43, changing to 58

[tobiasosir]

Hello! This is my first posting on this part of the board, so please bear with me.

In the Exploring Divination forum I am taking part in a thread where we are discussing (among other things) the nature of the I Ching as it pertains to literally telling the future, or just giving advice. It was suggested to me to do a reading with a clearly predictive question, to see how readily the I Ching will predict.

A little backstory: I work in a theatre environment, which included a very hectic and constantly changing schedule. February is one of the busiest times of our year, and I'll be working all weekend. It's already been a stressful week, so I was hoping to get a half day tomorrow as a bit of a break. Only I had a meeting scheduled.

So...as benign and trite a question as it is...I thought it would be a simple matter to ask about whether it would be possible to move the meeting. I knew what I'd have to do to reschedule, but several people are attending, and if they can't change it, the meeting is important enough that it can't be put off.

I received hexagram 43 (breaking point), changing to 58 (joy). At first blush--having never drawn either before, it's my first encounter with both--this would seem to say that I will "overcome an evil," or "reach a point of much needed release," followed by a period of peace and joy; joy in that I've acted appropriately in allowing the Universe to do its work, and am in accordance with it.

Now, I realize this isn't really the most pertinent question to be asking of the oracle, so I feel a bit cheap in doing so. But part of me says that no question is too small, so...

Anyway, the meeting was easily moved, and I now have an afternoon off. But something is nagging at the back of my brain: that was too easy for the answer i received. It makes me wonder if there's something more in store.
The "release" of 43, if I'm understanding it properly, isn't so much about the meeting as it is the free time I've found myself with. If that's the case, spending that time wisely (rather than just wasting it sitting on the couch) could lead to the happiness of 58. On the other hand, if I were to waste that time, I'd still get the relief, but in not "acting appropriately," that joy may not come to pass. (And I'd venture to say that joy in this context doesn't mean happiness so much as it does contentment at being in the "right space" if that makes any sense...)

Or, it could be that the oracle has thrown me a curve ball, and didn't answer my question at all. Perhaps this sequence of hexagrams relates to something else this weekend...the answer real question I should have asked. Thoughts?

 

[pocossin]

As a test of the I Ching's predictive power, you asked if you would be able to reschedule a meeting, cast 43.3 > 58, and were able to reschedule the meeting. But how did you go from 43 to "release" that is, time off? Hexagram 40 is sometimes translated "Release".

 

[anemos]

interesting reading !!!

thanks for sharing

from 58 image

Lakes resting one on the other:
The image of THE JOYOUS.
Thus the superior man joins with his friends
For discussion and practice.

the meeting ! and 43 the resolution .

may I ask if line 3 resonates in any way ?

 

[anemos]

Anyway, the meeting was easily moved, and I now have an afternoon off. But something is nagging at the back of my brain: that was too easy for the answer i received. It makes me wonder if there's something more in store.

it happens to me too , almost always. Especially when I get an "easy answer" . you know "is that all ? That easy ??? , what's the trick here ? what I don't get ? .. and so on

once I had lost my cameras cord. I asked yi and got 57.2

Penetration under the bed.
Priests and magicians are used in great number.
Good fortune. No blame.

me : "is that all ? That easy ??? , what's the trick here ? what I don't get ? .. and so on

I dont exagerate, lol. There is a thread here asking people for help :bag:

Btw, the cord was under the bed

 

[riurik]

It was suggested to me to do a reading with a clearly predictive question, to see how readily the I Ching will predict.

that was too easy for the answer i received. It makes me wonder if there's something more in store.

Or, it could be that the oracle has thrown me a curve ball, and didn't answer my question at all. Perhaps this sequence of hexagrams relates to something else this weekend...the answer real question I should have asked. Thoughts?

Thought: line 3 is describing a person walking alone; there may be gossips but no fault in walking alone. I 'd take this as a clear answer of the meeting being rescheduled

Thought: Yi (the chinesse name of this oracle) means among other things: easy We tend to complicate our relation with the Yi, though.

Thought: you wanted to try Yi's predictive abilities with a simple question. You got an easy answer. The answer seems to match the real outcome. Then you decided to look somewhere else. It's ok. If the use of the Yi as predictive tool is not for you, is not for you.

 

[rodaki]

hi

you never posted your actual -let alone real(?)- question but here's another couple of thoughts on this

1) the line might perfectly describe the little drama you staged in your private theatre of your mind , or

2) the line could describe the situation as experienced from the other side of the appointment . .

as far as the 'future' aspect of Yi, recently I'm re-working an old reading of mine and, seeing how the future has evolved in ways that no one could have predicted at the time of the reading - but very accurately to it nonetheless- I come to wonder:
even if Yi could/would/might give us an accurate long-term prediction, are we sure we could/would/might really know how to best put it to use?

. . just something general to ponder about

good luck with your castings!

 

[anemos]

Thought: Yi (the chinesse name of this oracle) means among other things: easy We tend to complicate our relation with the Yi, though.

love it !

 

[tobiasosir]

After looking more closely at 43, I think rodaki has the right of it; it talks more about my suspicions than it does the meeting itself.

I'll explain briefly: in my work, I'm either working days (in which case I have an office separate from the rest of the admin team, and work on my own) or nights (in which case I have my own staff, and nobody from the admin team, including my boss, is usually here).
My contract is a "time to complete" position; which means that when my work's done, i go home, I'm not constricted to an eight hour day. In practice, this means my day shifts are often as short as 5 hours, and I often feel guilty for going home early, or wonder if I'll get in trouble for not working a full day. In the evenings, I often work 9 or 10 hours, and there's no way to know how long I'll be here until my shift is finished. So it balances out, but I'm always wondering if someone is "counting my hours" to make sure I'm working as I should.

Anyway, part of my apprehension for rescheduling this meeting is that it gives me a half day, and I feel guilty about that, even though I'm working all weekend and the time off is well deserved. I'm literally "walking alone" (unsupervised in my office away form the rest of the team), wondering if people are "gossiping" (wondering if I'm slacking off).

In that context, I can see that the meeting is moved without trouble, and the result is balance and joy. The transition line indicates that nobody is "gossiping," and I'm in the right--that time is is, indeed, deserved.

But how did you go from 43 to "release" that is, time off? Hexagram 40 is sometimes translated "Release".

This may be a misinterpretation on my part; Wilhelm compares it to a dam breaking and releasing the river, or a thundercloud unleashing a storm. The release of something that's been pent up; I took that to mean a bit of relief after a long, stressful week.

riurik: good point about Yi being "easy!" I am certainly one to over-think things, perhaps this is another message from the I Ching I need to acknowledge. Sometimes is just is what it is.

 

[anemos]

..... it is the free time I've found myself with. If that's the case, spending that time wisely (rather than just wasting it sitting on the couch)
?

That phrase made me think what you confirm. This is why I asked you. Was checking me way of reading too

Its very Me... something I try to change.

Thanks again for sharing your thoughts and remind me my first days when trying to learn Yi.
:bows: