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Saturday, April 30, 2011
No. 18, Work on What Has Been Spoiled / Decay / Repair:
"Work on What Has Been Spoiled
Has supreme success.
It furthers one to
cross the great water.
Before the starting point, three days.
After the starting point, three days."
Begin your Revolution (yesterday's hexagram) by
Working on What Has Been Spoiled.
"Stop and think about it. Your problems may seem to be overwhelming: things may seem to be out of hand. Yet the hexagram
Repair bodes great success. . . . Your own past attitude has allowed the damage to occur, making you uniquely equipped
to Repair it." [Wing]
The Yi is cautioning you not to rush. Remember:
"The change should be gradual, improvement by improvement, so you may gauge the effect." [Wing]
Take some serious time to consider where you have been, and where you
are going. Setting your course correctly will prepare you to "cross the great water."
Our single changing line provides advice on how to do this. .
. .
Tomorrow: With a week until Mother's Day .
. . "Setting right what has been spoiled by the mother."
Friday, April 29, 2011
No. 49, Revolution / Renewal / Changing:
“Revolution. On your own day
You are believed.
Supreme success,
Furthering
through perseverance
Remorse disappears."
If
you've been thinking that now is the time to make a major change --- You're right!
Others will
listen to what you have to say, and pay true attention. How often does that happen?!
Some work needs to be done: your own personal "spring cleaning." Clear away
the old, dead patterns of the past, and allow the new, vigorous growth to appear.
Yes,
you will have to leave some things behind. This is the nature of life. Eventually, regrets over the past
will disappear.
We received this hexagram without changing lines, meaning: This
process of Revolution and Renewal will govern your life for the foreseeable future.
"The change should be gradual, improvement by improvement, so you may gauge the
effect. Avoid haste and excessive behavior. This is not a violent revolution, it is a carefully calculated transformation."
[Wing]
Thursday, April 28, 2011
No. 29, Flowing Water / Danger / The Abysmal:
"Flowing Water repeated.
If you are sincere, you have success
in your heart,
And whatever you do succeeds."
This future message tells you how to deal with obstacles: Flow over and around them.
Traditionally, this hexagram is called The Abysmal, or The Abyss, putting the
emphasis on the Danger inherent in such a situation.
But
the message itself says: You can --- and will --- survive the difficulties that lie ahead.
Flowing Water, the hexagram, arrives at the same time as the flowing
water, and the whitewater rafting season, here where I live, in the Four Corners region of the U.S. Whitewater rafting
is dangerous, yes. But it is also thrilling and exhilarating.
As
my dear husband, a whitewater rafting guide, always tells me, "Your job is to hold on and stay in the boat."
Stay in the boat, be sincere, and "whatever you do succeeds."
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
No. 47, Oppression / Exhaustion, Line 4:
"He comes very quietly, oppressed in a golden carriage.*
Humiliation, but the end is reached."
Your feeling of Oppression or Exhaustion comes from
having too much good fortune.
Blofeld translates
the "coming" as "slow" rather than "quietly" and remarks, "The tardy arrival implies that
our will-power is at a low ebb."
You know that you need to leave this position of comfort and privilege, but you
just can't bring yourself to make the move.
Don't
spend too much time agonizing over it: You will be humbled anyway. But eventually you'll get where you
wanted to go.
Tomorrow: " . . . and whatever you do
succeeds."
......................................................................
*In Huang's translation of this line, he notes, "In ancient times, the
prince rode in a golden carriage to greet the bride at his wedding." The British royal wedding is on Friday. Is
the Yi sending a message to Prince William? He certainly wouldn't be the first groom in history to feel oppressed and
exhausted by a wedding ceremony.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
No. 47,
Oppression / Exhaustion:
"Oppression.
Success. Perseverance.
The great man brings about good fortune.
No blame.
When one has something to say.
It is not believed."
"It is an unavoidable time of adversity - a time of oppression and exhaustion. None of us escapes such moments; they
are simply part of living." [Brian Browne Walker]
What is this
"adversity" - the cause of your oppression and exhaustion? "A feeling of despair or depression
is a sign that you are holding a false belief. Root out and remove this idea or attitude. This
will allow the creative to eliminate the oppression." [Walker]
What false belief are you holding? Is it something you believe
you should or must do? Or something you believe you can't do?
