The Sun has moved to Gate 5, PATTERNS. In the I-Ching this Hexagram is called WAITING.

This energy is all about the rhythm of nature and the rhythm of our lives. It is the comfort of ritual; knowing that at certain times of the day, week, or year, certain things will happen and when this is so, all is right with the world.

The other side of this coin is being terribly thrown off if our coffee is not made exactly the same way, at the right time of our morning, and in the right spot. People with this energy defined simply need a consistent PATTERN to our daily life or we will feel off kilter and unsettled. Others, say someone with Gate 15 for example, may perceive this as strange. Worse, those of us with the energy may judge ourselves too harshly for the difficulty we experience in bouncing back from a disruption in our PATTERN. Some people with this energy dislike this tendency so much they refuse to maintain any PATTERN in their life at all. Can you see how either way PATTERNS is the theme?

The next time you are feeling anxious and unsettled and you don't understand why ask yourself, is my day or week off schedule? Maybe the simple answer is you need to correct course to the PATTERNS that comfort you. If returning to your routine is not an option, take a deep breath and create a new PATTERN for your current circumstance. For example, if I were out of town I might find it soothing during my trip to go to the same spot every morning to read the paper.    

Creating little rituals that we stick with every day or every week just may be the ultimate act of self care.

Animals are this way naturally, they need their schedule, and those of us with this energy relate very well to the rhythm of our animals. We get it. The rhythm of nature feels right.

Do you need a consistent routine to feel normal? Is that good? Is it bad? Or does doing the same thing day in day out make you feel suffocated? Why? What daily ritual can you start today to honor your desire for PATTERNS? What can you do to shake things up? What rituals can you employ to honor your family and friends? Does it bother you that your partner wants to do the same thing every night? Is it possible to honor that while implementing a PATTERN that has change baked in? Possibly date night every third Friday of the month where you try something different together?

I invite you to get cozy with your schedule this week. Witness how PATTERNS are an opportunity for comfort. Be present for the ritual of it. It is something concrete to hold on to during these strange times and also quite apropos during the Holiday Season.