Throughout the Avatar series, we see that Aang is a gentle spirit, with power. He does not want to be the Avatar, but surrenders to his destiny. He seeks guidance from various sources and is given help from those who serve as wisdom guides along the way.

In the four-part closing chapter, Aang struggles with the advice he is given. He knows he must face the Firelord, now Phoenix King, and defeat him. He is told repeatedly that he must end Firelord Ozai's life. But the advice, even from his own past lives as Avatar, goes against what he feels in his heart. This leads into the article below.

​This year, my one resolution was:

“Less ego. More heart.”

I’m a recovering perfectionist and have spent the majority of my life living from my head. At school I would be disappointed with an A grade if an A+ was possible. I would beat myself up over not making a sports team or not getting the job I applied for. I would run myself into the ground performing, pleasing, perfecting and attempting to prove myself to a world full of "shoulds" and "musts" and "ought tos."

And then I had my early life crisis, my breakdown, my spiritual awakening, which forced me to realize there was more to life than striving, achieving, and hustling for worthiness.

One of the most powerful ways to tame your ego and overcome the voice in your head that says, "I’m not enough," is to listen to your heart instead. In your heart, you are not your work, your high school trophies, your bank balance, or your car. When you listen to you heart, you don't become preoccupied with success and status, materialism and jealousy, or power and pride. And when you follow your heart, you find your peace, you ignite your passion, and you discover your purpose.

Here are five reasons to follow your heart:

1. To connect

The ego often gets in the way of true connections with other people. It is our ego that gets in the way of our saying the important things, like, "I’m sorry," "I miss you," "I love you." So when we let go of our ego, let people into our hearts, and begin to share our vulnerabilities, our fears, our authentic selves, we create space for others to do the same. When we embrace our flaws and imperfections, we realize that we aren't alone, and we begin to connect on a level that is impossible to feel just with our eyes, or ears, or ego. We connect on a level that we must feel it with our hearts.

2. To find our true path

The heart has reasons that reason cannot understand. It has reasons that the mind cannot understand. And it has reasons that society, friends, and even ourselves cannot fully understand. But if we don’t follow our hearts, we will often spend the rest of our lives wishing that we did. Our passions — those moments, experiences, and people that feed our soul and make our hearts beat, don’t just go away if we don’t follow them. They fester and eat away at our worthiness. Follow your passions, find your true path, then follow it with all your heart.

3. To allow yourself to heal

Hurt happens. But so does healing. You can't always think your way out of pain and confusion. Sometimes, the best answers come to a relaxed mind and a heart that's in tune with the universe. We often don’t tune in to our hearts because that's where our pain is stored. But when we're brave enough to live life from our heart, not only do we allow our own wounds to heal, but, by sharing our stories, we can touch and heal people’s souls.

4. To love oneself

To love ourselves is totally different from massaging our own ego. Ego judges and punishes. Love forgives and heals. Your ego will tell you you’re not enough. Your heart will tell you you’re more than enough. By following our heart and loving ourselves through the ups and downs of life, we learn that we are worthy of love and deserve to feel loved. Without being able to love yourself, it is very difficult to share that love with anyone else. Self-love is not optional. It’s a necessity.

5. To love others

My one rule when it comes to love is that you should never settle for less than a heart flutter. When your ego is in control and all you’re assessing in a partner is looks, financial security, and social status, you miss out on the energy that can only be felt between two souls at the level of the heart. If, in the past, we have been in a rough relationship or through a bad breakup, then we often close our hearts off for fear of being hurt. It takes courage to let your guard down and truly follow your heart. Live with an open heart because you never know who might fall in it.

The Celestial Dragon I Ching: A Unique New Version of the Chinese Oracle for Making Decisions and Discovering Your Destiny  
​by Neyma Jahan.

Publisher's Description

First The Sky Opened ... Then The Celestial Dragon Was Born

Each aspect of this wonderfully appealing new I Ching is characterized by a readily identifiable symbol. We encounter the Dragon, the Cave, the Mirror, the Path, the Stranger and the Piper... to name just a few of the definitive 64 Hexagrams, each with its own evocative narrative, signposting our destiny. 

This elegant I Ching evokes the mystery and majesty of ancient China while serving as an enjoyable and illuminating tool for practical self-discovery and decision-making in the modern world through its profound insights that have withstood the test of time. 

Though grounded in tradition, The Celestial Dragon I Ching departs from the original text in being thoroughly coherent and consistent in its imagery.

More than 5,000 years old, the I Ching is a collection of divinatory wisdom that encapsulates the whole of human experience. In China the system was used by Kings, Emperors and Sages who would throw yarrow sticks or read cracks in tortoise shells. These days it is more practical to throw coins and consult the I Ching to divine the outcome. 