The
Yi offers one changing line, which should point directly at the cause . . .
Tomorrow: " . . . oppressed in a golden carriage."
Monday, April 25, 2011
No. 7,
The Army / Collective Force:
"The Army. The army needs perseverance
And a strong man. Good fortune without blame." "The
Army is a guide to proper conduct in the face of adversity." [Brian Browne Walker]
You may have to be militant and use some force in moving into the future. There is no blame in this.
This force will not be yours alone. There is a Collective Force
--- many others who share your goals --- needing a leader.
Huang calls this hexagram Multitude, and translates the commentary as: "One who is able to lead the
multitude to persist for righteousness is able to bring peace to the world."
So
- you may be called to lead. Be guided by the Yi's advice, as translated by James Legg in 1854:
"The rules, it is said, are two-fold - first, that the war be for a righteous end; and second, that
the manner of conducting it, especially at the outset, be right."
Sunday, April 24, 2011
No. 27, Nourishing, Line 6:
"The
source of nourishment. Awareness of danger brings good fortune. It furthers one to cross the great water."
Line 6
says: If you overcome the obstacles warned of in Lines 1 and 2, you will eventually reach "the source of nourishment."
At this point, you will truly understand what you
need to do, and where you need to go. You will have put envy and discontent and over-dependence
behind you.
Dangers still exist, but as long as you are
aware of them, you can take appropriate action.
From
this position, you can take on even "a great and difficult labor." [Wilhelm] Tomorrow: "The
Army. . . . Good fortune without blame."
Saturday, April 23, 2011
No. 27, Nourishing, Line 2:
"Turning
to the summit for nourishment, Deviating from the path To seek nourishment from the hill. Continuing to do this brings
misfortune."
Line 1 warned against
living in "envy and discontent."
Line 2 is about being overly dependent. Psychologically, it's defined as the "self-perception
of being unable to function without the help of others." Overly-dependent people allow others to run their
lives, and make no demands on them, for fear of endangering the protective relationship.
"If, owing to a weakness of spirit, a man cannot support himself, a feeling
of uneasiness comes over him; this is because in shirking the proper way of obtaining a living, he accepts support as a favor
from those in higher place. This is unworthy, for he is deviating from his true nature. Kept up indefinitely,
this course leads to misfortune." [Wilhelm]
Ask yourself: Are you "deviating from the path" because it's easier and quicker to get what you
want from someone else?
This may be
okay for awhile, but "continuing to do this brings misfortune."
"It is better to be independent." [Huang]
Tomorrow: Reaching "The source of nourishment."
Friday, April 22, 2011
No. 27, Nourishing, Line 1:
"You
let your magic tortoise go,
And look at me with the corners of your mouth drooping.
Misfortune."
You have everything you truly need, but you look at
others and want more.
In ancient China, the "magic tortoise" was
a creature that lived on air and needed no earthly nourishment. It is also symbolic of the Cosmos, the whole of the
Universe.*
"The image means that a man fitted by nature
and position to live freely and independently renounces this self-reliance and instead looks with envy and discontent at others
who are outwardly in better circumstances." [Wilhelm]
The Yi is telling you: The greatest threat to your happiness is not realizing what you've got. But being
envious is only part of it. "Renouncing this self-reliance" is the core of the problem, as we will
see in Line 2 . . .
Tomorrow: "Deviating from the path to seek nourishment
from the hill."
...............................
*Lines on a tortoise's shell were the earliest manifestations
of the "lines" of the I Ching. See R.L. Wing's The I Ching Workbook for an example of a tortoise
shell used as an augury
Thursday, April 21, 2011
No. 27, Nourishing:
"The
Corners of the Mouth.
Perseverance brings good fortune.
Pay heed to the providing of nourishment
And to what
a man seeks
To fill his own mouth with."
Now
is the time to turn your attention to what you put in your mouth --- and in your mind.
"Nourishment refers to what we 'feed' ourselves --- the
food we eat, the thoughts we think, the information, facts and fancies we store and the fantasies we indulge."
[Anthony]
The Yi, as the original binary system,* reminds you: GIGO --- Garbage
In, Garbage Out.
