The Gate of Embodiment
Other Names: Love of the Body, Pushing Upward
Biology: liver
Archetypal Insight from the I Ching, by Ma Deva Padma; when this description resonates, a shift from novice expression to wisdom is likely imminent:
There is nothing standing in the way of your progress in this energy. A great deal of preparation and change has coalesced to bring about this propitious time. Whatever is needed to support your best interests can be accessed easily now. Support may come from a variety of sources, and what you need will be made available with very little effort on your part.
Now you can appreciate all those past struggles that have been an essential part of your journey up to now, that have served you well by strengthening your determination to hold fast and carry on. This empowered inner sense is essential to achieving true success. The possibility of realizing a long-cherished dream is finally becoming a reality.
It is timely to ask for help from those who are in a position to guide you. They will be more than willing to lend an ear and offer sound advice. Don’t get distracted by emotional euphoria that might fill your head at odd moments. Keep your feet firmly planted on the ground and attend to the business of being ordinary. The progress that has brought this time about can continue unabated if you are willing and able to stay in tune with events as they occur, without getting ahead of yourself. An extraordinary timing has been at work in the events that have transpired to create the current situation. In retrospect it will become clear that many things you never planned or expected were instruments of a grand design that has brought you to the present circumstance.
Keep your vision wide, be willing to hear what others have to say, and be supportive when others come to you for guidance. Drop any hesitations or doubts that might threaten to hold you back; they will be out of sync with the present reality. Indulging in doubtful thinking or postponing what needs to be done would send a message that you’re to not ready or willing to receive what is being given you. When others sense your reluctance they are apt to withdraw – doubts have a tendency to become infectious.
This is the moment to reach for the stars. Be courageous and anchor yourself in the rich soil of goodwill that supports you, and accept your good fortune with gratitude. You can, in your own style, make a difference not only for yourself but for the world you live in. Take care to maintain a balance within yourself, in your activities, and in your relations with others. Otherwise the present surge of enthusiasm might degenerate into a workaholic addiction. This would create an unfortunate imbalance, and if it happens, it needs to be addressed as soon as it is recognized. No need to push the river – it’s already moving swiftly and you can enjoy the ride. The flowering that is happening now is well deserved, and congratulations are in order. Now get back to work!
The Changes (additional insight for applying the Line of an activated Gate)
Line 1 – Investigator/Information
In the atmosphere of advancement that characterizes the time of Pushing Upward, everybody is benefited no matter what their place in the natural order of things. The smallest sprout is encouraged to flower as much as the mightiest tree. Don’t fall into the habit of looking around and comparing yourself with others. Just step onto the dance floor and you’ll find plenty of partners ready to enjoy the party with you.
Line 2 – Responder/Hermit
You’ve been carrying a treasure that might have gone unrecognized up till now, either because of your own modesty or because others have been looking for more obvious talents. Now you might find yourself suddenly appreciated for qualities that you didn’t know you had or knew, but have long taken for granted. It might throw you a little off balance at first, but what a pleasant surprise! Don’t make a fuss about it, even when others might be making a fuss over you. All that’s needed is that you keep on being who you are.
Line 3 – Explorer
Now it is so easy to make great strides in the direction you have so long wanted to go that you might be in danger of undermining the process with a lack of humbleness. Or, you might begin to suspect that it’s all too good to be true, and undermine your confidence with your own skepticism. Best is to stay watchful and centered in yourself, and proceed with a combination of enthusiasm and caution. A flexible attitude will allow you to step lightly around any unexpected obstacles that might arise.
Line 4 – Stabilizer
You might feel like you’ve just been picked up by a big, friendly wave and delivered right to your destination. If that’s how you’re feeling, it’s likely to be true! Remember, though, that although your skills and talents played an important part, in a very real sense your good fortune is not entirely your own doing. Stay in touch with gratefulness and receptivity as you slip off your surfboard and step onto the shore.
Line 5 – Visionary Leader
It’s one thing to be setting a foundation, as it requires a good deal of cooperation from many others. But even when we work to capacity we may not necessarily have our dreams realized right away. The realization of your most heartfelt vision requires a little more effort to come in tune with the changes that have brought you to this point. Once that tuning is achieved, it will be clear sailing.
Line 6 – Adept/Role Model
Take care not to get so carried away by the momentum of the times that you get caught in Pushing Upward just for the sake of being taller than everybody else. This would be a little like blowing out all the candles on your birthday cake and getting your wish, but being so ungrateful and greedy that you declare an end to the party and begin to eat the whole cake on your own, in which case you have missed the point somewhere – and if your belly isn’t already hurting, it soon will be.
Other aspects
Astrological Sign: Virgo
Dynamics: Gentle (wood/wind) + Yin/Receptive (earth)
Color: jade green + black
Attributes: penetrating, subtle, influencing, dispersing + yielding, supportive, devotional, intuitive
Action(s): to penetrate and give away
Developmental: adult + womb