Tuesday May 20 2003 is Gui day (Gui Hai, water-pig), the day on which the Zhou divined for the coming ten-day week. Gui-day itself was a kind of Sunday, the divination was for the nine other days.

LiSe

LiSe, you're mistaking, May 20 is Gui-Si day! Black Snake, or Water Snake. The end of the hexagesimal cycle will be after 30 days, on June 19. But Gui days go every 10 days, what is special about them?

You are right, I looked in the column to the left, but it was on the right.
The Shang (the people before the Zhou of king Wen) always divined on Gui-day, for good or bad fortune in the coming ten days.

Hexagram 38 probably reminds of that habit. It is composed of 'gui' (an offering mat) and two eyes. Either the eyes of the ancestor who gave the answer from the spirits, or the fearful eyes of the people who posed the question.

LiSe