To evaluate the true nature of another, look to his interests. What does he "seek to fill his own mouth with?"
Or his mind. Pay attention to what he is doing, rather than what he is saying. Actions speak
louder than words.
The Yi sent
three changing lines, which should help define exactly what we need to focus on.
Tomorrow: "You let your magic tortoise go . . ."
................................................................................
*From Wikipedia: "In his article Explication de l'Arithmétique Binaire (1703) Gottfried Leibniz
writes that he has found in the hexagrams a base for claiming the universality of the binary numeral system.
He takes the layout of the combinatorial exercise found in the hexagrams to represent binary sequences, so that ¦¦¦¦¦¦
would correspond to the binary sequence 000000 and ¦¦¦¦¦| would be 000001, and so forth."
The web has a wealth of information on this concept. Search "I Ching" and "binary."
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
No. 33, Retreat:
"Retreat.
Success.
In what is small, perseverance furthers."
Retreat.
On Sunday, it was a reminder. Today, it's a dope slap* from the Universe.
(We received Retreat as the main message on April 5, and as the future
message on the 17th, and as the future message again today.)
Retreat
means: "Thus the superior man keeps the inferior man at a distance, not angrily but with reserve."
[The Image]
This is the Yi,
jumping up and down, waving a big red flag: Retreat from this "inferior"
influence, and do it as quietly and smoothly as you can.
And don't wait!
The opportunity to get out without sustaining significant damage will not last forever.
"The timely application of this hexagram is of vast importance."
[Blofeld]
......................................................................
* Dope Slap: A light "whappp"
to the back of the head, done with an open palm in an upward motion. The physical equivalent of the phrase, "Whatta you,
a moron?!" [Urban Dictionary]
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
No. 44, Coming To Meet / Temptation, Line 2:
"There
is a fish in the tank. No blame.
Does not further guests."
This is perhaps the most obscure line in the I Ching.
James Legg, translating to English in 1854, dutifully reported the ancient Chinese text, then added, "This is a common
explanation of what is said in this second line. It seems far-fetched; but I can neither find nor devise anything better."
I regularly consult seven of my favorite
translations and interpretations in preparing The Daily Yi, and delve into a dozen more when I feel like I'm not
"getting it," but I have found little enlightenment with this line. Huang says the fish is in a "grass
sack" rather than a tank, but the idea of restraint is the same.
Here's my best shot at the meaning, in the context of the main message of Temptation:
Something is "swimming around" inside you. Right now, you have it under control.
This is a weakness, not a "fault," really, but it's nothing to
be showing off to others, either. They may well take advantage of you.
Keep
this part of you contained. Don't "invite" the temptations that appeal to this weakness. In fact, your
best course of action is to . . .
Tomorrow: "Retreat."
Monday, April 18, 2011
No. 44, Coming to Meet / Temptation:
"Coming to meet. The influence is powerful.
One should not join with such an influence."
The Yi has been warning for weeks about the
dangers of "inferior influences" --- and here it is again.
"It
is a dangerous hour. Through an eruption of our inferior nature, darkness has interrupted the flow of light." [Walker]
"The temptation to leave our path intrudes, either in reaction
to the inferior nature of others, or because of internal pressure of our own desires." [Anthony]
It could be an internal Temptation - a "good reason" to cheat on your diet, skip
a day of exercising, have just one cigarette. Or a "business opportunity" - a get-rich-quick
scheme that seems too good, or too easy, to be true.
Most
likely, it is a personal relationship. Blofeld translated the title of this hexagram as "Contact (Sexual Intercourse,
Meeting, Etc.)."
Whatever this Temptation is, the Yi says: Don't
go there. The situation holds dangers you can't see now . .
Tomorrow:
"There is a fish in the tank. No blame."
Sunday, April 17, 2011
No. 33, Retreat:
"Retreat.
Success.
In what is small, perseverance furthers."
Retreat: "Thus the superior man keeps the inferior man at a distance, not angrily but with reserve."
[The Image]
In this future reading of Development/Gradual
Progress, the Yi is saying: A dispute has arisen as you follow your path. Do not pursue this conflict
and try to "win." That's a waste of your time.