As Neyma Jahan explains in an easy-to-follow introduction, you throw the coins six times, then convert the resulting six permutations of heads and/or tails into a Hexagram — a six-line symbol of broken and unbroken lines. It is the hexagram that points to our prospects and advises us in our decision-making process.

Designed to appeal to those intimidated or baffled by more literal, more scholarly editions of the ancient Chinese text, The Celestial Dragon I Ching offers a complete oracle by which you can read your destiny and make good choices whenever you face a dilemma--inspired by Chinese wisdom. 
 
The I Ching is a 5,000-year-old Chinese divination system for self-discovery and decision-making. This imaginative new version has all the mystique, poetry and wisdom of the original but none of the obscurity.

• Understand the I Ching, with this refreshingly readable new take on the classic text
• Learn how to benefit from its ancient wisdom - as a guide to modern-day living
• Discover your destiny, in evocative narrative commentaries on 64 hexagrams

About the Author

Neyma Jahan is an expert on process psychology and an angel investor for unique business opportunities. His focus ranges from spiritual to current technology innovations. He created his Celestial Dragon I Ching working in an isolated hut in Patagonia, with input from a team of linguists and scholars. Neyma is presently engaged in developing a community for people with forward-thinking vision in which mind, body and personal wealth can thrive. 

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Amazon Reviews
(Reviewers, please contact me with any changes)

Scholars will Frown, Diviners will Rejoice
by Long distance Runner

"Bites through tender meat,
So that his nose disappears.
No blame."

Ok, great. whatever that means. . .

Now the Celestial Dragon for the same Hexagram and Changing Line

Line #2 - Lost in the Law

"He becomes so engrossed in the details of the work that he fails to see the greater picture. Such negligence makes a difficult time for all."

So I guess it comes down to when casting the I Ching, do you want a passage that talks about biting in meat and disappearing noses or do you want a version that is correctly relayed into English so that it is clearly understood?

I know where my vote stands.

Another very cool thing about Jahan's translation is he actually gives names and imagery to the changing lines. Now I think this is a liberty taken by him beyond the original scope of the work, but it makes it very easy to get a real understanding of the nature of the lines....

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Best Yi Jing I have come across
by Archimedes

I have been through many different versions of the Yi Jing and this one pushes the boundaries and breaks through to a whole new understanding of the subject matter. In fact if I could recommend that you get one Yi Jing translation, then get The Celestial Dragon I Ching.

There are so many reasons why it is incredible including the names given to the Hexagrams and identifiers for the changing lines and to top it off this version has a reading for all 6 changing lines
which I have not found anywhere else.

Basically go get this. You will be making a great decision.

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An I Ching Guide for the Modern Mind
by Cindy

As long as I can remember, I have always felt an affinity for the magic of tarot, I Ching, karma, cosmic energies and the like. 

While my parents grew up in a culture steeped in tradition and deeply held Eastern spiritual beliefs in Taiwan, they emigrated from there to the USA to raise their family. Born in the Midwest, I have been living in a split world of Eastern and Western beliefs, and while my family is purely spiritual and not religious, my father has consulted the I Ching for many life decisions. He's been recommending different I Ching books to me for years, but I always found them to be dry and difficult to interpret practically. 

My father's books are great for scholarly work and study, but I wanted something easier to swallow and more applicable. Neyma Jahan's 'The Celestial Dragon I Ching' has been a true bedside companion book. I've been referring to it for a couple months now and at long last, with lessons from my father and from the explanatory introduction Jahan provides, I felt confident enough to toss coins for my first personal reading. I felt that the reading and the descriptions provided by Jahan for the hexagrams and the resolutions from any changing lines gave me a pretty clear result on what the universe was telling me about how to proceed with the particular enquiry I made.

If you're looking for a guide on how to start doing I Ching readings, I highly recommend this book. It's also a lovely addition to any bookshelf, with a lovely sleeve as well as beautiful gold lettering on the spine on the hardcover itself. It's practical, useful, and the descriptions of each hexagram and line are poetic yet relatable for the modern Westerner.

I look forward to starting my own I Ching logbook as my father has been suggesting to me for such a long time, as does the author. It'll be interesting to reference in the future when I can look back to see if they were accurate to what I interpreted at the time and to what had happened since. 

I know myself, and I know that I often pick up volumes on subjects I want to learn more about, but when they are too academic and dry, I lose interest and they are doomed to reside in a dusty corner of my shelf. I look forward to using this guide more and more and as I familiarize myself with the process so that it becomes second nature, I would love to cast coins for friends as well. 

This is the first I Ching book that I have really connected with, although my father swears by the Wilhelm version, but different books for different purposes. In my opinion, this is a must if you want to start doing your own I Ching readings. I have had the book for just under two months now and look forward to implementing it even more as we enter the post-Mayan era of love and light.

