Clarity,
Office 17622,
PO Box 6945,
London.
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United Kingdom
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+1 (561) 459-4758 (US).
Hi everyone!
First of all, let me clarify. This is the first time I've cast my own i-ching reading, but I've used a couple online programs before, so I have some passing familiarity with it. Thing is, I used the coin method and saw that 2 heads, 1 tails were eqivalent to a yin line, etc. I went and tossed the coins and I recorded the number of heads and tails. However, when I was tossing the coins, I also, in my head, REVERSED the original set of correlations I had "agreed" to and wrote the corresponding figures down as well. Of course, I discovered this discrepancy when I went to compare what results I had against the "correct" correlations, and I found out that I had "flipped" them inadvertently.
Now, for the purposes of this query, I am making the argument that although I had momentarily changed the correlations while recording the tosses, I had originally "agreed" to the set I had seen on another page. In addition, before I had tried to see which trigrams/hexagram the results corresponded with, I had "fixed" the reading to correspond with the "original" correlations I had agreed to.
To continue:
I asked what would be the best actions to take vis-a-vis a certain person in my life at the moment who I am interested in. Also, it might be informative to also indicate that I had received two Tarot readings regarding the same situation, and the second one sounded very optimistic while the first reading was guarded to the point of dissuasion. I had also used an I-Ching program online and had a similarly guarded response.
I know there would be a few people here who would say that I'm just looking for an answer I would want to hear. Those folks would be right. However, this is the crux of the situation: if the I-Ching (and one might say by extension as a divinatory cousin, the Tarot) are divination methods that might help to indicate certain possibilites to the querent, does it matter if one "wants" a certain answer? Does that inherently change the reading?
I know that perhaps this post is much more than folks are asking for--believe me, I feel the same way. I'm struggling with this precisely because I am attempting to deepen my understanding of the I-Ching. Readings I had received via an online interface were never really quite as bold as Tarot readings, and seemed to urge much more caution. In hindsight, the I-Ching may have been more "accurate" in reflecting what followed (as opposed to certain Tarot readings).
Now, I believe it would also be pertinent to mention that in certain situations in my past where I tried to use divinatory methods to gain some clarity about a particular situation, there were many times where I wanted to hear a certain answer, but I didn't receive it, and when I did receive that answer, it seemed too good to be true. Now, those were all Tarot readings. With the I-Ching, it was more along the lines of "really? Is it really that impossible/negative?", but for better or worse, it seemed to be more accurate.
I know that all divinatory methods are meant to accompany an individual's own free will and ability to make their own decisions regarding whatever situation he/she finds him/herself in.
Why the meandering preface? Well, because in addition to the blithe prognostications of the 2nd Tarot reading I received, the first I-Ching divination I did for myself was also very optimistic. Does the same rule of energy apply when I desire a certain response from the I-Ching, that is, does desiring a certain outcome produce a certain outcome?
Is this perhaps a bigger issue within myself, where I am "unprepared" to hear good news? Am I so used to hearing the negative possibilities in a situation that I now regard anything even slightly optimistic as being the product of my desire (and therefore, perhaps more influenced than it should be?) and therefore, less "accurate"?
Let's enhance this discussion with the actual reading I obtained earlier: 35.2 (Chin/Progress--35 changing line 2). Future hexagram: 64: (Wei Chi/Transition/Before Completion).
The actual situation: I am infatuated with a co-worker of mine who I believe is a "closet case" (that is, gay, but not openly acknowledging it), and I'm wondering what the possibilities are there for something in the "romance department" to develop (and yes, I'm gay).
Now, with the first Tarot reading I received, I fear I may have put too much out there by saying that the man I was interested in was a "closet case", and I think that any common sense reader--using the Tarot or not--may be inclined to dissuade me from pursuing it. It would be important to mention that this discussion was held over the phone, so I could not see if the reader was actually turning cards or using her any other avenues open to her (including common sense) to adivse me. Interestingly enough, the second reader, even knowing that the man was what I considered to be a "closet case" was much more optimistic, emphasizing the role of my patience, but that my time would not be wasted in this endeavor.