Keep
in mind the advice from yesterday's changing line: " . . . find a safe place where life can go on."
We received Retreat as the main message not long ago,
on April 5. The Yi senses that you did not take its advice to distance yourself from the "inferior" influence;
hence, this reminder.
Don't wait too long to remove yourself from
this situation. "The timely application of this hexagram is of vast importance."
[Blofeld]
Saturday, April 16, 2011
No. 53, Development / Gradual Progress, Line 4:
"The wild goose gradually draws near the tree.
Perhaps it will find a flat branch. No blame."
For a goose to land in a tree --- with its webbed feet --- it will have to find an unusually
flat branch.
And you, on
your "flight" (or Gradual Progress) toward your destination, will need a place to land and rest from time
to time. Receiving this line means the situation you find yourself in is not ideal. The wild goose would
prefer a nice, flat river bank.
The Yi advises you: Take what you can get. There is no blame in taking shelter in "any port in a storm."
"It is important
to be "sensible and yielding." It enables you to "discover a safe place in which life can go on,"
even if you are "surrounded by danger." [Wilhelm] Being "sensible and yielding"
may even require Retreat, as we will see tomorrow . . .
Tomorrow:
"Thus the superior man keeps the inferior man at a distance . . ."
Friday, April 15, 2011
No. 53, Development / Gradual Progress:
"Development. The maiden
Is given in marriage.
Good fortune.
Perseverance furthers."
Development: "The act of developing or disclosing
that which is unknown; a gradual unfolding process . . ."
"When you use The Book of Change to peer into your future . . . it is like unwrapping, unfolding, and
discovering yourself . . . " [Wing]
And, as Columbia
said in The Rocky Horror Picture Show: "Slowly, slowly! It's too nice a job to rush."
Bottom line: Your new situation will take time to develop
and become clear. Don't be agitated and anxious because you haven't reached your goal yet, or because you can't see
right now how it's going to happen.
"There are no shortcuts
in the journey ahead." [Wing] And nothing is for certain, as we will see . .
Tomorrow: "Perhaps it will find a flat branch."
Thursday, April 14, 2011
No. 57, The Gentle / Penetrating Wind: “The
Gentle. Success through what is small.
It furthers one to have somewhere to go.
It furthers one to see the
great man."
I think of this
hexagram as the divi divi tree message. It is trigram Wind, repeated.
Divi divi trees on the island of Aruba all lean in the same direction because the wind blows steadily, from one side
of the island to the other. Tour guides like to tell you that you can't get lost on Aruba: just follow the divi
divi trees, whose branches all point toward the more populated shore.
Do you have clearly in mind the direction you want go? The Yi advises you to keep all your efforts moving
gently along that course.
We received this message
without changing lines. View all that happens in the coming days as an opportunity to advance through patient, consistent
movement --- "Success through what is small."
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
No. 64, Before Completion:
“Before Completion. Success.
But if the little fox, after
nearly completing the crossing,
Gets his tail in the water.
There is nothing that would further."
Like the little fox crossing an ice-covered
river, you need to move carefully. But you do need to keep moving.
This is the Yi's advice on the future of Youthful Folly/Inexperience/Childhood. It describes "the condition
before transition." [The Image]
". . . it could suggest that you are not prepared to see clearly what must be done and take the final
steps into the future. This may be a fear of the emptiness that sometimes comes after achieving a goal, or, on a more primal
level, a fear of death. . . . All aspects of life and human affairs must come to an end and begin anew. The awareness
and acceptance of this is the richness of the human experience. . . Do not become suspended in a meaningless midbreath."
[Wing]
This is, after all, the Book of Changes.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
No. 4, Youthful Folly / Inexperience / Childhood:
"Entangled folly brings humiliation."
The Yi says: "Get real."
"For youthful folly it is the most hopeless thing to entangle
itself in empty imaginings. The more obstinately it clings to such unreal fantasies, the more certainly will humiliation
overtake it." [Wilhelm]
You may be a "child" in the new direction you are taking, but don't buy into the schemes or fantasies of others.
You are meant to be open and willing to learn --- not gullible.
You will need to exercise some caution, as we will see in the future reading tomorrow
. . .
