Darkness is the seed of potential
Taoist principles of yin and yang tell us that ultimate yin (dark) inevitably transforms to yang (light). Uttermost darkness contains the seed of light, and the fertile darkness is the source of potential. As the beginning of a 12 year cycle, 2020, year of the Chinese Rat is that seed. Literally. It is associated with the qi influence “zi”, which means “seed”. Seeds store potential…a giant sequoia, one of the greatest trees on the planet, begins from a tiny, freckle size seed. The medicine of challenging times is to connect us with that potential, our ability to be the seed of light within the dark.
Rat embodies this perfectly- it is also associated with the constellation Xuan Mu “Mystical Warrior,” found in the darkest part of the northern sky in winter. As we approach the winter solstice, the day of greatest dark out of which light is born, we can be the Mystical Warrior and become that seed of light, for ourselves and for our community.
Here’s a Seed Ceremony we can do:
Get a seed, whatever kind you like-
Reflect on the seed of light you carry, your gifts and potential. It might be something specific, or could just be a felt sense, an energy. Meditate with your seed as the storehouse of that potential…but don’t plant it, not yet. Keep it in a special place where you can connect with it to remind you of the light that is germinating….it will be with you all winter long. When you are ready, in early spring, plant it, and watch the living reminder of your potential grow out of the dark.