I'm currently stuck in a horrible, complicated custody battle. The final hearing is on 3rd June so I've asked The Yi what guidance I need to achieve the best possible outcome. I got hex29.3.6 to 57, which scared the living light out of me. What does the 3 years indicate? What guidance do I actually get other than "you are stuck and will remain stuck for 3 years but you can jump off a cliff if you like

Please please help here. Is there a way out of this?

There there, I am sorry to hear that things are going rough for you, but I think the version of the lines that you read was perhaps a little too depressing. All is not lost. Let's have a look:

Six in the third place means:
Forward and backward, abyss on abyss.
In danger like this, pause at first and wait,
Otherwise you will fall into a pit in the abyss.
Do not act this way.

Here every step, forward or backward, leads into danger. Escape is out of the
question. Therefore we must not be misled into action, as a result of which
we should only bog down deeper in the danger; disagreeable as it may be to
remain in such a situation, we must wait until a way out shows itself.

So you don't know what's going to happen and how it's going to go down, but Yi is telling you that no amount of preparation or fretting about is going to make you stronger. Accept that the decision is not yours to make right now, "disagreeable as it may be to remain in such a situation".

Six at the top means:
Bound with cords and ropes,
Shut in between thorn-hedged prison walls:
For three years one does not find the way.
Misfortune.

A man who in the extremity of danger has lost the right way and is
irremediably entangled in his sins has no prospect of escape. He is like a
criminal who sits shackled behind thorn hedged prison walls.

I think you have thought yourself into a corner. But as 29 also talks about sincerity, all you need to do right now is wait it out, and don't think things to be worse than they are. As long as you are sincere and honest, you will be fine.

I think that's pretty good advice, no?

52 gentle

Kappa said it so well, I'm only adding a note about the resulting Hex. 52. It is natural in child custody situations to want to DO something to make it end and be resolved. Since 29 indicates there is nothing more you can do, 52 advises you on how to quiet your emotions so you can think more clearly.

That's more positive Kkappa, many thanks for the comprehensive response. I can definitely wait and I know my intentions are sincere so that's quite hopeful.

I believe that the resulting hexagram is 57, not 52 - is that what you meant Ichingtarot?

Xx

I wish you the best of luck in this Veronica. I going through a divorce as well and he's starting on the whole custody thing. There is nothing worse than documenting your parenting and having it challenged by strangers. It's horrible and scary. I'll pray for a favorable outcome for you.

Wind, I wish you the best of luck as well. The Yi has been a huge support for me over the last 5 years, hope it will help you too. Stay strong and send me a message if you ever need advice. X

Thank you Veronica! I do appreciate the offering. I'm glad to hear the Yi has been good for you. I find myself looking to the Yi quite a bit as well.... and then there's the support here from all the members. How wonderful you all are! Xoxox

Sorry everyone for going around in circles but does anyone have any experience with hex 57 as a resulting hexagram in a similar context?

Dear veronica,

Here are some ideas that might help you (based on what I have seen so far in your readings).
I think the Y is very much describing the situation you are in, raising some questions and advising you. Hex 29.3.6 is not saying that you are doomed and 3 years is not a literal length of time.

There is an element of learning in Hex 29, so I am taking that there are things about this custody process -and how to deal with it- that you have to learn. Sometimes the learning in Hex 29 means repetition, you have to go through the process again and again.
The Y seems to indicate that you need to understand how you got stuck in this situation in the first place. I cannot tell you, of course, just by looking into this reading, but I think that you could reflect on this by yourself. Maybe you found it really difficult to understand the complexity of the situation? Maybe you didn't have good advice to help you out when you so much needed it? What can you learn from the whole process? What can you do better?

With 57 as relating hexagram nothing goes with a bang The gentleness of 57 implies taking things with attention to subtleties, working through persistence, with your goal in mind, rather than trying to push things through immediately. For me, again, your readings emphasise the capacity to learn as you go through processes again and again, with a lot of determination, but no forceful actions.

I wish you the best of luck (and hope that helps a bit):bows: