MondaySchool: Work work work.
Week of November 24, 2025: A gentle fix for belabored striving.
MondaySchool is a weekly offering to foster relationship with Divine Wisdom in everyday life, art, and work.
I. Word / Image / Idea
rooted
Nous n’avons pas le choix: nous devons nous enraciner dans l’amour, âme véritable de la terre.
We have no choice: we must root ourselves in love, the veritable soul of the earth.
-Pierre Teilhard de Chardin (1881-1955)
she seems really glad to be painting
aggressive egos
Hexagram 64: Wei Chi / Before Completion
The transition from chaos to order depends upon your achieving true inner calm.
The image of this hexagram is that of spring, a time when darkness and decay of winter are about to give way to the light and plenty of summer. The transition is not yet complete; here it depends upon you strengthening your clarity, calm, and conscientiousness.
Wei Chi often comes as an indication that we have not yet achieved a genuine inner equanimity [lol.] As long as we respond to outer pressures with our egos—by worrying, desiring, or becoming aggressive—we cannot attain a successful repose. The I Ching reminds us now to abandon the hysterics of the ego in favor of acceptance, modesty, and inner balance.
Wei Chi denotes a time of great responsibility. In a very real sense it can be said that the state of the world depends upon your thoughts and conduct now. The external world will only come into order if the inner world has done so. Therefore, seek now to correct whatever in your self is at odds with the principles of the Sage. Quiet your ego, make humility and acceptance your primary goals, and move forward like a fox walking on ice: cautiously, deliberately, and gently. By persevering in what is true and good you build the foundation upon which good fortune can come to rest.
-From The I Ching: A Guide to Life’s Turning Points by Brian Browne Walker
II. Reflection / Prompts / Prayer
winter work
The winds of change have been swirling with fervor as of late. It’s hard to keep up!
I’m very glad that what was once a long stretch of work-winter is moving into a promising spring. It is a relief to move into some new directions career-wise, especially after the pressure of confusion and grief in the wake of a broken musical heart.
Yet after all of the waiting for the ice to be on its way, I cannot seem to get the hang of spring.
My to-do list is pretty cool right now. There is no reason for complaint. But I am feeling pretty stressed about it, and have a kind of hyper-responsibility over the whole affair. I’m opening a new business, and there are zero guarantees that I won’t go down in flames. Naturally I want to “get it right,” and expectations—both internal and external—are pretty high.
But I’m not having any freaking fun. I cannot seem to enjoy my very own adventure. That seems like a huge shame, right?
This work-spring is a total blessing wrapped in miracle-print wrapping paper. Every day there are new blessings. But I’m tired of feeling so belabored. Every task feels huge, every decision a Big Deal.
I asked myself: why do I question and stress over every single thing I’m doing right now?
And I knew the answer from the moment I asked the question: Because you forgot how to manage. You must move from your head to your heart.
This is not news. This is what I talk about over and over again, and what I must keep reminding myself ad inifinitum. This is the work, the practice of true living—enacting a heartcentered life in situations that stir us, frighten us, move us to the edge of our safety zone. Especially on the brink of change, of transformation, and valorous leaps into the void of the unknown. But ordinary times, too.
My tolerance for forgetting grows thin. I’m so sick of chaos. I want to trust, to lean, to fly. I want to breathe in the spring after a grueling winter. I want to relax. I want to live.
So I’ve gotta change my tune: trusting in the way of the heart, the way of Wisdom, the way of things that unfold with a grace you cannot possibly micromanage. It’s a gentle business, not a party (yet!).
We must remember how maddeningly quiet the heart is, but also how profoundly wise she is in every situation in which she is called to weigh in. It’s so easy to forget! So, I suppose, we must keep trying to remember.
The heart is an organ of order, a perfected foil for chaos. Maybe she can be little fun, too?
prompts for contemplation
Take a quiet moment to contemplate the following questions:
When was the last time you consulted your heart to make a decision?
When was the last time you had hysterics of the ego? (lol.)
Do you have fun?
Would you like to have more of it?
What is one thing you can do this week, and really enjoy it?
a prayer for heartcentered thinking
Beloved Wisdom:
You know our minds are overstretched. You know our hearts are underexercised. You know we forget the way to our truth.
Help us remember the way of love-living. Awaken our access to the gentle-voiced wisdom of our beautiful hearts. It’s noisy out there! It’s noisy in here. Help me hear the truth. Help me live it, too.
Amen.
III. Tarot Reading for the Week Ahead
question for this week:
How may we become more available for heartcentered living in a) life, b) art, and c) work?
a) LIFE: Queen of Pentacles
The world you reside in is not separate from the inner life, it is borne of Love. It is not folly to enjoy it, but folly to forget its origin. You cannot expect what the Heart will bring to you, that is the challenge for most. But the practice of deepening into your heart will grow everything in your life: it is living beauty.
b) ART: Ace of Wands
Art-making is a sacred process. It is a way of conjuring the invisible to the visible, and in its most inspired form can move mountains. You are capable of this access: you know how to listen to the within, and to bring this into the without. Your greatest task is to be quiet, listen, and heed what is being conjured through you. Do not be afraid! Be quiet.
c) WORK: The Lovers
The gifts you bring into the world are yours to bring. Do not compare, contrast, compete, or complain. If you insist on your own agenda, you will be cut off from the true nature of things. The gifts are still and always there, but they will be dormant as you look elsewhere, away from the Self, away from your own loveliness. Work is a means of sharing your gifts, and work is a way to engage in the world in your truth. It is also the easiest way to forget what that truth is. Remember. Remember. Remember.
Hope you have a beautiful week. Be gentle with yourself. 💗
Love,
Allison
Thank you for reading.
Please like or share if this brought you some joy today. Love, Allison 💗