A SHORT treatise on the similarities between the northern tradition and the Chinese tradition

Vincent Ongkowidjojo 2012

A Short Treatise on the Similarities between the Northern Tradition and the Chinese Tradition Copyright 2012 Vincent Ongkowidjojo Since I first started my studies of the runes I have come across a considerable amount of associations with my Taiji practice. This speaks in favour of both traditions, as the deeper a tradition is rooted the more universal it is. Therefore, a solid esoteric system will always be able to integrate the main components of any other. Daoist Cosmology The most obvious connection between the two traditions is the concept of dualism. In the Chinese tradition, this concept is visualized as a circle formed of two parts, one black and one white. They stand for the polarities of Yin and Yang. Their respective qualities are negative and positive or feminine and masculine. However, they are traditionally associated with water and fire. And the same elemental pair of opposites is found in the Northern tradition. In Norse cosmogony, fire and water are the two first elements from which all else is created. In the south lies Muspelheim, the primordial world of fire. In the north lies Niflheim. This is the primordial water world. In Norse cosmogony, the sun, the moon and the stars are all created from the fire world. As Yang literally means light, this ties in well with the aspect of fire. On the other hand, Yin means shadow. And this is a very appropriate name for Niflheim. The world of water is a world of matter, of darkness, and of death. Later on, Hel, the world of the dead, will be located in Niflheim. Last but not least, in the Chinese tradition, light and shadow are names for south and north, corresponding correctly with the attributions of the Norse worlds. Yang Light Fire South Muspelheim Yin Shadow Water North Niflheim

And the story continues. The goddess who rules Hel is also portrayed with a face formed of two parts, one part black and one part white. One half of her is alive and the other half represents death. A further association with this dualism is found in the world of the Alfar. The Light Elves are said to be white, or as fair as the sun herself. Their world lies in the south, closest to Muspelheim. They are contrasted by the Dark Elves, which is a reference to the race of Dwarves. They are also called Black Elves. It is not clearly stated where their world lies, but as they are associated with the element Earth, people usually place them in the north. In any case, they live underground. So, there is another duality, that of upper world and underworld. In Daoist philosophy, Yin and Yang are themselves the product of an original emptiness. This state of promise corresponds to Ginnungagap in the Northern tradition. The Chinese name for this primordial state is wu or wuji. Wu means nothing, or simply the negation of something. The name ties in with many other existing mythologies, since the state before creation is usually described in negations. The best example is the Egyptian story of creation, but the same is true of Norse mythology. I refer in particular to stanza 3 of Voluspa. Early was the age in which nothing was There was no sand nor sea nor the cold waves The earth was not found nor the heaven above The gap was filled with Ginn, but there was grass nowhere 2

Yin, Yang and the Runes The dynamics of Yin and Yang remind us of one rune in particular. The shape of Jera consists of two halves, either hooks or semi-circles, which are linked. Many people regard this as the interaction of summer and winter, because the rune name refers to summer. In a more general sense, the two halves represent male and female. And they correspond nicely to the concept of Yang and Yin. This is especially so because the shape of this rune is seen as spinning, according to Freya Aswynn. The same sense of movement is also found in the Yin Yang symbol. However, another rune can be associated with this glyph and its symbolism, and this is Dagaz. Both Jera and Dagaz are runes of change, according to Freya Aswynn. Whereas Jera stands for continuation, Dagaz stands for the transition from one stage to another. This is included in the Chinese glyph when the wavy line is taken into consideration. Even more so, the shape of Dagaz pictures the constant change from one pole to another. In contrast with Jera, the interaction between the two poles is more fluid in Dagaz. The concept of duality but also of transcendence and unity is present in Dagaz.

