Hello all,

I am in a middle of yet another life crisis (work related) and I have done some castings trying to clarify things for myself as to what I should be doing. I am sitting with these castings and reading about them trying to get the sense of what they mean for my situation, but nothing has quite clicked yet and so I thought I'd put some of them here to see what good folk of clarity think. In the past I have received invaluable insights, whether they be confirmations of what I was thinking or a completely new perspective on the issue. Either way, I am very grateful to everyone who has contributed (and who will contribute in the future).

The other thing is that this situation now is a tail end of the job change I posted about two years ago and I wanted to give an update on the situation. Unfortunately, I cannot find that cast in the archives but it was a 6 with a lot of changing lines. As someone back then pointed out, the job put me in path of many political wrangles which I have sought to extract myself from and have only just managed it, but alas, with a loss of half of my monthly income.

So here are some of the casts I have made about this:

what can I do now in terms of my career: 20.6 > 8
(yeah, I am contemplating my life, sure thing)

what do I need to know in order to turn my work situation in a positive direction? 39.1.3 > 3
(it's not going to be easy, sort through some obstacles, pretty much the same as above 20.6 but with more emphasis)

Then I did some soul searching, getting 11uc for question about what is truly important to me and 55.3 for advice on how to achieve this.

None of the above is too perplexing and I think I've got a handle on what those mean. Take some time out and figure it out, wait for the right time and the right frame of mind, type of thing.

But then I asked something about what to do for money and got 22.3.6 > 24 and then how did I end up in this situation (again!) resulted in 31.2.4.5 > 46.

These last two have got me completely stumped. I mean, I know what the hexagrams mean and the lines, but I cannot apply them to my situation. The whole of this feels like a repeat of the situation two years ago when I had finished with that other job and had no prospects (but then this job appeared more or less) and I was hoping that it would lead me to further study and longer term employment but things sort of fell apart in some respects and the only opportunities that were being made available to me were for types of work that I dislike and that makes me ill.

Anyway, if anyone has a clue as to what white feathers mean for paying bills and if anyone can offer sensible suggestion for what 31>46 reading is saying, I would love to hear it.

Also, I want to apologise for not contributing to other people's readings, I just don't feel moved to do it and forcing it is not a good idea imho. But hopefully the time will come to give back.

:bows:

precision grace said:

Unfortunately, I cannot find that cast in the archives but it was a 6 with a lot of changing lines.

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I wonder if Google site search might help?

Google the following:

site:www.onlineclarity.co.uk <your> <search> <terms>

without the < > characters, of course.

If you had the same username back then, you could enter:

site:www.onlineclarity.co.uk "precision grace" <more> <search> <terms>

with "precision grace" in quotes so that it finds exact matches.

Anything you can remember about the words in your post would be good search terms.

I think I've got a handle on what those mean. Take some time out and figure it out, wait for the right time and the right frame of mind, type of thing.

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I think that is a good conclusion to draw.

Before going any further, I should probably say that it can be difficult to interpret readings which are pulled from long conversations you've been having with Yi (for years, in your case). It's like someone being quoted out of context, and we know the problems that can cause. A reading in isolation could be 100% addressing the question you asked, but it could also be commenting on your divination process (I get various forms of 33 when Yi is trying to tell me to STOP ASKING and come back to it later). Or it could be repeating something it told you earlier, in answer to a different question, that it knows you didn't quite get or didn't pay enough attention to. And so forth.

Having said that, I don't think 20.6 was telling you to just "contemplate your life" in general, but to do it in the right way. It counsels a detached, depersonalized, sage-like approach. Be very attentive, but don't let it eat you alive. An example might be the kind of attitude a doctor must have towards his patients.

39.1.3 > 3 - this probably doesn't mean you should just keep soldiering on as you've been, despite the obstacles you're encountering. 39 can mean that you need a whole new approach. Both lines are very similar. They say, "Going on, limping; coming back _____" where the last words are "praise" and "turnaround" respectively. Think of yourself hiking on an impassable trail, and someone says, "Don't go that way. Come back." You would stop, turn around, back up (not necessarily to the very beginning), and look for a better route. I think it's reasonable to assume there IS a better route, or Yi wouldn't have said this to you (I hope).

(All the quotes here in my comment are from Hilary's book .)

I've gotten hex 3 (not necessarily as the relating hexagram) when something was suffering from "growing pains" but later straightened itself out.

What should you do for money? 22.3.6 > 24

22.3 says:

"Beautiful as if dipped in water.
Ever-flowing constancy, good fortune."

