Retreating from Retreat (Hex 33.1)

[zelion]

Hi all, I'm back again in the forums...

Recently I had the chance to draw the confusing (al least for me, until now) Hex 33.1 to 13

I realized an specific pattern that is present when drawing this oracle, and it's always when I change my mind regarding something and think about reatreating from the situation...

Personally, after many many time without understanding it, and after finding the pattern on my casting "registry" ... Finally I think Hex 33.1 means retreat from your retreat.. or more straighforward: DO NOT RETREAT Because you are already in the middle of this and somehow you'll find in a worst situation if you retreat althought maybe the situation is not the most perfect one.

So... What do you thing?

David

[bradford]

Does blending in help?

[zelion]

Maybe seems obvious but I saw many posts about this line being interpreted as RETREAT...

And I think that's wrong since for retreat, you shoud getting the unchanging hexagram or any other line indicating which type of retreating or which type of benefits you get by retreating...

Anyway the situation doesn't necessarily has to be a good one...

Or maybe I'm completely wrong...

Do you think it would be interesting to do another thread on the style of Rosada's "Memorizing..." but more like a repository of experiences on every line and even combinations oh hexagram /lines?

Yes there are more than 200 combinations but maybe it's worth what do you think people?

[zelion]

Hi Bradford,

Blending in... interesting... I think that's the point!

Btw I downloaded your e-book long time ago and in my opinion is one of the best works on the I-Ching I ever readed...

But anyway even with your "withdrawing tail in trouble" sometimes I didn't know what to do in the real situation.

[zelion]

But now I think I know the real meaning, although not in every situation!

[bradford]

Maybe seems obvious but I saw many posts about this line being interpreted as RETREAT...
And I think that's wrong since for retreat, you shoud getting the unchanging hexagram or any other line indicating which type of retreating or which type of benefits you get by retreating...

Hi
I think it needs to be said more often that it's a mistake to let a single word stand in for the meaning of the hexagram. Retreat is an example. In many ways this hexagram is about "getting to the perfect distance."

From my Quotes section at the back of this Hexagram:

If you are near the enemy, make him believe you are far from him. If you are far
from the enemy, make him believe you are near. —Sunzi, The Art of War

Men of great wisdom, looking at things far off or near at hand, do not think
them insignificant for being small nor unwieldy for being great. —Zhuangzi

[zelion]

Yes you're right, just saying "retreat" it's simplifying too much...

Indeed here's a real (although maybe not that common) situation where I had recently received this line (33.1) and actually understood it. (in my opinion)

I'm an emerging scriptwriter, but had another added difficulty (not applied to other writers) for getting my script read since english is not my main languague...

Anyway I overcomed that because ended up in the hands of an L.A. long time based director /producer (but spanish!) and liked very much my script...

At that moment I was the one charging against my enemies (my competence) ;-) with a lot of success... I was the one winning the fight !

But then a wall presented itself...

This producer like it very much but told me to translate it so he coukld be able to send it to the BIG producer because my story was expensive to shoot... but ops, I had no money left for that!!! its a long script about 2 hours and a half long movie (btw the I-Ching is like another character in the story) so the translation/adaptation was really expensive... And translating it myself was no option since they would realize soething's wrong and I didn't want to spoil this BIG chance in my life...

So I began to think in solutions... how to make it??? wait for having the money?? Try having this producer having a talk about my story with a friend of him (btw very very famous actor/producer) so they could have interest in the story thus being able to sign a contract and get the script translated?? I didn't know what to do...

So I casted the coins and got Hex 33.1 ...

In the beginning I was desesperate because didn't know what to do...

But in the end I was lucky enough to convince this producer to receive another script far cheaper to translate (short film) so he could deliver it to a famous actor /producer in Hollywood... and gain interested for translating the other one... So we could advance again from the retreat!

So that was 33.1 for me !

NO surrender, but had to wait until I had this new plan and was accepted by the producer..

So that was the meaning, I was too advanced already and too many sacrifices done for surrender or going back... I just had to stop for a while and have another strategy in my pocket for overcoming my little translation problem...

But a mistery remained because maybe the story the want to shoot its a mix of the two or something... even maybe they ask me for something different... But my point was to get a script of mine to the big man! and so I did.

This a very difficult bussiness and indeed I don't have guarantees I will have my script sold, but the mission of getting the script there I thin was successful..

I think this is a representation of Hex 33.1

[zelion]

Just for the records another hex demonstrating the concept of "keeping the right distance" meaning of hexagram 33's is that later, but before sending the other script to the producer, the Hex I got at that moment was: Hex 6.5 to 64 "The contest is most promising"

[zelion]

Here's another example of Hex 33.1 in a very different context:

Almost three months ago, while travelling abroad I met somebody I liked, and actually we had an affair... we talked of renting together, although only for 3 months, a litle apartment.. I got Hex 33.1 (at that moment I had no idea of the meaning)...

Finally I rented an apartment on my own, but anyway she came in so we shared the rent, but only for one month instead of three because she had to go back to her hometown sooner than she thought.

So in hindsight it was really helpful for me to share this month and the deposit, but I had to pay the full rent on my own for the other two months before.. actually its almost three months ago and also need to travel again and leave the apartment...

Just for the records...

Best

[anemos]

thank you for sharing this story. its really very useful.

I have in mind 33 as re-positioning ( it sounds milder) yet when i see retreat surrendering cross my mind and i see you used that word too.

in painting , especially if you have to put in canvas a composition, and there is a mistake but you can't trace it retreat is a way to find it. Υοu need to take your eyes away from your painting for awhile, step back and see it again from a distance. This tip has help me to understand better 33.