According to Chinese lore, the interaction between the two poles results in five phases. These correspond to the five elements, namely water, fire, wood, metal and earth. There is a particular order among these elements, because one naturally generates another. Of course, they also correspond to the seasons, through which it is easier for us to experience the smooth change from one phase to another. Personally, I connect these five phases with the five runic vowels. In the order of their appearance in the Futhark, they are Uruz, Ansuz, Isa, Ehwaz and Othila. The immediate elemental associations that come to mind are respectively water, air, ice, fire and earth. These are usually the elements connected to the modern Northern tradition. However, it is possible that ice relates to metal. But in order to link the vowel runes with the five Chinese elements it is necessary to look at the level of quality and energy. We will discuss this below. Of Numbers Another glyph from the Chinese tradition that corresponds to Northern lore is the Bagua. This symbol embodies the eight directions and has a trigram in every of the directions. These eight trigrams are the roots from which the hexagrams are produces to read the Yi Jing, the Book of Change, which is the Chinese oracle. There are 64 such hexagrams and each has a stanza to interpret the sign. The number is significant, because there are 64 times 10 doors in Valhalla. Moreover, there are eight worlds less the centre, which is Midgard. Gene Dreyer let me know that the eight directions and the 3

trigrams correspond to the aettir in the runic tradition. If we take this a little further, we can even link the Bagua to the Aegishjalmur.

As the word implies, every trigram is made up of three lines. They are either full or empty the technical terms are unbroken and broken referring to a yang or yin quality. In total, this makes twenty four lines. This means that each of these lines can be assumed to represent one of the runes. The eight trigrams are linked to the eight directions of the compass, which makes it very easy to deduce which line is which rune. Usually, the first runic triad is drawn in the north. However, there are two versions of attributing the compass points. There is Fuxi or Earlier Heaven and there is King Wen or Later Heaven. According to these ideas, we obtain the following diagram. Fuxi Kun Zhen Li Dui Qian Xun Kan Gen Earlier Heaven Earth Thunder Fire Lake Heaven Wind Water Mountain King Wen Kan Gen Kun Zhen Li Dui Qian Xun Later Heaven Water Mountain Earth Thunder Fire Lake Heaven Wind

N NE E SE S SW W NW

Fehu-Hagalaz-Teiwaz Uruz-Nauthiz-Berkana Thurisaz-Isa-Ehwaz Ansuz-Jera-Mannaz Raido-Eihwaz-Laguz Kenaz-Pertho-Inguz Gebo-Algiz-Othila Wunjo-Sowulo-Dagaz

I start in the north, because I emphasize the Northern tradition aspect. Below, I give the particulars of every trigram. The first runic column has the Fuxi associations, the last column the King Wen ones. Kun Fehu Hagalaz Teiwaz Uruz Nauthiz Berkana Thurisaz Isa Ehwaz Broken Broken Broken Broken Broken Unbroken Unbroken Broken Unbroken Yin Yin Yin Yin Yin Yang Yang Yin Yang Water Water Water Water Water Fire Fire Water Fire Thurisaz Isa Ehwaz Ansuz Jera Mannaz Raido Eihwaz Pertho

Zhen

Li

Dui

Ansuz Jera Mannaz Raido Eihwaz Laguz Kenaz Pertho Inguz Gebo Algiz Othila Wunjo Sowulo Dagaz

Unbroken Unbroken Broken Unbroken Unbroken Unbroken Unbroken Unbroken Broken Broken Unbroken Broken Broken Broken Unbroken

Yang Yang Yin Yang Yang Yang Yang Yang Yin Yin Yang Yin Yin Yin Yang

Fire Fire Water Fire Fire Fire Fire Fire Water Water Fire Water Water Water Fire

Kenaz Pertho Inguz Gebo Algiz Othila Wunjo Sowulo Dagaz Fehu Hagalaz Teiwaz Uruz Nauthiz Berkana

Qian

Xun

Kan

Gen

The last column in the above diagrams has the alternative correspondences from King Wen, but I have a feeling that they are more correct in relation to the runes than the Earlier Heaven. And this is what I will use in the below examples. Fire and water can also be read as fire and ice. These eight trigrams are the building blocks from which the sixty four hexagrams are made. Now the runes are identified, all of these hexagrams become a combination of two runic triads. I will give an example. The first hexagram is Qian, which means Force. And it is made up of two Heaven trigrams, with the same name. Hence, the runic variant would be Gebo-Algiz-Othila and Gebo-Algiz-Othila. However, the first triad stands for the inner world and the other one for the outer world. Another example. The last hexagram is Wei Ji, which means Not Yet Fording, and it is made up of the trigrams Water and Fire. Hence, Fehu-Hagalaz-Teiwaz and Raido-Eihwaz-Laguz. One of the most interesting aspects of the hexagrams is that some are dynamic. The interpretation of such signs is only completed when all the lines are changed into their opposites. For example, hexagram 64 is the opposite of 63. From a runic standpoint, the hexagram Wei Ji would change into Uruz-Nauthiz-Berkana and Kenaz-Pertho-Inguz. And this can be done with all the runes, regardless of the Chinese system. From this, I got the idea that rune meanings naturally change in the ones of the runes following. This is useful in interpreting runic spreads. I touch upon this slightly in my book Secrets of Asgard. The hexagrams form part of Daoist cosmogony and cosmology. To reiterate this piece, in the beginning there was Nothing, which is Wu. This corresponds to Ginn or Ginnungagap. This changed into Taiji or Yin and Yang, which corresponds to Niflheim and Muspelheim, or Water and Fire. And then they say: Yin and Yang created the ten thousand things, which means everything in the world. I suppose this is manifested in the sixty four hexagrams. In the Northern tradition, this corresponds to the emergence of the twenty four runes, because as a whole they represent all that exists. Besides, there are more runes, because it is well possible that each of the nine races of beings has its own set of twenty four.