The imagery is of a stone which is glistening because it's been dipped in water, but when the water evaporates, the beauty is gone. I hate to say this, but is your money "evaporating" too fast? Maybe in ways which aren't terribly visible to you, or where you're paying for things that you're not getting much out of? Or if you get to the end of the month and wonder where all your money went, you might have to examine that in detail and try to figure out where it goes (the "constancy" - attention to detail). Another possibility is it could mean being nickel-and-dimed to death. Do you have a lot of little expenditures which add up?

22.6...not sure. It has to do with simplicity, inconspicuousness, nothing being added. I got it one time when I was waiting for a notification, and Yi was telling me "nothing would be added" (I would not get the notification) the next day either. In your case it could go along with 22.3 by meaning you should simplify your budget. Cut out all the adornments (sorry...). Or maybe it means that there are inconspicuous ways in which money is disappearing.

24 as the relating hexagram might mean that if you do the things in the lines (stop the evaporation, etc.), you will be able to "renew" your finances. (Although I must say that losing half your monthly income is a lot. Most people don't lose that much money to evaporation kinds of things. So maybe what I'm saying here is ridiculous.)

How did you end up in this situation? 31.2.4.5 > 46

I got 31.2 once when I was looking for something. It meant I shouldn't impulsively tear the house apart trying to find it. I later found it quite easily and by accident. In your case, have you changed jobs a lot, thinking that the new one will be better than the old one, only to find out that it isn't? (I hate to say that, since if it's true I feel like it's rubbing salt in a wound - you can't UN-job-hop .)

31.4:

"Constancy brings good fortune, regrets vanish.
Wavering, wavering, going and coming,
Friends follow your thoughts."

31.4 might be not-so-great (following whims or trends, being hopelessly indecisive), but it can also be a productive way of making decisions. The "going and coming" could mean going over things again and again as a way of working things out. I got it once as part of a reading when I was trying to figure out how to do something unfamiliar. I talked to a number of people, asked questions, looked on the internet - I felt very much at sea with all this, and I got as much bad advice as good advice, but at some point it all worked out. Since your question was how you got to this point, though, it may be the less-productive side of 31.4 - following whims too much (if you've done any of that).

31.5 can mean making conscious, deliberate choices, rather than the opposite. It might be describing the right way to approach things in the future, rather than telling you how you got here (different lines can sometimes mean different aspects of the issue).

Hiya Grace,
Oh dear you got the inevitable Hexagram 24 which to me always means, well maybe not always, but mostly means return to self and I think in this instance it does.

Hex 22 is Beauty right? normally superficial but I feel these lines are telling you to get in touch with your inner Beauty and then your outer will shine. Keep things simple - do you in anyway wear too much on the outside to hide what you think is not beautiful on the inside? But hmmm how does this answer your question about what to do about money - well it's not sayin' to go dancing in the streets or to try to attract money by your outer Beauty but to look within and find the answer there or maybe help people find their inner Beauty and of course only then can we return to Self Hex 24. - Liss

Liss alluded to clothes...do you have any clothes you could sell, that you don't wear anymore or which no longer fit? Do you sew? Could you make clothes to sell, or do alterations for people? (24 could mean "renewal," which could fit with doing alterations.)

Or do you make crafts, or have skills to make any kind of adornments or beautiful things you could sell? Jewelry, painting, furniture refinishing, calligraphy, anything like that?

Oh yes Lisa that sounds good too - do tell us Grace, it could be a new idea for me too

Hi PG,

precision grace said:

what to do for money...22.3.6 > 24

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I think Yi is confirming to keep coming back to (24) pursuing other opportunities (22.3) and being ok materially with bare necessities for now (22.6).

precision grace said:

how did I end up in this situation (again!)...31.2.4.5 > 46.

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I view the way you ended up in the situation is that it's part of the package of someone with great energy working out making enduring connections (46), holding out for what's best (31.2), following one's heart (31.4), and be true to one's calling (31.5) all at the same time. Maybe Yi's version of saying 'cause your human .

Best, Iams girl

precision grace said:

But then I asked something about what to do for money and got 22.3.6 > 24 and then how did I end up in this situation (again!) resulted in 31.2.4.5 > 46.

These last two have got me completely stumped. I mean, I know what the hexagrams mean and the lines, but I cannot apply them to my situation. The whole of this feels like a repeat of the situation two years ago when I had finished with that other job and had no prospects (but then this job appeared more or less) and I was hoping that it would lead me to further study and longer term employment but things sort of fell apart in some respects and the only opportunities that were being made available to me were for types of work that I dislike and that makes me ill.


:bows:

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Hi PG,

my impression reading the quoted part is that is a reminder that you have go through this situation again, and as you said you found a job. Maybe you are a bit confused now 22.3 but if you try to clear the situation in your mind you can think more positive or find solutions, like "returning" to your home.

