because every day has its I Ching hexagram or Dakini number. These oracles are analogue in their 64 ways of entities.
Let’s take for instance take this day: New Moon in Taurus on Thursday the 27th of April 2006 at 20:05 Amsterdam Time (A.T.) the best day to plant your seeds. On this day there are 2 planets enlightened ( * * ), which are expressed by 2 tarot cards to know:
Moon in Taurus = Success ( 6 of the disks ) and Saturn in Leo = Strife ( 5 of the wands).
This creates number 14 (Wealth) in the I Ching. For the Secret Dakini Oracle number 14 = Puja; purification. 2 stars enlightened (**) means that the third line of the hexagram starts functioning or for the Dakini the third chakra (navel chakra) = vitality, physical human happenings and materialistic ideals. The meaning of the Tarot of this day (left down in the corner of the little square) is by coincidence also wealth. This card of the tarot is a kind of background music of the day. It deepens the meaning of the I Ching. Right down in the corner one can see if the judgement of the I Ching Oracle is + (positive) or __ (negative).
What does an enlightened planet mean?
An enlightened planet is a position of a planet, which can be translated into a card of the tarot.
For instance Sun in Capricorn is an enlightened planet, because ego in the outside world, profession, status and career creates Power and this is translated into the 4 of the disks. So we can also take the Moon in Taurus, meditation about the earth, which creates Success.
Can the Moon also be enlightened?
Yes, the moon has 5 enlightened positions to know: Moon in Taurus is Success; Moon in Cancer is Luxury; Moon in Libra gives Peace; Moon in Sagittarius creates Strength and Moon in Aquarius gives Futility. From the 12 positions of the Moon (in the 12 different star signs) ther are only 5 enlightened. This is also valid for the other planets (Sun and Moon we see also as planets). Except Mars, because this planet knows 6 enlightened positions!
We know 36 minor arcana cards (6*5 and 1*6 = 36).
Is there any connection between the I Ching Calendar and the Maya Calendar?
No there is no connection, only the symbols used in the I Ching (of broken and unbroken lines) have some resemblance with the symbols of the Maya in the 20 seals of the Sun.
What is the connection of the I Ching with the Dakini?
In fact there are 3 beautiful images in this calendar:
First the I Ching of course, it is an image in the form of elements.
Second the Dakini, because it knows also 64 ‘Entities’, which are identical with the 64 hexagrams of the I Ching. The secret Dakini Oracle has 64 beautiful collages to be seen in 64 cards.
Third the major and minor arcane cards of the Tarot.
The source of the Dakini is Tibet, the source of the I Ching is China and the source of the Tarot is Africa and the link between Africa and Asia leads into the I Ching Calendar.
Akhaldan I Ching Calendar can only exist, thanks to the translation of the cards of the Tarot into numbers, which are translated into the lines of the I Ching, and this again gives the analogue Dakini number. So if you work only with the secret Dakini, even then you can use this calendar. But it is the I Ching calendar. The Dakini is just extra!
Maybe you can call it the AkhaldanTarot Calendar?
No, because that would mean that I have to show all the cards of the Tarot on one day and that is really too much work. It is not possible, so that’s why it is the Akhaldan I Ching calendar.
In fact the I Ching calendar cannot be made without the Tarot!
In reality the I Ching calendar cannot be made without Astrology. Astrology and Tarot are linked with each other, like the Tarot is linked with the I Ching and the I Ching with the Dakini.
What you can do with this calendar?
With this calendar you can see straight with I Ching Oracle appears and which line of that hexagram comes into existence. With the oracle book you know what to do or not to do. With this calendar you are able to come to the right action.
Is the 1st of January really the beginning of a New Year?
No, because this date has nothing to do with cosmic energies. It is just a day invented by humans. New Year, in which sense ever, has to do with cosmic entities. For instance the New Moon in Aquarius (the Chinese New Year), now that is really cosmic! However on this planet one can see many New Years, mostly dictated by religion (Hindu, Buddhist, Maya, Jews etc).
I am convinced that the New Moon in Aquarius is a very good system to show the New Year in an international sense, because Aquarius is the Internationality! Chinese New Year is every year different, because the New moon in Aquarius differs every year.
The next New Year starts on Sunday the 14th of February 2.32 (A.T.) Valentine’s day! With the year of the Tiger. The red Tiger. The Tiger is the Chinese equivalence of the western star sign Aries () meaning: Freedom, indepemdence, first start, operation, inventions, own experience, experiments, pioneering, own wisdom, own body, adventouresness, new beginnings. A Tiger is yang, masculine, audicious, alone and is governed by Mars = action = body. The colour of the new coming year is red and the tune is ‘C'” (do). Trust your own energy and move with it! Rule by serving and serve by ruling! The head with corresponding nerves system is the weak organ of the Tiger and therefore head massages and Humming on your own height of tune is good to do in this coming year.
This year of the Thunder-Tiger is governed by the I Ching Hexagram 24 :
“ Return “ ( Thunder the exciting below; Earth the receptive above ).
The Judgement
Succes comes in accord with the time, friends forgather in harmony. No blame.
Now is the time to undertake something
The Image
As thunder withdraws to its deepest rest, so kings of antiquity closed the passes.
Merchants and strangers do not go about, nor do the ruler travel the provinces.
Lao Tse says says about number 24:
He who stands on tiptoe is not steady. he who strides cannot maintain the pace. He who makes a show is not enlightened. He who is self-rightenous is not respected. he who boasts achieves nothing. he who brags will not endure.
According to the followers of TAO : These are extra food and unnecessary luggage. They do not bring happiness. Therefore followers of the TAO avoid them.
Why is the Year of the Tiger 2010 governed by the I Ching number 24?
This has to do with the Wheel of Fu Shi, that is printed on the backside of the calendar.
This Wheel from the Chinese Philosopher Fu Shi (about 3000 before Christ) gives the settings of the elements according the so called’ Early Heaven’ . For every year with his corresponding Chinese animal stands an universal Tao (Hexagram). Fu Shi was the founder of the I Ching (also called the Chinese Theory about the elements). Every year has therefore his I Ching Hexagram! The Wheel of Fu Shi shows in a harmonic way the reflections and counterparts of the elements:
Fire ↔ Water; Heaven ↔ Earth; Wind ↔ Thunder and Mountain ↔ Lake.
8 elements combined with 8 elements (expressed with 3 lines, called trigram) gives 64 hexagrams (6 lines). Fire, water, heaven and earth are universal, so they fall of, so we keep 60 hexagrams, which are divided over 12 Chinese animals. 2010 is therefore the year of the generous Thunder-Tiger with Return (number 24) as his universal Tao. This Wheel repeats itself every 60 years (f.i. 2010 = 1950 etc). Universal means valid for everyone and everywhere on this planet. One can easily find the universal Tao of a person, when one knows in which Chinese year he/she is born. Without an ego and a mind we are universal and enlightened (the drop dissolves in the Great Ocean),
sarvamangalam, may all sentient beings be happy.