Welcome,
Let us begin by arriving gently into this moment.
It's time to find a quiet space as we move into the reading from the I Ching for the month of July 2025.
Let's begin by softening the breath,
Inhaling slowly and deeply and exhaling completely.
Please take a moment to allow your day,
Your thoughts,
Your tensions to drift away.
Now,
Imagine your body like a still lake,
Calm,
Open and reflective,
Receptive to the sky above and rooted in the earth below.
You are in stillness between heaven and earth.
The month of July invites us to open to the energy of hexagram 58,
The joyous lake,
The symbol of gentle influence,
Of joy that arises naturally from openness,
From resonance and deep inner truth.
This hexagram speaks to the power of true joy,
Not the fleeting pleasure of a momentary gain,
But the abiding joy that flows from inner alignment,
From connection with others,
From a life that feels honest,
Light and free.
Take a moment to breathe in gently and release.
As you connect now with two lakes side by side,
They are still,
They are open and they are sharing their waters because there's no separation.
Each lake deepens the other.
And so joy is shared,
Not only taken.
And so the guidance of hexagram 58 is for us to cultivate joy that uplifts,
That encourages,
That brings people together without need for control or persuasion.
Consider for a moment where in your life you are invited to express more joy,
More lightness.
Or perhaps it might be easier to consider where have things become too heavy,
Rigid,
Even dry.
It's time to trust the natural flow and to allow your presence to be a source of upliftment for yourself and others.
Wise words from the I Ching about this hexagram,
Also known as the delighted.
And it says,
The wise man encourages the conversation of friends and the stimulus of their common practice.
Mutual and reciprocal influence and help brings reward and happiness.
Image of this lake represented in the low trigram and echoed in the upper trigram is also one of the youngest daughter.
Now the archetype of this young daughter laughs easily.
She listens and she speaks with grace.
She walks through life not with resistance,
But with harmony.
Where are these qualities already existing and flourishing within you in your life?
And where can you cultivate them?
Where do they need more presence?
It's time to remember what brings your aliveness through the joy of being.
Take a slow breath here and really feel into your body or perhaps into the support beneath you.
And then exhale,
Releasing anything that feels too tight,
Too forced.
And know that joy is not something to chase.
It simply arises when we are connected to our truth,
Our values and one another.
So take this time now to gently reflect on where do you find joy in simple things.
The warmth of the sun.
People's laughter.
The hush of the evening bird's song.
Know this,
Joy is not outside of you.
It is in the way you touch the world.
The way you listen.
The way you smile.
And the way you speak gently to yourself.
Through the wisdom of this hexagram 58,
We are reminded that joy needs to be nourished.
Like a lake fed by hidden springs,
It needs stillness.
It needs honesty.
It needs boundaries that protect inner peace.
So through this month of July,
Ask of yourself.
Where does it feel right to say yes?
To invite joy in.
And where do I know I need to say no?
To preserve joy.
Let your joy assist you through discernment.
And let it guide you to what's real.
And away from what no longer fits.
And remember that true joy is not indulgence.
It is wisdom.
It arises from connection with yourself,
Your values,
And with spirit.
If it feels comfortable,
You can place one hand gently over your heart center.
One hand on your belly.
Just notice the warmth of your presence.
Feeling the quiet lake within you.
Holding.
Listening.
Knowing.
And glowing softly with peace.
Some more wise words from the I Ching in relation to this delighted hexagram.
And it says,
You have no need,
Have no use for negative or fearful thoughts and feelings.
In your relations with others,
Be generous,
Modest,
And sincere.
And strive to comprehend and sympathize with their troubles and worries.
If you are able to do all this with true joy,
You will experience serene happiness.
And will be well equipped to overcome any obstacles you come across.
Let's take a few moments of silence now just to be with all of this wisdom.
And let it speak to you in a natural flowing way.
Through images,
Perhaps,
Or feelings.
Gentle knowing.
As you continue to softly breathe in and out.
And now,
Let's gently return to the breath.
And then begin to return to the room or the environment you are in.
Feeling the surface beneath you.
Your skin and the subtle aliveness of your body.
And may you continue to carry this question with you through the month of July.
How can I be a source of joy?
And how can I willingly receive it?
May your path be light and clear.
And may your presence bring calm.
And may joy rise within you like the still deep waters of the lake.
Ever replenishing,
Ever reflecting,
Ever serene.
Thank you for walking this path.
And blessings for your month ahead.
May joy find you in unexpected places.
Until we meet again,
Do take care.