Taiji Proper Apart from the theoretical side there are a lot of practical correspondences between Taiji and runic lore, too. Many of the Taiji principles are reflected in the runes. To name some; movement is Raido. This rune also represents the choreography, or Tai Ji Quan. Teiwaz symbolizes the martial aspect of the practice. Gebo stands for balance. Berkana is a rune I link with the philosophy of Taiji, because Taiji is about gentle power, there is strength, but not through resisting. Here, I use the word strength, because of the connotations it has from the Tarot card. There is one rune central to the idea of Taiji as I see it in our school of practice. And this is Eihwaz. The name of this rune means Yew, but it refers in particular to the bow and arrow. Interestingly, this image is used in the classical Taiji texts to describe how power in the body develops through movement. The body stores power because the muscles are allowed to stretch. In the same way, a bowstring stores power by allowing it to stretch. The further the string is pulled, the more force is generated forward. The same principle is found in Taiji practice. From Expositions of Insights into the Practice of the Thirteen postures by Wu Yuxian: Store up the jin like drawing a bow. Release the jin like releasing the arrow. In our school of practice, a lot of emphasis is laid upon the cycle of muscle states that a person goes through while moving. The muscles contract to move, they are released and then the weight of the body is caught on stretching muscles. The muscle fibers can lengthen because of the preceding loosening. When the stretch in the muscles reaches a maximum, they go back to a neutral position. This is called an unstretch. From the neutral position a new movement can be initiated. In runic terms, the stretching phase coincides with the Eihwaz rune. The unstretch is likened to the releasing of the arrow. These five phases, contraction, relax, stretch, unstretch and neutral, are to be found in the runic sequence of Isa, Jera, Eihwaz, Pertho and Algiz. Isa means ice and refers to the solidifying of water. The image corresponds to contracting muscles. Jera symbolizes the freedom of movement that was denied by Isa. It therefore signifies relaxing. However, there is a deeper meaning, because Jera means harvest, but it can also be translated as yield. Curiously, the verb to yield is used in conjunction with the relaxing phase in our Taiji practice. This is especially so in partner exercises. One person applies force to the other. The person receiving the force must yield to the power. If done correctly, this moment of yielding is transformed into a stretch. Stretching muscles are able to store power if outside pressure, such as coming from a partner, is applied. This is naturally Eihwaz, because the yew tree refers to the bow and arrow. Then, Pertho symbolizes the unstretch or release of force that has been stored in the body. Hence the shape of the p-rune. The neutral position is codified as the Algiz rune. On a side note, I think it is possible to repeat this cycle of five stages throughout the runic alphabet and still keep the symbolism coinciding of both the runes and the muscle cycle. The next five would be Sowulo, Teiwaz, Berkana, Ehwaz, Mannaz. The earlier five would be Kenaz, Gebo, Wunjo, Hagalaz, Nauthiz. 1. Isa i Contraction 6 2. Jera j Relaxing 3. Eihwaz I Stretch 4. Pertho p Unstretch 5. Algiz z Neutral