This discrepancy stimulated much pondering on my part. Of course, the "neutrality" of the reader had been in my mind, as applied to either reading. More importantliy, I was wondering about the "integrity" of the divination medium. Specifically, does the reading change since I "wanted" it to change, or is the reading reflecting current realities (the two readings were a few days apart, but there was no indication of a timeframe in either one)? I have found out through experience that sometimes you definitely do not hear things you'd like to hear, and you have to work with the information given you to the best of your ability.
For one, I thought it was a surprise how the second reader suggested it would be merely a matter of patience, especially since the matter of sexual identity is rarely settled easily--but what is the role of the "rational" complexity of the situation if a divination may speaks to a deeper, perhaps "irrational" truth?
Here is my larger question of concern. In both cases, the cards spoke plainly. The first reading was not necessarily optimistic but not necessarily pessimistic either--it spoke of obstacles, but with positive possibilities denied for an indeterminate amount of time. The second reading was more direct in its (by comparison) unbridled enthusiasm.
And so we come back to the I-Ching. I see hexagrams 35 and 64 as being "easier" than others. 35 is about a progression of a situation that is in the querent's favor. 64 clearly speaks about patience. Neither will justify any rash actions but rather emphasize the importance of deliberation, patience, perseverance and benevolence towards oneself and those surrounding you. In my interpretation, these echo the sentiments of the second Tarot reader, and in some ways, even the first.
Interestingly enough, even if I have the hexagrams which would have resulted from my "backwards" reading with the yin/yang correspondences flipped, the result would be 63.2: Chin Chi/After Completion and 5: Waiting. In my understanding of the reading, this would correspond roughly with 35.2/64 with little necessity to flounder over the differences between the two. To me, both seem to reflect essentially the same "meaning"--persevere, wait, make sure your timing is correct, be cautious.
What was the first reading I received regarding this question via an online I-Ching program? 7.6 (Army) > 4 (Youthful Folly). Of course, I was not excited about this reading in particular. To put matters most bluntly, I recorded the following sentence: "Basically this means I'm going to be unhappy again." There is little to be gained by immaturity, youth, or folly in this case, at least in my interpretation, because it awards a kind of cold and lonely wisdom, and at least in my case, that kind of wisdom isn't very good at keeping you warm at night. I know that this is a gross oversimplification.
In all humility, I will admit that after years of sincere and well-intentioned effort, there is little I can account for in the way of happiness in relationships, but I have gained much "wisdom" and "experience" with the blessing of having few, if any, regrets in that area of my life.
Knowing the natures of the I-Ching readings, their relationship with the Tarot readings, and this relationship with my own sense of hope, any germane comments regarding the entire situation would be welcome. I remember reading an article here which spoke about timeframes and the I-Ching, and in the same forum there was a discussion regarding time of study and its correlation with the interpretations of hexagrams. How quickly can a situation change? How long can a reading be valid? What experiences have you had regarding wanting a different reading than what you received, and what were the results of such desiring?
As much as I understand or do not understand the oracle at this point, I believe that this post is a reflection of my inner reality regarding my attitude towards the oracle, and similarly, my relationship with any discussion which may arise from this post. While the words say one thing, the meaning may in fact be beyond, behind, around those words while being contained within them. Responses to this post may be regarding the nature of divination, the specific hexagrams, my own personal idiosyncracies. Each person will receive whatever pertinent information he/she may cull from this post and respond accordingly.
This post can be burned as fuel, taken as shelter, used to futher communication, climbed to gain perspective, regarded from a distance, analyzed in detail.
I guess the bigger question is, am I in a different place now than before? Am I at the end/beginning/end/beginning or a space between and/or beyond the two?
