I did my third-grade grade book report on the I Ching. There I was tossing yarrow sticks for the children to access the esoteric but eminently practical ancient oracle from China, based on the same binary code pattern that computers run on. The I Ching is the Matrix of alignment with the seasons, the stars and human emotions. My third grade teacher was astonished by the answer to her question about the classroom windowsill garden’s health. (Thems were simpler days, God only knows where I found yarrow sticks)

In the recent midst of drama beyond the scope of a healthy kitchen garden, I pulled number 11, which translates to Peace. And in true I Ching style, of course, this hexagram relates to the beginning of March and the coming of Spring. The small departs and the Large arises. Synthesising personal experience and emotions for me has always been in tune with the rythyms of nature as a mirror and a conversation. I drop my small experience at the feet of not necessarily what is hot on Twitter but what all of the smarts of chlorophyll, micro and macro quasar-kinda organisms have on their agenda at the moment.

The best part is that it usually is in sync with the world stage.

Currently, running beside the I Ching is movements in Astrology’s 12th house pushing against ideas and emotions of dreams/imagination/past karmic debt and emotional baggage or in other words: our own heroic task of freeing ourselves from unconscious inherited crippling fears and redeeming the family dramas stored up in the cold of winter into new creativity and giving. The small departs, for the new life of Spring. Sinking the small into the earth for transformation and nurturing what may be new growth, new opportunity.

Here are six new Winter into Spring stirrings and secret pleasures arising from my recent travels and adventures.

ONE: THE WORN GROOVES GIVE WAY, LIFE FLOWS ON

The Spring returns and the flow rushes over the crevices, filling them, and moving on, moving all of life forward. Holding a reminder of the past to strengthen for the Future. The giving up in order to give more, love more. These environmental works are by Andy Goldsworthy and the ring is by Linhardt Design Studio, in the East Village, where custom designs from Lisa Linhardt pop up in the pages of mags like Numero and Harpers Bazaar and on the ring fingers of the most inventive brides.

I Ching hexagram image of T’ai or Peace. The Big Male Sun Gold Daytime Light Solid Yang lines or lifespring pushes upwards through the Yin, The Small Female Silver Moon Night time Receptive or Open lines. My secret site for absorbing the I Ching is here.

Chinese Joss paper, is “spirit money” burned for the veneration of ancestors to insure good things in the afterlife. I was connected to Joss paper in a new way this year as the Winter atmosphere seemed to highlight the warmth of gold and the Yang sun energy through interiors, food and wine and the silver or Yin, moon energy in the blue light of snowy New York streets at night.

Another ring thing to celebrate spring and the balance of nature is chameleon jewelry designer and Opera singer Valerie MacCarthy‘s jewels. Binary living in Paris and New York breeds a fresh idea in her elements collections just bought by Colette. Her videos are by our friend Andreas von Scheele and we are excited to represent this collection in the US. Valerie’s water pieces evoke the circular joy of water bubbling up, the solid in the movement.

TWO: THE LAST OF THE WINTER ENDLESS SNACKING: MORNING, NOON AND NIGHT.

Quick Bites at NEW YORK CITY’S GANSEVOORT, EATALY, MONDRIAN, SNACK DRAGON.

Bluebird feather lamps teasing in freezing drafts from the main door in the lobby of the new Mondrian Soho on the preview evening, were the only whisper of Spring when the hotel is set to officially open. Soon all this dashing through frigid to grab drinks, snacks, warmth, nuts and news is sure to pass. The last of the winter snacking to mitigate the cold is meeeellllting!

10 am. Early March is The Armory Show of contemporary art in New York. A pre-Armory show breakfast at The Gansevoort with Cricket Taplin, curator of The Cricket Taplin Collection at The Sagamore Hotel in Miami Beach, artists Samara Ash and Paul Clemence was a love fest conversation on sweat lodges, new artists, the delicate and hearty perfect frittatas and the best hotel amenity gifts everyone has seen around the world. (My vote actually goes for Cricket’s passionate and visionary collection shared with her guests as one of the most priceless guest gifts I’ve seen in a hotel.)

 

A skype with my bi-local NYC/London friend, Shelley Lewis revealed one of her random-share-a-cab-and-become-instant-friends moments was when she met Buddhist Dharma teacher and author, Catherine Ingram, who wrote “The Crack in Everything” and “Passionate Prescence.” Catherine teaches acceptance of exactly that which breaks our hearts and puts a crack in our precious myths supporting outmoded concepts as the basis for a more compassionate melted and friendly heart.

“In the depths of Winter, I finally learned that within me lay an invincible summer.” Albert Camus 

“After finishing my tour, I was edging out on being very burned out, jaded, bored and cynical. The quote by Camus is about…finding that burning sun inside me again. Right on the edge of being completely awful and negative, I cracked. And I found my love for my music, I found my joie de vivre. I found my core personality which is incredibly positive and happy-go-lucky.” K.D. Lang

Life rolls on. We go, happy and lucky into Spring. Do you like my “I took it with my cell phone” photo so it looks like a cool Alien ship landing in the snowy Winter dawn? Soul in Your Spacesuit indeed.

Motto: Amuse Thyself.

of course, The Orb’s A Huge Ever Growing Pulsating Brain That Rules From The Center of The Ultraworld just came on the shuffle…so enjoy!