I can see something in the same line in your other, 31>46 reading. There is a slow down and be receptive. The empty space of 31 and the 22.6 have much in common, imo. Was looking at 31.4 yesterday cuz I had a reading and was pondering on the ambivalence of 31.4. There is a "hurry up" in 31 lines while in 46 there is a steadiness. Maybe if you take 31 and 46 and the sort of 'opposite' meaning you could see where you stand , closer to 31 or 46 .

What can I do now in terms of my career?
20.6 > 8

Your questions relate to the discord between your personality and your work situation. Is there any way you could work independently within the organization in a job that would engage your imagination (20) and yet give you better pay (8)? Something like copywriting.

pocossin said:

What can I do now in terms of my career?
20.6 > 8

Your questions relate to the discord between your personality and your work situation.

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Could that maybe fit with Grace's 11uc reading? She asked for feedback about what is truly important to her (vis-a-vis her career, I assume, since that is the theme) - she wants something that she feels in flow with, rather than discordantly fighting the flow as you point out, Pocossin.

When she asked how to achieve that, Yi gave her 55.3, which seems to say there's nothing she can or should do right now about it. But it also says this is "not a mistake." Maybe (maybe - I don't want to reach too far) that, in combination with the 39.1.3 > 3 reading (and the 20.6 one), could mean something like, "Sit tight for now - don't do anything - but keep your eyes open, and you will eventually find something better."

(Grace, I just wanted to add that I realize any kind of optimistic "happy talk" from someone - me - who knows absolutely nothing of your history is probably off-putting. I didn't miss the part where you said your difficulties have been going on for years, but I haven't read any of your previous posts.)

Am also wondering if maybe astrology might be better suited for some of your questions than the I Ching.
Have you ever had your chart done?

In particular, I'm thinking of your question about how you ended up in this situation. Not that the I Ching can't address that, but I've found that astrology can sometimes give a clearer, easier to understand picture. If you have an afflicted 6th or 10th house (for example - it could be many things), it would help to explain why you're having such protracted job/career problems.

Having said that, understanding the cause is only so helpful. It doesn't necessarily make it easier to accept, and it may or may not point you towards a solution (obviously the better the astrologer, the better the information you'll get). But it might be worth looking into, if you haven't already.

lisa said:

When she asked how to achieve that, Yi gave her 55.3, which seems to say there's nothing she can or should do right now about it. But it also says this is "not a mistake." Maybe (maybe - I don't want to reach too far) that, in combination with the 39.1.3 > 3 reading (and the 20.6 one), could mean something like, "Sit tight for now - don't do anything - but keep your eyes open, and you will eventually find something better."

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Thanks, Lisa. My understanding is that pg has lost half her income, bills are pressing, the situation is urgent, and she needs to take steps now to increase her income. When pg joined Clarity, I read her writings, was impressed by her abilities, and think her income would meet her needs if they were well employed.

pocossin said:

Thanks, Lisa. My understanding is that pg has lost half her income, bills are pressing, the situation is urgent, and she needs to take steps now to increase her income. When pg joined Clarity, I read her writings, was impressed by her abilities, and think her income would meet her needs if they were well employed.

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Yes, I saw that (well, part of it - I saw where she said she lost half her income).

What you're saying confirms a couple things - first, that I shouldn't just jump into something with a long history when I've only read one post. Second, it's tricky to take readings out of context and try to interpret them. Several of you who are familiar with the situation can fit a selection of readings into a context - I can't do that at all here.

Apologies, all (especially Grace). I really hope things improve soon.

Thank you all so very very much for all the helpful and thoughtful comments; I have been pondering this for a while and I can see merit in most if not all suggestions.

Also thank you pocossin for kind words about my writing, but reading over your recounting of how you met Ms Kitty over on the pets corner thread, I must say, your writing is wonderful too! Perhaps we should go into business together, writing cat-related prose

It really does seem like some sort of bigger than me thing is going on and I not only feel stuck but am stuck fully and properly, for now. I have been dragged into politics I never wanted to be a part of by people who really ought to be better than this. The last time this happened (before I ended up in this job), I was in a very similar, but much worse situation and after I left, circumstances conspired to make life very very difficult for the person who mistreated me. Karma is a bitch and who knows, maybe she will come to collect her dues again.

Anyway, I just wanted to reiterate how grateful I am for all the voices, confirmations and additional view points offered here. I did even have a look at my astrology chart which seems to suggest I should be a librarian - perhaps I ought to consider that advice The clothes making idea sounds lovely too, perhaps that's something to look into, although I probably wouldn't enjoy making clothes for other people. There is a dress I bought for that wedding I never went to and I never wore it, perhaps I can sell that, but it's not going to get me very much. Losing half your income is a huge deal; I will have to make some big decisions very soon, but I guess I need to have a proper good look inside first.