As you can tell, this is an invitation. Please, share your insights and commentary with me.
SageFenix
First of all, let me clarify. This is the first time I've cast my own i-ching reading, but I've used a couple online programs before, so I have some passing familiarity with it. Thing is, I used the coin method and saw that 2 heads, 1 tails were eqivalent to a yin line, etc. I went and tossed the coins and I recorded the number of heads and tails. However, when I was tossing the coins, I also, in my head, REVERSED the original set of correlations I had "agreed" to and wrote the corresponding figures down as well. Of course, I discovered this discrepancy when I went to compare what results I had against the "correct" correlations, and I found out that I had "flipped" them inadvertently.
Now, for the purposes of this query, I am making the argument that although I had momentarily changed the correlations while recording the tosses, I had originally "agreed" to the set I had seen on another page. In addition, before I had tried to see which trigrams/hexagram the results corresponded with, I had "fixed" the reading to correspond with the "original" correlations I had agreed to.
To continue:
I asked what would be the best actions to take vis-a-vis a certain person in my life at the moment who I am interested in. Also, it might be informative to also indicate that I had received two Tarot readings regarding the same situation, and the second one sounded very optimistic while the first reading was guarded to the point of dissuasion. I had also used an I-Ching program online and had a similarly guarded response.
I know there would be a few people here who would say that I'm just looking for an answer I would want to hear. Those folks would be right. However, this is the crux of the situation: if the I-Ching (and one might say by extension as a divinatory cousin, the Tarot) are divination methods that might help to indicate certain possibilites to the querent, does it matter if one "wants" a certain answer? Does that inherently change the reading?
I know that perhaps this post is much more than folks are asking for--believe me, I feel the same way. I'm struggling with this precisely because I am attempting to deepen my understanding of the I-Ching. Readings I had received via an online interface were never really quite as bold as Tarot readings, and seemed to urge much more caution. In hindsight, the I-Ching may have been more "accurate" in reflecting what followed (as opposed to certain Tarot readings).
Now, I believe it would also be pertinent to mention that in certain situations in my past where I tried to use divinatory methods to gain some clarity about a particular situation, there were many times where I wanted to hear a certain answer, but I didn't receive it, and when I did receive that answer, it seemed too good to be true. Now, those were all Tarot readings. With the I-Ching, it was more along the lines of "really? Is it really that impossible/negative?", but for better or worse, it seemed to be more accurate.
I know that all divinatory methods are meant to accompany an individual's own free will and ability to make their own decisions regarding whatever situation he/she finds him/herself in.
Why the meandering preface? Well, because in addition to the blithe prognostications of the 2nd Tarot reading I received, the first I-Ching divination I did for myself was also very optimistic. Does the same rule of energy apply when I desire a certain response from the I-Ching, that is, does desiring a certain outcome produce a certain outcome?
Is this perhaps a bigger issue within myself, where I am "unprepared" to hear good news? Am I so used to hearing the negative possibilities in a situation that I now regard anything even slightly optimistic as being the product of my desire (and therefore, perhaps more influenced than it should be?) and therefore, less "accurate"?
Let's enhance this discussion with the actual reading I obtained earlier: 35.2 (Chin/Progress--35 changing line 2). Future hexagram: 64: (Wei Chi/Transition/Before Completion).
The actual situation: I am infatuated with a co-worker of mine who I believe is a "closet case" (that is, gay, but not openly acknowledging it), and I'm wondering what the possibilities are there for something in the "romance department" to develop (and yes, I'm gay).
Now, with the first Tarot reading I received, I fear I may have put too much out there by saying that the man I was interested in was a "closet case", and I think that any common sense reader--using the Tarot or not--may be inclined to dissuade me from pursuing it. It would be important to mention that this discussion was held over the phone, so I could not see if the reader was actually turning cards or using her any other avenues open to her (including common sense) to adivse me. Interestingly enough, the second reader, even knowing that the man was what I considered to be a "closet case" was much more optimistic, emphasizing the role of my patience, but that my time would not be wasted in this endeavor.
