Monday Musings

“At the end of the first month of spring, the yang ethers of heaven are said to waft down while the yin ethers of earth rise. They commingled harmoniously, and as a result grasses and trees begin to sprout. Later (or earlier since the seasons are cyclical), at the end of the first month of winter, this process is reversed. Heaven’s essence withdraws back to the sky; earth’s essence sinks down to ground; and, as with quarreling spouses, communication shuts down. In ancient China, winter meant walling up and closing off. In spring, nature reconnects the two existential essences and everything surges back to life.” ~ Liza Dalby: east wind melts the ice