steve

Don't worry, be happy! And don't worry, be sad! Don't worry, be angry And don't worry, be fabulous! Be everything fully but don't take any of it too seriously, in a short time it will change. The "Absolute" has no preference and no limitation, everything is a part of it without exception.

This site has a lot of free and copyright-free images https://www.dreamstime.com/photos-images/fire-horse.html

Here's a copyright free image that's not bad....

I would bet there would be more traffic, and less contention, than the new Neidan forum. About the only discussion there has been debate over Winn and Chia and an attempt to list legitimate schools. I think we could come up with a workable definition. You are indigenous to England but would not count because you are not a religion or belief system. Although some of us believe you are divine... Western? When the Western world encounters indigenous belief systems it tends to denigrate or eradicate them, then a century or so later name their sports clubs, autos, and restaurants after them... They are certainly not geographically limited to the West. The are esoteric and occult, but not really what was intended to be the subject of the Esoteric and Occult sub-forum here, I don't think. I would like to suggest they be honored and respected by having their own sub-forum or left in General Discussion.

Thanks for sharing your experience. Some of my rambling thoughts on the matter, fwiw. Our minds come up with all sorts of things, some of little consequence and some very consequential, some weird and wonderful. Personally, I don't spend too much time trying to find explanations for these things, rational or otherwise. Do we sometimes meet with our minds from the past or future? Why not? Time is not as fixed or linear as once believed. Is it just content being created by the monkey mind based on all of the input over a lifetime and more? Why not? That does not mean that it is not very significant and meaningful. Fortune telling and astrology are not set in stone and are not death or illness sentences, they are simply constellations of external conditions and how they relate to our own constellations of internal conditions. I was in a similar state as you coming into my 60th year - warnings from Tibetan and Chinese friends and so forth. Fortunately, nothing particularly bad occurred for me. I don't brush off my weird little mind and I don't take it too seriously either. I don't brush of horoscopes and warnings and strange experiences, like meeting with a past or future self, or having visions, and I don't take them too seriously either. I do recommend attending to healthy choices as best you can determine them. Your body is aging and needs attention and care. It's the only one you get. Much of life in our technological age is unhealthy for the body and mind. If it means listening to an inner voice or a voice from the future or past, that is fine. No need to analyze or judge its veracity, it's still just another voice. The important thing, IMO, is trying to recognize the source of that voice. Does it feel authentic or is it based in emotional reactivity or psychological baggage? Does it come from the source or from pain and ignorance. Is it the Dao speaking and flowing through you or rumblings from an unhealthy or overly indulgent meal? Is it a future self or an ancestral trauma? Does it matter? I think it is most healthy to find something to trust, something that is not dependent on the monkey mind and labile emotions. Something not rooted in conditioned patterns coming from ancestral, social, and cultural trauma and dysfunction. For me that is one major benefit of my meditation practice. I think it could be helpful to sit quietly and be very open and still for a time. Once the mind and heart are somewhat settled and open, drop a question in like dropping a pebble in a calm pond. A question like, can I trust this inner voice, is it authentic? Or, shall I engage in this new qigong? Or, do I realy need these supplements? Just one at a time. See how it feels, not thinking about it, just allowing the ripples to arise and spread for a time. Leave them be after asking the question, don't engage, just remain open and present. Then continue to sit in that stillness and openness that returns once the mind has once again settled. I find that whatever comes from that quiet and still place is authentic, it is something I can trust. Maybe more precise to say it is something I have chosen to trust. I find that what comes from that place tends to be more accurate and dependable than decisions made from thinking or emotionally charged responses. The key is that one must be able to truly rest and be open to the stillness, silence, and spaciousness of body, speech, and mind. Whatever happens, whatever comes for you in this year of the Fire Horse, you will be OK. Situations and circumstances change. Our capacity for being open and present and responsive to the situation is always there. If we can trust in that, we can be OK even when we're not OK. I may sound overly confident and certain and I am not. I also worry and get distracted by thoughts and feelings all the time. Health, family, work, politics, finances - all sorts of worries and challenges. What I am saying to you is an externalization of what I tell myself and try to practice. I'm reminded in this moment of the Theravadan monks currently walking from Texas to Washington, DC - 2,300 miles. Simple human beings without any particular physical training walking everyday through the harshest of conditions, -15℃ with windchill much lower, through ice and snowstorms... all to raise awareness of the potential for peace in our country and in our lives. WOW, what power! What courage! What resilience! It boggles my weird, little mind. They are OK, I am OK, you are OK, even the poor monk who lost his leg to an impatient driver is OK, and yet... it's OK to not always be OK. Sending you warmth and good wishes

Yes, when you start a new topic there are two tabs - one to define content and one gives an option to create a poll.

That's fantastic! Congratulations @dwai Is it available anywhere other than Amazon?

Me too, again

Sending you good vibes and warm friendship @Cobie

🤣 I was kidding about the poll but … 🤷‍♂️ I still like Taomeow’s horsey best.

I think we need to set up a poll

And it would fit well in that bottom right corner

My favorite

Two things occur to me from this comment. Do you spend much time in nature? This is a place where quiet and boring can come alive and transform into love. Have you considered cooking as a hobby or career? It’s good to cultivate the things that give us a little joy. The absence of joy and boredom in life are often casualties of the over-stimulation of technology and disconnection from people and the natural world. They can also be signs of clinical depression. Talking to a mental health professional could be helpful if you find the right person. Methods like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Acceptance Commitment Therapy can be transformative. I experienced a lot of benefit from the latter.