This discrepancy stimulated much pondering on my part. Of course, the "neutrality" of the reader had been in my mind, as applied to either reading. More importantliy, I was wondering about the "integrity" of the divination medium. Specifically, does the reading change since I "wanted" it to change, or is the reading reflecting current realities (the two readings were a few days apart, but there was no indication of a timeframe in either one)? I have found out through experience that sometimes you definitely do not hear things you'd like to hear, and you have to work with the information given you to the best of your ability.
For one, I thought it was a surprise how the second reader suggested it would be merely a matter of patience, especially since the matter of sexual identity is rarely settled easily--but what is the role of the "rational" complexity of the situation if a divination may speaks to a deeper, perhaps "irrational" truth?
Here is my larger question of concern. In both cases, the cards spoke plainly. The first reading was not necessarily optimistic but not necessarily pessimistic either--it spoke of obstacles, but with positive possibilities denied for an indeterminate amount of time. The second reading was more direct in its (by comparison) unbridled enthusiasm.
And so we come back to the I-Ching. I see hexagrams 35 and 64 as being "easier" than others. 35 is about a progression of a situation that is in the querent's favor. 64 clearly speaks about patience. Neither will justify any rash actions but rather emphasize the importance of deliberation, patience, perseverance and benevolence towards oneself and those surrounding you. In my interpretation, these echo the sentiments of the second Tarot reader, and in some ways, even the first.
Interestingly enough, even if I have the hexagrams which would have resulted from my "backwards" reading with the yin/yang correspondences flipped, the result would be 63.2: Chin Chi/After Completion and 5: Waiting. In my understanding of the reading, this would correspond roughly with 35.2/64 with little necessity to flounder over the differences between the two. To me, both seem to reflect essentially the same "meaning"--persevere, wait, make sure your timing is correct, be cautious.
What was the first reading I received regarding this question via an online I-Ching program? 7.6 (Army) > 4 (Youthful Folly). Of course, I was not excited about this reading in particular. To put matters most bluntly, I recorded the following sentence: "Basically this means I'm going to be unhappy again." There is little to be gained by immaturity, youth, or folly in this case, at least in my interpretation, because it awards a kind of cold and lonely wisdom, and at least in my case, that kind of wisdom isn't very good at keeping you warm at night. I know that this is a gross oversimplification.
In all humility, I will admit that after years of sincere and well-intentioned effort, there is little I can account for in the way of happiness in relationships, but I have gained much "wisdom" and "experience" with the blessing of having few, if any, regrets in that area of my life.
Knowing the natures of the I-Ching readings, their relationship with the Tarot readings, and this relationship with my own sense of hope, any germane comments regarding the entire situation would be welcome. I remember reading an article here which spoke about timeframes and the I-Ching, and in the same forum there was a discussion regarding time of study and its correlation with the interpretations of hexagrams. How quickly can a situation change? How long can a reading be valid? What experiences have you had regarding wanting a different reading than what you received, and what were the results of such desiring?
As much as I understand or do not understand the oracle at this point, I believe that this post is a reflection of my inner reality regarding my attitude towards the oracle, and similarly, my relationship with any discussion which may arise from this post. While the words say one thing, the meaning may in fact be beyond, behind, around those words while being contained within them. Responses to this post may be regarding the nature of divination, the specific hexagrams, my own personal idiosyncracies. Each person will receive whatever pertinent information he/she may cull from this post and respond accordingly.
This post can be burned as fuel, taken as shelter, used to futher communication, climbed to gain perspective, regarded from a distance, analyzed in detail.
I guess the bigger question is, am I in a different place now than before? Am I at the end/beginning/end/beginning or a space between and/or beyond the two?
As you can tell, this is an invitation. Please, share your insights and commentary with me.
SageFenix