23,2, 5 to 59

[yellowknife]

I received great insight from Candid when I posted previously in some length about my relationship with a poet.

We're slowly moving towards friendship again, after having spoken at some poetry events and exchanged work related emails. But not to being able to speak openly about what happened. I'm not sure exactly what his personal cirumstances are now (he's married but was separated). I still feel he and I are compatible but that we both have much work to do.

I asked; "how's our relationship developing?"
and got 23, 2,5 to 59.
I've never ever had 23, 5 before- and liked the synchronicity of the fact I was trying on an old summer sarong at the time- with a shoal of fish on it!

I also asked "will we be reconciled?" and got
59 2, 4 , relating hex 12.

Don't really understand- the second changing lines both seem much more positive than the first-and not sure about the relating hexagrams.

Any help much appreciated.

 

[candid]

Hi Wolverine,

Loss and dispersion, not a hopeful picture. The grace in 23.5 is a picture of the smaller following the greater, leading to security. A similar idea is expressed in 59.2, the lower hurrying to the higher.

However, there may be something implied here concerning your ability to help this person. Something leading to a greater good. If not this, then just helping yourself to rise above this situation inwardly.

I don't see a successful personal relationship in your readings.

 

[yellowknife]

Thanks for that.

Indeed loss and dispersion- not looking good.

I'm confused because my Tarot reading asking similar was much, much more positive-

Ace of cups, ten of cups, Empress etc.
I tend not to experience the Tarot answering a question it thinks you should be asking as much as the I Ching.

Perhaps like not mixing drinks, one shouldn't mix divination methods- but I feel pretty confused at the moment. Another Tarot reader a couple of months ago had also given a very positive picture.

There again-
maybe the crux is "successful personal relationship"
versus me achieving my desire of pursuing this relationship.

 

[candid]

The formulation of the question can not be underestimated. Not as much for the oracle to answer correctly as for us to understand clearly. A subtle shift in our question during the divination process will cause a shift in the answer we receive.

One thing I do is to make a distinction between what the picture looks like in it?s present form, and/or ask what action I can take to make the most of that picture. The results can be radically different, but not always. That's why first asking "what does this situation look like?" is better asked first, before asking, what can be done with or about it? Before we can hit a target we have to know what it looks like. (The prince shoots at a hawk on a high wall. He kills it. Everything serves to further. 40.6)

Its been a very long time since I've read Tarot, and I would often mix them without difficulty. I think you're right about the Ching answering a question we should be asking. Who knows why this seems more prevalent to Yi than Tarot, but is does to me too. Maybe its more self-correcting.

 

[candid]

The real bottom line is profit, and who or what is profited. We, of course, are most interested in what profits us personally. Ideally, that is also what would profit the other entity or entities we are involved with. It also works in reverse. What came first, our profit or the profit others receive from our thoughtful words and actions?

 

[yellowknife]

Hmmmmm.

I suppose Tarot and the Yi are constructed very differently.

I'm much more familiar with the Tarot and may just be better at interpreting it and asking questions correctly. I would tend to feel though that if I'm asking "will I experience romance with this person?" then the Tarot will obligingly give me Cups and Suns if that's a possibility.

The Yi, from my more limited experience might say something like "Romance? Is that really what would nourish you? Aren't you in fact looking at the dissolution of a whole value process going in here, during an unbalanced situation for both you and the person you're asking about...?"

I presume the difference is because of their underlying different purposes and constructions.

I've found the Tarot to be very accurate on giving "the big picture"
I'm coming to look at using the Yi when I need to ask what to do...or for a "battle plan".