The stretch in the body can only be trained by aligning the body in a vertical position. Again, the same rune Eihwaz comes into play, because this rune stands for alignment. This runic glyph visualizes the crown of the head above and the tailbone below, itself representing the spine. It is therefore possible to say that Eihwaz corresponds to the principle of aligning the body externally and to the principle of stretch in the body internally. But there is more, because Eihwaz also represents the alignment of consciousness, which relates to the deeper training of Taiji. In order to be able to find the stretch, a person must first somewhat deepen the mind. This stretching state of muscle cannot be perceived by the superficial waking consciousness. One has to deepen the mind to the level of the body intelligence and to what the body does instinctively to be able to be aware of it and work with it. Hence Eiwhaz also pertains to the more spiritual aspect of Taiji. In my opinion, Eihwaz stands for meditation, too, because it pictures the movement of the mind along an axis. The deeper the mind can go during the Taiji practice, the better the training and the more progress is to be expected. Push Hands Runes The general Taiji principles of moving are expressed in a different way when we do Tui Shou, or partner exercises. Somehow these principles correspond to the runes of the Third Aett. Typical of partner exercises it that we touch. We touch the partners body to find his root and to uproot him. On the other hand, the person who is touched, tries to yield to the partners force and then absorb it. Certainly, the same principles are of importance in magical work. When one person reaches out to another, intention is used to push the person. This intention corresponds to the energy of Teiwaz. In the Daoist tradition, the term Yi is used. Thereafter follow the stages of touch, connect, merge and follow. The person who pushes, touches the partners body, connects to his root, merges with his partners moving and follows when the partner is uprooted by the pressure that the person applies. These phases correspond to Berkana, Ehwaz, Mannaz and Laguz. Berkana is the touch, which is of such a gentle quality that the partner barely notices it. Both Ehwaz and Mannaz represent the unison of two persons and this is precisely what happens in the pushing hands or Tui Shou. Ehwaz symbolizes the first contact between the two bodies when the person locks on the partner and Mannaz represents an even more intimate connection when the two bodies move as one. This is visualized by the shape of these runes. Therefore, Ehwaz stands for connect and Mannaz for merge. When you merge with the partners body, you sense its subtle movements; the two persons become one, but the person who pushes tries to maintain control an adds intention to move the partner. In this way, the person who pushes builds the pressure on the destabilizing body of the partner, so that the partners body must go out of balance and step back eventually. When this happens, the person does not push out, but merely follows the partners movement of unbalance. The flowing of water which Laguz symbolizes represents this following through in a natural way. t Intention b Touch down e Connect m Merge Follow l

The Meditation Practice In our Taiji School, we also practice meditation. There are three basic aspects to this. Firstly, we attempt to go deeper, leave the superficial state of mind behind and enter into an awareness of the body mind. Secondly, we follow certain meridians in order to circulate the energy through the body. Thirdly, we carry some of the deep physical plane energy to the deep emotional level. This we do by pulling up light gathered around the perineum towards the centre of the chest. 7

In the Daoist tradition, the deep physical, deep emotional and deep mental are related to the socalled lower, middle and upper Dan Tien. The concept is translated by Field of Elixir. The lower Dan Tien is situated below the navel. The middle Dan Tien is situated about the heart centre. And the upper Dan Tien is in and around the head. All of them are only an aspect of the so-called large Dan Tien, which surrounds the body and envelops the three Dan Tiens. In the Northern tradition, we would associate these three centres with Utgard, Midgard, and Asgard, respectively. Possibly, we would regard the large Dan Tien as either Greater Midgard or Ginnungagap. Utgard Lower Dan Tien Physical level Abdomen Five Clouds Meditation When we arrive in a deeper state of mind in the meditation, there are other exercises we practice. One of these is called the Five Clouds. It is related to the Five Chinese Elements, or transformations, and linked with the organs. In this meditation, the light in the body is first centred around the solar plexus, and coloured gold. Then, it is moved to the lungs, and turned into a white colour. Then, the light moves to the abdomen and turns dark blue. Then, the light is moved to the right side of the body, surrounds the liver and is coloured green. At last, the light is moved across to the left side of the body, about the heart, and coloured red. That is one cycle. I have endeavoured to relate these five organs and colours with the five vowels of the Elder Futark. They are in the order of the alphabet Uruz, Ansuz, Isa, Ehwaz and Othila, or UAIEO. It has been quite hard to discover the right correspondences. There are quite a few possibilities and different methods to try. If colours are used, then the correspondences tend to be rather personal. More effective would be the associations of quality, or use merely the associations with the body parts. Intuitively, I would associate Uruz with the abdomen and Isa with the lungs. The abdomen corresponds to Water in the Chinese system. The lungs correspond to Metal, which likens to ice; both are white. However, the quality of Metal corresponds better to Uruz and the quality of Chinese Water better to Isa. Whats more, in the Northern tradition, breathing might be associated with Ansuz. Nonetheless, wind in the Chinese system is an aspect of the element Wood, associating Ansuz with the liver. The colours that I personally attribute to the vowel runes are dark blue for Uruz, red for Ansuz, black, blue or white for Isa, yellow for Ehwaz and white for Othila. But all in all, Othila should be in the centre as it represents Earth. It would then adopt the colour yellow or gold. For conveniences sake, I currently stick to the following associations. Solar plexus is a golden Othila. The lungs are a white Isa. The abdomen is a dark blue Uruz. The liver is a green Ansuz and the heart is a red Ehwaz. In meditation, a cloud can be visualized around every of the organs in turn. While you vitalize an organ, you can chant the appropriate rune. Earth Metal Water Wood Fire Othila Isa Uruz Ansuz Ehwaz Gold White Blue Green Red Solar plexus Lungs Abdomen Liver Heart Late summer Autumn Winter Spring Summer O i U a E Midgard Middle Dan Tien Emotional level Chest Asgard Upper Dan Tien Mental level Head

