I Ching Mentoring: You, Yi and I
I Ching Mentoring works a little like coaching. Once a week, we talk on the phone; you decide what we work (or play) on, according to the needs and demands of the time. The difference is that you are recruiting Yi, a 3,000 year old oracle, as your 'life coach'. ('Yijing' is another way of writing 'I Ching', 'Change Classic'. The oracle's name is simply 'Yi': 'Change'.)
"Dear Hilary:
Your I Ching readings have
helped me enormously in making important decisions
with more confidence and clarity. Your indepth
interpretion of this complex, sacred text is
impressive and invaluable.
I look forward to future readings from you as I
continue to learn and grow in my work, relationships
and personal development. Much thanks!"
Dr. Pat Moretti
California, USA
Doing so has profound effects on your level of insight and pace of change - whether or not you sign up for I Ching Mentoring here. (See 'connection to Change' below.) What I can contribute for you are my experiences and skills as a diviner. The main advantage of having an experienced interpreter on hand is that you're not discouraged or hindered by finding readings hard to understand. I'll help with
- choosing questions
- shaping a series of questions
- understanding complex readings
- applying readings in practice
- following up
- reviewing patterns that emerge in readings over time
Connection to Change
An ongoing relationship with Yi amounts to a direct connection to the processes of change. You start to sense how events and experiences are part of your unfolding story - their deeper significance, where they lead. You'll also probably find that your own pace of inner change and growth is dramatically accelerated. Because you're opening yourself to guidance, messages come to you from all directions, not just from your readings.
"I am very satisfied with the service you've provided. You've shown a deep knowledge and understanding of the I Ching, great assiduousness and concern to achieve the correct understanding, 'clarity' in your communication, speed of response, charm and humour. I am recommending you to others and will certainly be in touch again."
I.Strange, London, UK.
A regular reading practice works best when you are committed to long-term change and growth. You would involve Yi in whatever you were working on for yourself: developing a relationship, for instance, or planning and implementing a project, or working out a decision from many possibilities and with many issues involved. The bigger changes in life rarely happen in one giant leap, nor yet on cruise control; Yi keeps you on track, always awake to the deeper significance of whatever you undertake.
To experience the natural flow of the process, it helps to create a balance between exploring new territory and understanding where you are. Sometimes you dive into new readings; sometimes you take a few steps back to review and reflect.
So one or two of the weekly mentoring calls each month are dedicated 'review' calls: time we spend looking at how the readings are working out in your life, noticing the bigger picture that emerges from them as a group, and finding the fresh questions that emerge.
I also recommend that to get the greatest benefit from the experience, you occasionally make an open reading, with a question like 'What do I need to be aware of?' With this, you're tuning yourself like a radio receiver to pick up the signals that are meant for you. Then other, more specific readings, fit into this context and are enriched by it.
"Do I need to know the I Ching already?"
No, not at all. If you've never consulted for yourself, I'll be glad to do your readings for you. You will still get the chance to make your own connection with the imagery, and build your own conversation with the oracle.
If you're more experienced with Yi, then I'd suggest that you cast your own readings, and email me the results so I can look them over before we talk.
Learning from, learning about
There are two benefits that naturally come with a regular divination practice:
- Learning from your readings - on many levels.
- Learning about readings.
When you divine regularly, of course you will develop skills as a diviner. You'll naturally get to know the imagery, the language, the way the elements of a reading work together - as well as building up a reservoir of experience of individual hexagrams and lines. So I Ching Mentoring represents an opportunity to learn more about divination as well as reaping the benefits of the readings themselves. I'm happy to shift the emphasis - between learning about and learning from - as it suits you.
(If you are mostly interested in learning about - in systematically developing your skills as a diviner - then you might prefer to take the correspondence version of the I Ching Course.)
How I Ching Mentoring works
"People should know how lovingly you approach everyone. You have an absolute genius for clarifying the obscure and archaic language of most translations into modern vernacular without muddling things or changing the spirit of The Oracle."
