If ya don't know

[candid]

Anon,

Welcome to hindsight. I think your statements are brave and true.

I personally believe Yi speaks to our inner condition, which ideally then governs our outward exchange. Its so easy to misread these things for a number of reasons, some which you've mentioned.

The nature of change is temporal. That's a silly, redundant statement, but its true enough to remind. We can ask for a picture of potential concerning relationships, but typically that's all we'll get. Relationships are organic, or at least they ought to be. Its like predicting the weather or the success of this year's crops. Not saying it can't be done, just that reading the signs must be done wisely. And knowing when we?ve strayed from the track is important so that we are not interpreting meaningless answers.

C

[hilary]

Dear Anon,

Ouch. It sounds as though you have been through the mill. Thank you for sharing it, because there is bound to be someone passing through here sometime who doesn't know.

Everything you say makes sense to me. Somewhere near the top of my notes on hexagram 24, there is a note not to assume this means he/she is coming back. Again and again, it doesn't (line 1, especially). (It shows someone getting back on their path - maybe its 'usual' meaning is more like 'you meet if you're on the same journey'.)

By the way, another 'false positive' to beware of in relationships is hexagram 61. Absolute inner truth to what? If you want to know how he/she feels, ASK him/her. (Sorry for the broken record effect, everyone...)

True Candid wisdom, too. Thank you.

[hilary]

An afterthought: all this isn't a reason to consult less. It's a reason to consult more, to make the relationship with Yi a familiar part of life, before you need it in a crisis. Stating the obvious, I know, but then I'm good at that... http://www.onlineclarity.co.uk/I_Ching_community/clipart/happy.gif