Tomorrow: "But if the little fox, after nearly completing
the crossing . . ."
Monday, April 11, 2011
No. 4, Youthful Folly / Inexperience / Childhood:
"Youthful folly has success.
It is not I who seek the young fool; The young fool seeks me. At first I inform him. If he asks two or three times, it is importunity. If he importunes, I give him no information. Perseverance furthers."
You are Inexperienced --- as in Childhood --- in the direction you are now taking.
As Blofeld translates it: "Immaturity. Good fortune!"
Good fortune, because you are now free to learn as a child would. You
don't know what you're doing, but there's no reason why you should.
We received this hexagram as a future message just last Monday. The
Yi sends it again today as a reminder: You are taking a new direction. Don't expect to know it all.
Specifically: Don't expect the Yi --- or any human teacher ---
to provide you with all the answers you want, right now.
We received one changing line, which undoubtedly
points to the biggest potential difficulty in this learning process . . .
Tomorrow: "Entangled
folly . . ."
Sunday, April 10, 2011
No. 47,
Oppression / Exhaustion:
"Oppression.
Success. Perseverance.
The great man brings about good fortune.
No blame.
When one has something to say,
It is not believed."
This time of Retreat, Stagnation, Standstill
and Darkness may
leave you . . .
Exhausted.
"It is an unavoidable time of adversity - a time of oppression and exhaustion. None of us escapes such moments; they
are simply part of living." [Brian Browne Walker]
What is this
"adversity" - the cause of your oppression and exhaustion? "A feeling of despair or depression
is a sign that you are holding a false belief. Root out and remove this idea or attitude. This
will allow the creative to eliminate the oppression." [Walker]
What "false belief" are you holding? Likely,
it is related to "the darkness" you may still be attached to, even though you have "retreated
from the darkness."
Examples: "I can't live without him/her." "This job is killing me, but I can't quit." You need to follow your
path. As the Yi says, in The Image of this hexagram, "Thus the superior man stakes his life
on following his will."
Saturday, April 9, 2011
No. 29, Flowing Water / The Abysmal / Darkness,
Line 4:
"A jug of wine, a bowl of rice with it; Earthen vessels Simply handed in through the window. There is certainly no blame in this."
A simple, practical solution to your problem exists. In a dangerous situation, one that you need to be moving
through, do not insist on a five-course meal in a banquet hall. All you really need is some sustenance to keep
you moving.
"Strive for clarity of
mind. Do not clutter your actions with useless pretense, since it will only confuse the situation." [Wing]
Do what you need to do, and move on.
Will others like it? Probably not, but . . . "There is certainly no blame in this."
Tomorrow: "The superior man stakes his life on following his will."
Friday, April 8, 2011
No. 29, Flowing Water / The Abysmal /
Darkness:
"The Abysmal repeated. If you are sincere, you have success in your heart, And whatever
you do succeeds."
The Yi
has been warning about Darkness. The changing line from the last message said, "One at this place has
already retreated from the dark forces, but still attaches to the darkness." [Huang]
This hexagram tells us what we need to do to get through:
"Water sets the example for the right conduct under such circumstances. It flows on and on, . . . it does not shrink
from any dangerous spot nor from any plunge, and nothing can make it lose its own essential nature. It remains true
to itself under all conditions." [Wilhelm]
You need to keep flowing to get out of this situation, but if you are following your inner truth, you'll make it. The
Yi has one changing line of advice to help you . . . .
Tomorrow: "
. . simply handed in through the window."
Thursday, April 7, 2011
No. 12,
Stagnation / Standstill:
"Standstill. Evil people do not
further
The perseverance of the superior man.
The great departs; the small approaches."
The Yi has warned you to Retreat,
and
not hesitate. If
you remain "attached to the darkness," (yesterday's changing line) your progress will come to a Standstill.
"It
is an inescapable fact of life that inferior influences sometimes prevail." [Brian Browne
Walker]
Your
own inner refusal to face facts will bring you to a Standstill. If
you won't acknowledge and accept the realities of the time, you will remain stuck.
"While it is natural to feel anxious and disappointed with this state of affairs, it is essential to disengage from these
inferior emotions now." [Walker]
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
No. 33, Retreat, Line 3:
"A halted retreat
Is nerve-wracking and dangerous. To retain people as men- and maidservants Brings good fortune."
