I've been looking into music therapy as a possible career change. I've been teaching music for a few years, and that's been my living, and now I need to something else. I asked Yi about it.

Question: What about persuing music therapy as a career?

Answer: Hexagram 6 changing to Hexagram 4


I'm lucky in that I generally get clear readings, but with this one, I've no idea what contending has got to do with it, or how the changing lines apply. Any ideas?

Just throwing ideas out here for you, see what resonates.

4 may represent blind spots.

Would there be any conflict of interest if you pursue this path?

Does this new interest spring from dissatisfaction and/or confusion in your life, particularly involving your current line of work?

Do you have a game plan?

Do you have appropriate credentials to be a therapist.

6 sometimes points out discrepancy between desire and execution. IE: I may have therapeutic skills: I'm often told I have a healing voice and human insight, my communication skills are good, I'm a great listener, I understand philosophical and psychological concepts quite well, and I've assisted others in these things for a long while. But if I hope to hang a shingle and start practicing psychotherapy, I'd soon be doing it behind bars. I'd call that a conflict.

That's all all playful exaggeration, of course, but you get the point?

Hey, Bruce, thanks for the ideas. I'll take them point by point.

Conflict of interest: more a case of a new interest that has developed through talking to people who do it, and reading around the subject. Hex 4, I suppose.

Spring from dissatisfaction / confusion: damn right. I need to do something else now. I'm feeling a bit rutty.

Game plan: Actually, I thought the other day that this will need a good 5 or 6 years planning. Not something to go into lightly.

Credentials: Need to get a couple (see game plan).

Hexagram 4 is about learning, and that is stunningly accurate. I don't really know anything about it. It's the conflict bit, and the moving lines, that I totally cannot relate to. I just don't get it (yet . . .) Hilary?! You there?? (and everyone else, of course)

Maybe getting it prevents it from happening. Creativity doesn't spring from getting it, it springs from imagining it.

Hex 6.4 the line speaks of the conflict that is going on inside your head, you see a new opportunity but moving forward now would only leave you vulnerable, so it suggests that you give up the idea then you will find peace of mind because you realize it is the wrong career to follow.

Hex 6.5 the conflict you are experiencing needs to be resolved and the best way to do that is to go see someone who knows exactly about this type of job, then a jugdement can be made.

Hex 4 speaks of your lack of experience in this area and your uncertainty about what to do, so you need expert help here and you must listen to what others tell you as you have a lot to learn about this idea. You will gain new knowledge about this subject and it may well turn your idea upside down.