Should I hire Henry's friend to be my coach? Hexagram 7 (The Army) unchanging.

[giraffecloud]

I've been wanting to hire a coach to help improve my fitness. My friend, Henry recommended his friend. Henry's friend works online. I looked at the coach's website, it has a form to fill in and asks "who has control of your finances ?". This felt like a red flag but Henry said it was most likely for the benefit of teenagers.

I feel that "The Army" is exactly what a person would want to describe a coach and if there was any kind of scam, the I ching would have picked up on it. I noticed that the nuclear hexagram 24 (The turning point). The imagery talks about kings closing gates for the solstice and merchants not traveling. So I get the idea that Yi is saying "not right now" which makes sense because I will be starting a new job next week.

 

[giraffecloud]

Does anyone think the nuclear hexagram means that this coach is a fraud and should be avoided?

 

[Liselle]

I'm not good with nuclears, but here's what Hilary says about it in WikiWing:

Hexagram 24, Returning. This is well-hidden within the army, but you need to be able to feel it - that inner sense of direction, the ability to change direction fluently to stay on your path.

For your question it strikes me more as getting fit will be a gradual turnaround, and there might be periods of progress and periods of not much progress, and that is to be expected and perfectly fine.

I understand why you're suspicious of that question, but if you trust Henry's judgement it's probably okay. I don't think 7 or 24 are fraud warnings in any obvious way. If you'd want, you could ask Yi that specifically, or even about the finances question.

 

[giraffecloud]

Thanks Liselle, I asked the I ching if Henry's friend is a good coach. I got hexagram 38 1.2.3 (opposing) changing to hexagram 56 (traveling).

Line 3 is very worrying. Although the imagery of opposition says good fortune, line 3 suggests that it would end in tears.

 

[Liselle]

Well now that I look again I'm not sure I like my first post. You asked if you should hire the fellow, not about your fitness prospects (although they're probably related). Let me try thinking again (lol, no guarantees...).

 

[rosada]

7. The Army suggests to me that he is something like a drill Sargent.
38>56 Also seems to be describing someone who has various individuals who come to him for assistance getting launched and then move on. Could also indicate he doesn’t try to make his clients dependent on him should you decide you want to 56, move on.

Together this sounds like this fellow would be able to provide you with some decent generic coaching. No deep personal bonding but you’re not looking for a friend here, you’re looking for someone who can provide a professional service.
I don’t see anything suggesting scam but if you don’t feel it’s appropriate to share your financial information how about just leaving that line blank?

 

[giraffecloud]

7. The Army suggests to me that he is something like a drill Sargent.
38>56 Also seems to be describing someone who has various individuals who come to him for assistance getting launched and then move on. Could also indicate he doesn’t try to make his clients dependent on him should you decide you want to 56, move on.

Together this sounds like this fellow would be able to provide you with some decent generic coaching. No deep personal bonding but you’re not looking for a friend here, you’re looking for someone who can provide a professional service.
I don’t see anything suggesting scam but if you don’t feel it’s appropriate to share your financial information how about just leaving that line blank?

Thanks, Rosada. I think you're right, that this guy is legit. I was worried that opposition would mean I would argue with the guy but I agree that the readings don't show a scam.

I had a little read of my Richard Wilhelm book. Line 3 says that although things don't get off to a good start, the ending will be good.

 

[Trojina]

I've been wanting to hire a coach to help improve my fitness. My friend, Henry recommended his friend. Henry's friend works online. I looked at the coach's website, it has a form to fill in and asks "who has control of your finances ?". This felt like a red flag but Henry said it was most likely for the benefit of teenagers.

I feel that "The Army" is exactly what a person would want to describe a coach and if there was any kind of scam, the I ching would have picked up on it. I noticed that the nuclear hexagram 24 (The turning point). The imagery talks about kings closing gates for the solstice and merchants not traveling. So I get the idea that Yi is saying "not right now" which makes sense because I will be starting a new job next week.

So you feel suspicious of Henry's friend and maybe that is something to explore in reality by talking to the friend or writing to him to get a feel for what he's like.

I really wouldn't rely on Yi to tell you it is a scam or otherwise. There are ways to check this out in a more practical way and perhaps the 7 point to that. I agree it seems a good answer for a coach. I do not think you need to think about 24 at all. I wouldn't just go by 7 though, I would talk to the friend before signing up.

Does anyone think the nuclear hexagram means that this coach is a fraud and should be avoided?