A further set of associations is possible with this five cloud meditation, as the colours also correspond to certain gods. Then, the centre would correspond to Heimdal, which is logical, as this is the part of the body where we start and Heimdal leads us across the bridge into Asgard. White is the colour of the Elves. So, maybe we can associate Delling with this area. The lower abdomen has the colour of Odin. The liver area has the colour of Freyja and the heart area has the colour of Thor. The Microcosmic Orbit In one of his books, Mantak Chia describes the microcosmic orbit in a very detailed way. In this specific meditation, the energy is led from the navel down and then up along the spine to the top of the head, and thence back across the front of the body. In our Taiji School we dont do this particular meditation, but a variation of it, which is called the Eight Paths. However, much of the lore surrounding this age old practice can again be linked to the world of the Northern tradition. In order to close the circuit of the energy flow in the front of the body it is suggested to have the tip of the tongue touch the roof of the mouth (we dont recommend this exercise; it is better to have the tongue relaxed in the mouth). This is traditionally called the bridge. The connection with Norse mythology is quite clear, because it is this bridge which connects heaven and earth. It is Bifrost Bridge connecting Midgard and Asgard. The world of the gods is represented by the roof of the mouth. By the way, in Dutch, this part of the mouth is called het gehemelte or het verhemelte. Both words are derived from hemel, which literally means heaven. Also, the tongue is surrounded by saliva. Therefore, the bottom of the mouth could well be associated with the sea, and the tongue with the dry part or Midgard. However, a second image from Norse mythology is possible. When the tongue is raised to touch the roof of the mouth, it looks as if Midgard itself is raised. We can well imagine that a pole or tree is raised, reminiscent of the May Pole and the shamanic world tree. Therefore, the tongue touching the roof of the mouth can also be an image of the world tree Yggdrasil. Placing the tongue in that way increases the production of saliva. In combination with the meditation practice, this body liquid becomes charged and the Chinese speak of the golden nectar or the heavenly nectar. This, of course is a reference to the Mead of Poetry, Odrerir, obtained by Odin from the depths of Jotunheim. Odin shares his mead with his Einherjar. Similarly, in the Chinese tradition, this nectar is said to be a key in obtaining immortality. Following the energy along this microcosmic orbit is following the energy along a path or channel of energy. Because this particular orbit is a closed and circular one, it may be possible to see a correspondence with the image of Jormungand. This great dragon encircles all the worlds, and as a matter of fact, in the body, it encircles the three Dan Tiens, or either Utgard, Midgard and Asgard. Other channels in the body can be associated with rivers from Norse mythology. Following the energy along the orbit, many points of import are passed through. In the Chinese tradition, these have all names and meanings. They can possibly be connected to place names from Norse mythology, maybe with runes, and maybe with gods and other spirits. Conclusion It is clear from the above that there are plenty of correspondences between the Chinese and the contemporary Northern tradition. Two traditions can never match perfectly, but comparative study always aims to widen ones understanding. Vincent Ongkowidjojo 9