I may be back with some more casts, hope you will indulge me!

Love and hugs to all

Hi all, I am still stuck on that 22.3.6 regarding what to do with money. It seems such an odd answer for this question, I just can't really get it.

I was looking in Memorizing threads and found this comment on line 22.3 by rosada

We saw a show on Oprah yesterday about people who had come into windfalls and then ended up broke after squandering the money. Sort of a 22.3 moment.

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and someone else said this line was 'dripping with superficiality', then there was ethereal beauty of the perfect moment and.. Merylin Monroe..
and for me 22.6 always meant death

I could sell some family jewelry to tide me over for one month, but that's it, not a long term measure. Or maybe I will die soon so money won't be an issue any more? I didn't want to be to morbid so I asked, what will my money situation be in October - and got 40.4 > 7

Interestingly yesterday a friend messaged me to ask if I would be interested in some part time work for her and I said yes. If something comes of that, maybe that's my 40.4?

precision grace said:

I could sell some family jewelry to tide me over for one month, but that's it, not a long term measure.

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If it was me (which it is not), I wouldn't do something so drastic and irreversible based on one I Ching reading that I don't really understand. That has "regret" written all over it, I think. At the very least, I would do another reading or two specifically asking about selling the jewelry, and make sure Yi was definitely saying to do it.

If part of the problem is a short-term cash emergency (and I understand there's more to it than that), an alternative might be to pawn the jewelry rather than sell it?

Or maybe I will die soon so money won't be an issue any more? I didn't want to be to morbid so I asked, what will my money situation be in October - and got 40.4 > 7

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Oh dear! But fortunately, I do think 40.4 > 7 is an encouraging reading.

Interestingly yesterday a friend messaged me to ask if I would be interested in some part time work for her and I said yes. If something comes of that, maybe that's my 40.4?

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Could very well be! Hilary mentions in her 40.4 commentary a "spontaneous connection," which this seems to fit.

It depends on the details, of course - how much is she going to pay you, how much work does she have for you, etc. etc. The timeframe in your question was October, so it will be interesting to see how this job for your friend aligns with that, or what else happens between now and then.

Thanks Lisa,

I will ask specifically about the jewelry although pawning is not something I am interested in - I have no real interest in jewelry, don't wear it and all the family heirlooms don't mean anything to me - I had a whole consignment that meant a lot to me stolen in a burglary when I was in my early 20s and since then I don't bother having sentimental attachments to objects.

The issue is getting the best value at the best time for this items. Besides, they only remind me of people I would rather forget, so perhaps there is other value to be had in selling them.

However, Yi agrees with you

Q: If I were to sell all my precious jewelry now? 35.4 > 23

Q: If I were to sell just that one ring now? 15.3 > 2

Well, I have always meant to sell that ring, it's not really a family heirloom anyway, it sort of come to us via others and it has bad feeling attached to it anyway so I think I will sell it.

precision grace said:

Q: If I were to sell all my precious jewelry now? 35.4 > 23

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I agree with you about that. Looking at your jewelry purely as an asset (since you don't have a sentimental attachment to it) if you hurry to harvest it (sell it) right now, you'll have a very short term windfall, but then it will be gone, and you won't have the asset anymore.

Since you have at least some chance of making some extra money (plus what sounds like a promising medium-term reading on the subject), maybe something will develop from that, and you won't have to harvest your assets right now.

35.4 does allow for the possibility that "advancing as a rodent" might be the only thing you can do - Hilary points out that "n its own way, the rodent advances and prospers" and that some advancement could be better than none at all. But maybe you're not to that point quite yet, with this offer from your friend?

("You'll have a short-term windfall, but then it will be gone, and you won't have the asset anymore" - does that remind you of 22.3? By any chance, was the jewelry in your mind when you cast the 22 > 24 reading?)

ahh interesting viewpoint, thanks lisa - this is why it is so helpful to share the readings, it wouldn't occur to me to see my own situation quite so objectively!

I can't say that I was thinking of selling the jewelry when I cast 22.3.6, I had been exasperated by all these other readings which all seem to imply that I was stuck for now and there was nothing I could do for the time being; so it was a despondent plea to a higher power I guess, expecting some miracle solution (22.3 maybe ?)
I have even cast around selling the house and downsizing that way but it doesn't seem to be time for that yet either. Besides, a decent regular income is the only viable solution long term and that's exactly what I need.

precision grace said:

ahh interesting viewpoint, thanks lisa - this is why it is so helpful to share the readings, it wouldn't occur to me to see my own situation quite so objectively!

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I never see my own situations objectively. It's easier to be objective when the crises and the readings belong to someone else .

I hope some things materialize that will actually help you, along the lines of the 40.4 > 7 reading.