I don't know how you could even think that was a possibility? No nuclear hexagram could just confirm that and also it's a hexagram of context you don't look to it for prediction. Out of interest would you mind telling me where you picked up this idea about the nuclear. There are quite a few people lately saying strange things about the nuclear. I don't even use them, they aren't your answer really, just an inner theme if you care to look or something....

, I asked the I ching if Henry's friend is a good coach. I got hexagram 38 1.2.3 (opposing) changing to hexagram 56 (traveling).

Line 3 is very worrying. Although the imagery of opposition says good fortune, line 3 suggests that it would end in tears.

I just don't think this is the best way of finding out about Henry's friend do you?

You could get organised (7) send an email, phone him, do some research but trying to find out with any certainty this way just seems ineffective. Instead of looking for facts you are guessing from answers and getting worried.

Is he a good coach? I can tell you a conversation with him, maybe a trial session or a chat is going to give you much more information than this answer. I don't think there is need to be worried just from Yi answers here, but line 2 does suggest this can be resolved through more personal contact.

If you feel suspicion of him there is no use trying to get certain confirmation via the I Ching you need to do the research and also listen to your gut. If I felt worried about someone yes I may consult but no way would I rely on that alone without doing some real life investigation.

 

[giraffecloud]

Thanks Trojina, I've just texted Henry for an email address. I think that was why I was suspicious because even though I trust Henry, he sent me an online form with no information about the coach or contact details.

The reason I was looking into the nuclear hexagram is because I read that it gives insight into unchanging hexagram and I misinterpreted that but really it just gives insight into why the question was asked.

 

[Trojina]

Do you remember where you read that? Just curious. It seems to mislead a lot of people, getting sidetracked by the nuclear.

Yes I would think you'd need more information about this coach.

 

[giraffecloud]

Do you remember where you read that? Just curious. It seems to mislead a lot of people, getting sidetracked by the nuclear.

Yes I would think you'd need more information about this coach.

I'm pretty sure I read somebody's thread on this site about it after Google searching a hexagram result. I'm afraid I'm not able to say which hexagram.

 

[Liselle]

For what it's worth (maybe not much) - I wonder if 38 to 56 might be about your suspicion.

It's a good idea to do the checking you're doing, but if everyone tells you everything's perfectly fine, I think the reading could be corroboration that that's true and no one's lying.


You were asked a strange question by a website. That's a double dose of 38-oddness right there. Something quite alien - not human - the internet - asked you a weird question that most websites don't ask, who's in charge of your finances. I've had experiences like that, where a website behaves differently from all the other websites. If it involves my money, I get worried.

I think the lines probably mean somehow this is not a scary problem in this case.

38.1
'Regrets vanish.
Lost horse: don’t pursue it, it returns of itself.
See hateful people,
No mistake.'

A horse is something to ride to go somewhere. I think that's you and the form - you had started filling it in to sign up.

Then the horse ran away: the website did something strange, asked you a strange and rather hateful question. Understandably, this threw you for a loop. (I would have been alarmed, too.) Instead of feeling comfortable to proceed, you were suspicious.

The advice is not to chase after this, but only to see it. As Hilary puts it in her book, "As for the hateful – or hate-filled – people, there is no mistake if you only see them. There’s no need to react at all."

38.2
'Meeting a master in the lane.
Not a mistake.'

I think this reflects that you're encountering this person in an unusual way and place for a fitness coach - online. Yi says "not a mistake." ("No blame" is another translation.)

38.3
'Seeing the cart dragged back,
The oxen stopped
Your men branded and their noses cut off.
With no beginning, there is an end.'

Again, this is your experience, right? Your cart was literally dragged back when the horse ran off - you stopped the signing-up process when it asked you the weird question. You worried you might be badly injured. But as you noticed in Wilhelm, it will end well.

Also notice the line says seeing a lot of bad things. Same "seeing" as in line 1 (same character, 見). It doesn't mean these things actually happen, just that, as Hilary puts it, "you see daunting visions" of what could happen.

The omen acknowledges that things began badly, then says "there is an end." It doesn't literally say a good end, but do you think it might be reasonable to assume that? In theory I can think of only a few endings to a story like that. Imagine a car trip to make it more relatable. (1) you really do end up stranded and attacked (but the line says that's a vision, not reality), (2) you have car trouble but find some sort of help, or (3) nothing happens, you get where you're going without mishap.

 

[giraffecloud]

Thanks, Liselle. I think the horse image describes me very well. I'm also quite bad in life for imagining the worst but it's good to be cautious. I've texted Henry to see if he'll give me the coach's contact details. Hopefully Henry will respond.