Are you hesitating to
break away from a difficult situation?
With Line 3, our only changing line, the Yi sends a warning:
"One at this place has already retreated from the dark forces, but still attaches to the darkness." [Huang]
This perfectly describes a person leaving an abusive relationship. Typically, there is a stage where you may physically
remove yourself, but psychologically, you are still "attached to the darkness."
The Yi says: "Don't
get stuck at this stage."
Turn your attention to your most basic responsibilities. "It is better
to stay at home and care for little things." [Huang]
Tomorrow:
"Standstill. Evil people do not further . . . "
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
No. 33, Retreat:
"Retreat. Success.
In what is small, perseverance furthers."
The focus
on taking "small steps" continues. In fact, there is some part of the current situation that you need to step
back from.
You should not
view this Retreat in military terms, but in natural terms. As the light retreats, winter approaches.
Is this a "defeat?" Of course not.
"The only course open to
you is to withdraw. This is not in any way unworthy or cowardly, but shows that you genuinely understand the situation."
[Marshall]
There is nothing
further to be accomplished in this direction. Take your leave gracefully.
Tomorrow: "A halted retreat is nerve-wracking and
dangerous . . ."
Monday, April 4, 2011
No. 4, Youthful Folly / Inexperience / Childhood:
"Childhood.
Prosperous
and smooth. It is not I who seek the ignorant, The ignorant seeks me. On the first divination, I give light. Repeating again is contemptuous. Being contemptuous, I give no more
instruction. Favorable to be steadfast and upright."
You
are Inexperienced --- as in Childhood --- in the direction you are now taking. As Blofeld
translates it: "Immaturity. Good fortune!"
Good fortune, because you are now free to learn as a child would. You don't know
what you're doing, but there's no reason why you should.
"There is no shame in seeking guidance in life." [Walker] When you seek guidance, ask your question, and then pay
attention to the answer. Don't immediately challenge the advice.
When you are inexperienced, there are no stupid questions. But, once you get the answer, don't keep asking,
just because it's not what you want to hear.
Give yourself permission
to learn.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
No. 61, Inner Truth, Line 5:
"He possesses truth, which links together.
No blame."
You fear that following your Inner
Truth will isolate you. Not so, says the Yi.
Living your Inner Truth will allow you to truly connect with others, on the deepest levels.
It is true that expressing your Inner Truth may
separate you from those with whom you are currently associated, but there is "no blame" in that. Even
family ties may be loosened, if they are restraining you from pursuing your path.
"He seems to be pulled forward by his confidence in what he is doing --- no error!"
[Blofeld]
In other words:
Go for it!
Tomorrow: "Repeating again is contemptuous."
Saturday, April 2, 2011
No.
61, Inner Truth, Line 1:
"Being prepared brings good fortune. If there are secret designs, it is disquieting."
"Seeking
something else: No peace."
That's Huang's interpretation of the second part of this line. The Yi is telling you: Your goal must be in
line with your Inner Truth.
Are you focusing your efforts on what you truly want? Or are you telling yourself you need to make more money,
or that you need to do what others expect? Are you telling others what they want to hear, when your real goal is
something else entirely?
The Universe will not come to your aid unless you make your offering, no matter how small, sincerely and openly.
But if you do, . . .
Tomorrow:
"He possesses truth, which links together."
Friday, April 1, 2011
No.
61, Inner Truth:
"Inner Truth. Pigs
and fishes.
Good fortune.
It furthers one to cross the great water.
Perseverance furthers."
There
will be Difficulty at the Beginning (yesterday's reading, with no changing lines) for the indefinite future.
Be guided first by your Inner Truth.
Huang explains
that "pigs and fishes" were considered small offerings in ancient Chinese rituals, offered only when times were
hard.
He
translates the name of this hexagram as Innermost Sincerity. Blofeld named it Inward Confidence.
No matter the Difficulty, however, when you offer
your Inner Truth with Innermost Sincerity and Confidence, you will be rewarded with good fortune,
and your most ambitious endeavors will be successful. Successful --- but not necessarily easy . . .
Tomorrow: "If there are secret designs . . . "
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