Diana Graham, CA, USA
1. Weekly phone conversations
These are the heart of the process. One call a month will include an in-depth reading interpretation, and the others will be half-hour sessions, shared between reading and review calls. This gives us plenty of time (at least one call a month) to talk about implementing answers, contemplate the big picture that's emerging from your readings so far, home in on creative questions to ask next - and so on.
2. Session recordings
I can provide a recording of our phone conversations for you to download and listen to again, so you don't need to worry about missing anything.
3. Email support
We can exchange emails during the week about whatever comes up in relation to your readings. Also, email is the best way to share readings in advance of our calls, so the time we spend on the phone is as full and productive as possible.
4. Half price discount on further readings
Normally, I think you'll find our weekly calls and some chat by email are enough. A single reading can leave you feeling 'full' - of images, understanding, and ideas to act on. But under exceptional circumstances, when things are moving particularly fast, you might want some additional readings interpreting for you. As a Mentoring client, your additional readings have priority - and they also cost you just £25, instead of the usual £50.
5. Further support from Change Circle
Mentoring includes full membership in Clarity's private community for Yijing enthusiasts, Change Circle. You can glance through all that's included here.
I Ching Mentoring costs £100/month (about $150 or €113) - including all the above, as well as the cost of phone calls (I'll call you).
Should you choose I Ching Mentoring, or a single reading?
I would generally recommend that you try the complete Mentoring experience, because -
- As we get to know each other, it'll get steadily easier for me to understand how your readings address your situation (without you having to keep explaining the background to me).
- There is plenty of space and time in the process: time we can use to set intentions for readings, review them, elucidate patterns, and generally deepen the experience.
- We can move through a sequence of readings fluently, without interruption.
- It naturally enables you to connect with your ongoing, unfolding story - like a movie, rather than a series of still photos.
- You have the opportunity and encouragement to establish a divination practice that works for you - not just developing awareness, but developing the whole structure that sustains it.
- The process naturally includes follow-up - which helps to keep your readings in your awareness, and support you in implementing them.
"Dear Hilary,
Just a quick note to let you know how valuable I have found your interpretations.
As you know, I have many years' experience with the I Ching yet have often wanted another perspective.
Your insights are well founded on both the historic origins of the Yi plus the more intuitive aspects, the combination of which makes the readings so revealing.
Thank you again for your most helpful and clarifying approach!
Sincerely,
Steven Schatz"
USA
However, some people will find a single reading suits them better. You might already have a divination practice you're happy with, and just want some additional insight for a particular reading. You might be unsure about how much of a commitment you want to make. Or we might just not be able to meet by phone because of timezone differences. So for the sake of flexibility, I also offer single I Ching readings, by phone or email, for £50. In any event, you are always welcome to 'upgrade' to a mentoring relationship after a single reading.
Times and timezones
I'm available for phone consultations from 10am to 9pm UK time.
If you are in the US, this means I'll be available from the small hours of the morning, your time, until early/mid afternoon - but not in the evenings. Hopefully we can find a time that works for you (I am available at weekends, which helps).
Money-back guarantee
As with anything you buy from Clarity, I Ching Mentoring comes with a money-back guarantee. Here it is:
Try this service out, explore the possibilities, and discover what kind of difference it makes in your inner and outer life. And if at any time within the first two months of mentoring, you're less than completely satisfied, please just let me know so I can refund whatever you've paid. Think of it as a risk free, 60 day trial.
How to get started
If this is your first time working with me
... then the first step is for us to talk. Let's get on the phone (or Skype) so we can talk through your situation and the best questions for you to ask the oracle, and I can answer any questions you have. This also gives us an opportunity to discuss how I might be able to help you with mentoring or a reading. There's no obligation, no cost (I'll make the call) and you may find this conversation is surprisingly helpful by itself, just in clarifying your thinking.
This is the simplest way I can think of to set up an international, cross-timezone conversation:
- You send me your details, including your timezone (very important!) and preferred times to be called.
- I choose a time when we're both available, and send you an email entitled 'When to expect your call'. (You should normally receive this email within 48 hours.)
- If you find that you won't be available at that time, we can fix up something else - but please let me know before I call.