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beginner

human head filled with books. A small figure sits on top of the stack of books contemplating a laptop screen.

How hard can it be?

A shared experience This post is prompted by a conversation I had recently with someone who’s relatively new to the Yi . His first reading really grabbed his attention: it spoke to him directly in a way he hadn’t been expecting at all. Engaged and motivated, he set out to… Read more »How hard can it be?

construction toys on soft carpet

Playing with trigrams

I almost titled this post ‘working with trigrams’ – but the most useful, productive ways I know of to engage with trigrams in readings actually feel a lot more like play. And besides, who needs more work? So here’s how I suggest you start playing. (This is really not a… Read more »Playing with trigrams

Graph with red arrow indicating losses

Losses

This entry is part 2 of 3 in the series Differentiating hexagrams

This is another post about the differences between hexagrams: this time, Hexagrams 23, Stripping Away, and 41, Decreasing. Both are about loss, about ending up with less, and – given human nature – we tend not to be pleased to receive either one. But how are they different? Names and… Read more »Losses

Fuxi writing a trigram. By Guo Xu (1456–c.1529) - ‘Fuxi, the maker of men’.

Some Yijing origins

There’s more than one story of the Yi’s origins… Mythical origins The story begins in the 29th century BCE with Fuxi, China’s first emperor, who may have had the body of a serpent. It was through his insight that the trigrams were discovered, and people could begin to understand their… Read more »Some Yijing origins

two cats cuddled together

Friends and allies

This entry is part 1 of 3 in the series Differentiating hexagrams

Confusion… Hexagram 8’s called bi, Seeking Union or Belonging (or Union, Alliance, Grouping, Joining, Holding Together, Closeness…)And Hexagram 13 is tong ren, People in Harmony (or Fellowship, Cooperation, Community, Union of Men…) According to the dictionary, we have one hexagram name that means (amongst other things) ‘to share with, join, coincide with,… Read more »Friends and allies

Single speedwell flower

Why we cherish Yi

Clarity’s recent member survey (still open here if you missed it) is teaching me a lot about who I’m writing for, how to help, what to improve, and so on – thank you for taking it! Still, I think my favourite part, the question I’m most glad to have asked, is… Read more »Why we cherish Yi