​The White Lotus coin in the Avatar series communicates a hidden message. It says to the aware, 'I serve the Old Ways.'

The Old Ways are from a time of peace, harmony and balance before the Fire Nation attacked and the 100 year war began.

Three coins tossed for an I Ching reading also convey a 'hidden' meaning, individualized to the person casting and their question.

The message is conveyed through symbolic language of the I Ching / Yi Jing ('Book of Changes') and the caster's intuition.

'The Book of Changes,' sacred text of Daoism, speaks to and through one's inner wisdom. I feel 'Changes' in this context also means motions and forces. 

Some who cast coins consider their divination to be a conversation with the 'Yi' of 'Yi Jing' (I Ching.) For me, it is communion with Dao. I relate to Dao as the One Being.

How did I come to this? A search result on the keywords 'illusion of separation' for writing an earlier blog post included an image from 'Avatar: The Last Airbender. I'd had no previous exposure to the series. A few days later the inner voice prompted me to look into it further and I began watching from the beginning. I felt deeply attracted to the underlying messages and re-visited my old love for the Tao Te Ching.

Ordinary coins can be used when casting in concert with the I Ching oracle. Coins made for casting with the Oracle, such as this Phoenix and Dragon coin from wiccanplace.com, can heighten the experience.

What Matters in Divining

What matters in divining and all else is not so much the system or technique but the frequency of the one applying it in that moment. What are the intent and motives? Is the heart pure?  When unclear, ask 'Do I feel contracted or expanded?' and 'Does this nourish or deplete?' and 'Does this deepen my relationship with the Dao, the One Being?' Be of service to the whole of life, the greater good, follow your innermost feelings, and the true way will open to you. - Emanate Presence

Divination has been defined as the art and science of using symbols to gather information from the collective unconsciousness. While divination includes the practices of fortune-telling, it's real purpose is to help people find out about themselves, the universe, and their place in it. - Enlightened Pathways [2]

The collective unconscious includes light and shadows, union and the illusion of separation. Its information is well to be taken as signposts for discernment but not as absolute truth. Why not go for the ultimate and communicate instead with the One Being of pure consciousness, the unmoved mover, the creative source of all that is? It is just as accessible and the True Self of every person.  - Emanate Presence

Common Types of Divination

ASTROLOGY is divination using celestial bodies: the sun, moon, planets, and stars.

CARTOMANCY is fortune telling using cards such as the Tarot.

CLAIRAUDIENCE is "clear hearing" of divinatory information. Parapsychologist generally regard as a form of extrasensory perception.

CLAIRVOYANCE is "clear seeing" of divinatory information. Parapsychologist generally regard as a form of extrasensory perception.

CRYSTALLOMANCY is divination through crystal gazing.

DOWSING or DIVINING RODS are methods of divination where a forked stick is used to locate water or precious minerals.

NUMEROLOGY is the numerical interpretation of numbers, dates, and the number value of letters.

OCULOMANCY is divination from a person's eye.

PALMISTRY is the broad field of divination and interpretation of the lines and structure of the hand.

PRECOGNITION in an inner knowledge or sense of future events.

PSYCHOMETRY is the faculty of gaining impressions from a physical object and its history.

SCIOMANCY is divination using a spirit guide, a method generally employed by chanelers.

SCRYING is a general term for divination using a crystal, mirrors, bowls of water, ink, or flames to induce visions.

TASSEOGRAPHY is the reading of tea leaves that remain in a tea cup once the beverage has been drunk.

[1] The Hidden Hierarchy of Existence

[2] Enlightened Pathways Metaphysical Shop
 
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​In this episode of Avatar, Sokka humbles himself and softens his rigid and narrow sexist attitudes when he meets the Kyoshi Warriors, who employ principles of Daoist martial arts.

​The article and video movie trailer below delve into the depths of Dao/Tao.

The Hidden Hierarchy of Existence [1]

By Kurt Almqvist

In 'The Encounter of Man and Nature,' Seyyed Hossein Nasr tries to show that, for a thorough understanding of the present disharmony between man and nature, it is not enough to have a detailed knowledge of the outward factors involved -- physical, chemical and biological processes, available natural resources, population growth, the economic distribution among peoples, etc. -- nor merely of man's egoism and lust for gain: the causes of disharmony lie beyond all material as well as moral factors. What we call "nature," i.e. our organic environment, is in its innermost workings something other and greater than the quantitative sum of its venous elements: these are held together and organized by a qualitative reality, which transcends it and is at the same time its common innermost life-marrow. In no other way can we explain the harmony of nature as a whole to which we -- consciously or unconsciously -- aspire.

