Clarity,
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PO Box 6945,
London.
W1A 6US
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+44 (0)20 3287 3053 (UK)
+1 (561) 459-4758 (US).
Gillian Zukovskis
visitor
- Joined
- Aug 7, 2022
- Messages
- 6
- Reaction score
- 9
I’m letting people know I’ve posted online a two-part self-published ebook:
Life Unfolding in the Periodic Table, Traditional Tales, and the Yi Jing:
Part 1: Parallel Ancient and Modern Perspectives (456 pages)
Part 2: 64 Archetypes for Hexagrams and Elements (348 pages)
It’s available to view & download free of charge on these two websites (2 separate pdfs, with a shared Abstract) or can alternatively be emailed (in 3 zipped pdfs):
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Gillian-Scott-Zukovskis/publications
https://independent.academia.edu/GillZukovskis
These are rather big volumes, with academic style & content. They’re designed for a more serious audience, as a reference guide rather than a book to read through cover to cover.
For people interested in the I Ching, Part 2 is the main resource. Here the first 64 chemical elements are linked to the 64 hexagrams (in the standard King Wen sequence). They are matched with frameworks underpinning early myths and traditional stories, especially the heroic journeys identified by Joseph Campbell and material from The Seven Basic Plots: Why we Tell Stories (2004) by writer Christopher Booker.
Part 1 explains how I’ve arrived at these parallels, which I appreciate may well sound far-fetched, but I aim to show are plausible. Very briefly, I suggest that ancient wisdom (including the I Ching and early myths) actually shares a common source with the modern science of the chemical elements: both are rooted in understanding of simple processes of evolutionary development through a series of stages, operating at multiple levels throughout the cosmos, including reflections in collective and individual human experience.
I make the general proposal that skywatching was at the heart of the enigmatic structure behind the received version of the I Ching: seasonal rhythms and life cycles on earth were projected onto the heavens, with celestial patterns providing a vision of potential for rebirth and deeper meaning for our existence. More detailed discussion of specific astronomical-astrological aspects of Chinese and global divination and mythology is planned for future publication.
Arguments will also be offered later to support the hypothesis that the I Ching is not in fact a unique document which evolved independently, but a regional variation of global traditions widely shared across long timescales.
Many of the connections for Life Unfolding were inspired by homeopathic understanding of the periodic table. Of course, belief in the effectiveness of this therapy is not required to consider the ideas put forward.
The first part features a couple of general outlines of the I Ching. Section C in Chapter 2 (pp41-46 of 456 pages in the numbering for the whole pdf) gives a short introduction, mainly for those unfamiliar with it. Further information, including discussion of a sample hexagram (Hexagram 4), is given in Appendix One, ‘More on the Yi Jing’ (pp400-422). I’ve mentioned the CLARITY website in Appendix 2 (p448) in the section on Further Reading. Individual archetypes for each hexagram and element are discussed throughout, including analysis of particular rows and columns where they are mapped within the periodic table. Mention is also made of the age-related schemes for the hexagrams proposed by Stephen Karcher and Scott Davis, for example.
Any feedback is welcome, including corrections for an ongoing Errata list, here or via my email gillred9@gmail.com (also shown in the header on each page of the book). Gillian Scott Zukovskis (she/her)
Life Unfolding in the Periodic Table, Traditional Tales, and the Yi Jing:
Part 1: Parallel Ancient and Modern Perspectives (456 pages)
Part 2: 64 Archetypes for Hexagrams and Elements (348 pages)
It’s available to view & download free of charge on these two websites (2 separate pdfs, with a shared Abstract) or can alternatively be emailed (in 3 zipped pdfs):
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Gillian-Scott-Zukovskis/publications
https://independent.academia.edu/GillZukovskis
These are rather big volumes, with academic style & content. They’re designed for a more serious audience, as a reference guide rather than a book to read through cover to cover.
For people interested in the I Ching, Part 2 is the main resource. Here the first 64 chemical elements are linked to the 64 hexagrams (in the standard King Wen sequence). They are matched with frameworks underpinning early myths and traditional stories, especially the heroic journeys identified by Joseph Campbell and material from The Seven Basic Plots: Why we Tell Stories (2004) by writer Christopher Booker.
Part 1 explains how I’ve arrived at these parallels, which I appreciate may well sound far-fetched, but I aim to show are plausible. Very briefly, I suggest that ancient wisdom (including the I Ching and early myths) actually shares a common source with the modern science of the chemical elements: both are rooted in understanding of simple processes of evolutionary development through a series of stages, operating at multiple levels throughout the cosmos, including reflections in collective and individual human experience.
I make the general proposal that skywatching was at the heart of the enigmatic structure behind the received version of the I Ching: seasonal rhythms and life cycles on earth were projected onto the heavens, with celestial patterns providing a vision of potential for rebirth and deeper meaning for our existence. More detailed discussion of specific astronomical-astrological aspects of Chinese and global divination and mythology is planned for future publication.
Arguments will also be offered later to support the hypothesis that the I Ching is not in fact a unique document which evolved independently, but a regional variation of global traditions widely shared across long timescales.
Many of the connections for Life Unfolding were inspired by homeopathic understanding of the periodic table. Of course, belief in the effectiveness of this therapy is not required to consider the ideas put forward.
The first part features a couple of general outlines of the I Ching. Section C in Chapter 2 (pp41-46 of 456 pages in the numbering for the whole pdf) gives a short introduction, mainly for those unfamiliar with it. Further information, including discussion of a sample hexagram (Hexagram 4), is given in Appendix One, ‘More on the Yi Jing’ (pp400-422). I’ve mentioned the CLARITY website in Appendix 2 (p448) in the section on Further Reading. Individual archetypes for each hexagram and element are discussed throughout, including analysis of particular rows and columns where they are mapped within the periodic table. Mention is also made of the age-related schemes for the hexagrams proposed by Stephen Karcher and Scott Davis, for example.
Any feedback is welcome, including corrections for an ongoing Errata list, here or via my email gillred9@gmail.com (also shown in the header on each page of the book). Gillian Scott Zukovskis (she/her)