This insight exists in all Eastern religions, as also among the so-called nature-people, for instance the American Indians, and it existed also in the West before the present age. In one chapter of the book, Nasr explains each of the great world religions from this standpoint. Most clearly do we find these connections in the spiritual traditions of China, Taoism and neo-Confucianism, through their concrete imagery: "The ways of men are conditioned by those of earth, the ways of earth by those of heaven, the ways of heaven by those of the Tao, and the Tao comes into being by itself," says the Tao-Te-Ching, the most important scripture of Taoism. Tao is thus the basic origin of all, and to preserve the harmony with himself and with the rest of creation, man must first see that he maintains his unity with this principle (also from Tao-Te-Ching.)

The World has a First Cause, which may be regarded as the Mother of the World. When one has found the Mother, one can know the Child. Knowing the Child and still keeping the Mother, to the end of his days he shall suffer no harm.

What enables man to arrive at this vision of oneness is the symbolic character in the elements -- forms, colors and appearances -- that go to build up nature. For all these qualitative elements have their essential reality and task in their ability to show us the way to corresponding elements of a "higher" sphere of reality with less rigid and confined boundaries than those of the physical-material. This sphere, in turn, has its analogical correspondences in a still higher one, and so on, all the way to the ultimate origin of all things, the unity of all, which the Chinese call Tao.

[1] The Hidden Hierarchy of Existence

by Casey, Personal Tao [1]

What is Taoism?

To many people, a confusing aspect of Taoism is its very definition. Many religions will happily teach a Philosophy/Dogma which in reflection defines a person. Taoism flips this around. It starts by teaching a truth; “The Tao” is indefinable. It then follows up by teaching that each person can discover the Tao in their own terms. A teaching like this can be very hard to grasp when most people desire very concrete definitions in their own life.

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The path of understanding Taoism is simply accepting yourself. Live life and discover who you are. Your nature is ever changing and is always the same. Don’t try to resolve the various contradictions in life, instead learn acceptance of your nature.
 
Taoism teaches a person to flow with life. Over the years Taoism has become many things to many people. Hundreds of variations in Taoist practice exist. Some of these practices are philosophical in nature, others are religious. Taoism makes no distinction in applying labels to its own nature. This is important since as a person, we are each a blend of many truths. The truth taught in Taoism is to embrace life in actions that support you as a person.

Taoism teaches a person to live to their heart.

Here are some simple starting tips to help a person live as a Taoist.

Having a set of basic guidelines can be helpful. However realistically, guidelines don’t determine how to live; Instead Taoism teaches by living you will express your nature. My personal guidelines are the following:

• With care, I aid those who are extended expressions of my nature.
• Be true to myself.
• Connect to the world as I want to be treated.
• Connect to those outside my nature with decisive action.
• To those unwilling to accept me for my true nature, no action is required:
• Just silently let them be themselves as I remain myself.
• I own nothing; I am merely a passing custodian of items outside of my nature.

Discover a set of practices to aid keeping the mind, body and spirit engaged and strong. Remember practices should support your essence with the activities fitting the needs of the moment. Which means this is a shifting balance of activities relative to your needs. For example I practice martial arts to keep my body strong, yoga to make my body subtle, meditation to clear my mind, bike around simply to fly and lift my spirit. Poetry as a lens of examination. All these and more are my shifting practices to support my essence and in doing each, each helps me learn more about myself and the world.

Take time, relax and just explore and poke around. Taoism has no plans. Taoism is based upon following your gut feelings and trusting your instincts.

It’s within the pause of a breath… that each step of living becomes visible for your larger life to improve and follow upon. 

Smile, when needing to pick a possible next step. To smile is to open possibilities. Breathe when needing a break. Since to breathe is to be at one with yourself. Alternate the two and your path will become free and clear for an entire lifetime of wonder to explore.

This may sound simple, but you would be surprised how many people cannot embrace this most basic aspect of Taoist practice! People think it cannot be that simple! Taoism truly is this simple. If you follow and practice step four, not only is that all one needs to fully embrace Taoism, but also anything becomes possible within this simple practice. However, most people need time letting go of expectations. So it’s also ok to dig deeper into Taoism. Taoism has many, many levels of teachings on purpose to help people from all perspectives move smoothly in life.

I can summarize Taoism as simply as
​

• Taoism is acceptance of your life.
• Taoism is following your breath to find peace.
• Taoism is opening up a smile to enable possibility.

If you embrace these three ideas, everything else follows in Taoism. Some people do start here. Others take a longer more colorful path. That’s fine also, since you get to experience more color in your life. No wrong path exists at the end, since it’s about experiencing life.

[1] Personal Tao

In Season one of Avatar, Katara and Sokka (a brother and sister from the Southern Water Tribe) discover the Avatar (a 12 year old Airbender boy named Aang) frozen in an iceberg. Together the three begin their journey to the North Pole to find a master Waterbender so Aang can begin his Avatar training. - Amazon Video

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Scenes from 'Avatar: The Last Airbender' are captioned with actual lines and my interpretations.