46.2.3.6 > 23 (Pushing Upward to Splitting Apart)

[seakelp4003]

Hi everyone,

I just moved to Berlin about 4 weeks ago to start my dream job, which has in itself, been going really well so far. 2 weeks into the new job however, my father passed away overseas. It hit me pretty hard as he was, and still is, a huge influence on me. Although I'm still grieving, I really want to try and focus on the positives and on building my life here in a new city. However, my anxiety has gone through the roof in recent days, with news of the Ukraine war and the potential global consequences. I've been asking myself whether moving here at all was a good idea; maybe I should just leave and be with my family in the UK. Panicked, I took to the I Ching and asked, "What does this year have in store for me?"

I received Pushing Upward to Splitting Apart. My heart sank as soon as I saw 23, it's one of those notoriously ominous ones that I've always dreaded getting. I'm not entirely sure how to interpret it all, but here are my thoughts so far:

46.2.3.6 - An auspicious reading, but one that is reminding me to be careful. My new job has been truly great so far, and I enjoy living in Berlin. The image of ascension in relation to my job is very fitting, but when I look at lines 3 and 6, I feel like the I Ching is telling me to watch out for things that might seem too good to be true. To continue in small steps with humility and honesty.

23 - I read this as bad fortune being impending and inevitable. As if regardless of how virtuous or good I try to be in my new job and move, or how much I try to follow the advice in hex 46, it'll be futile. "It is not advantageous to have any undertaking" Argh!

How would you all interpret this reading? Is it as foreboding as it seems to me? All insights appreciated!

 

[Atalanta]

I don't have the same emotional association with 23 that a lot of folks do. I hadn't done much IChing when I first got 23uc, as I was on the cusp of leaving a long-term abusive relationship, which any first responder/social worker/mental health professional will tell you is the most dangerous time. I was already terrified AND simultaneously unsure if I was doing the right thing. Getting that reading didn't tell me anything I didn't already know, but rather felt like a good friend sympathizing, reassuring me that I was doing what needed to be done. I guess the point I'm trying to make is, sometimes things have to be destroyed to make room for something new.

So your reading suggests to me you have a difficult year ahead of you, things will change faster than you feel you can handle, but hex 46.2 wouldn't be there if this wasn't an opportunity for you to show what you're really made of. I'm imagining you as Frodo from Lord of the Rings, heading into a situation that seems like it might be beyond you, but maybe it's your very humbleness (selflessness/awareness of the gravity of the situation/lack of hubris), your sincerity, and your commitment to what's right that sees you through it. You're stronger than you think. I survived and so will you. Good luck, little hobbit, and don't forget courage is to be found in unlikely places.

 

[seakelp4003]

Thank you, Atlanta. Reading your message also felt like a mentor was reassuring and sympathizing with me, it really touched me. It's funny because my dad would also sometimes call me a little hobbit, so reading your reply buckled me - in a good way. The friend and mentor analogy really rung true.

The next step is accepting that things will be difficult, as they must have been for you, and understanding that some things might not go according to plan no matter how prepared you think you are for something. That there might be tons of hardships and mistakes, but all these things are extremely formative and if you remain virtuous and humble, but strong, that you'll make it to the other side alive - and hopefully, much wiser. I'm going to take on the advice and practice this way of thinking.

Thank you very much again, I really do appreciate you reading this and sharing your personal story, too.

 

[Atalanta]

It's funny because my dad would also sometimes call me a little hobbit, so reading your reply buckled me - in a good way.

You know, I had a funny feeling as I was typing that response to you, and particularly that word usage right there I was a little unsure of. I don't think any of us would be here if we didn't buy into the mysticism at least a little, so that's awesome in every sense of the word.

I really hope you come back to tell us how it all works out.

 

[BlindedFox]

"What does this year have in store for me?"

46.2.3.6-23, ​

there is a clear drainage of energy, vitality is going backwards, you are torned between two ideas, cant decide for now which one is the path to safety, taking care of business or assessing change quickly. You could develope insomnia, it would be advised to get your head straight. Moving to safer ground now is good, but will to start to feel like confinement. Paper work, like documentation, could prove to be a problem, nip it in the bud. At some point midyear probably you will feel the need to delegate, don´t. Keep your nose on the grind. Open up to friendly hands receiving you, network your navigation. Advance with courage to what needs to be done. (23)

Please accept my condolences for your loss.

 

[seakelp4003]

You know, I had a funny feeling as I was typing that response to you, and particularly that word usage right there I was a little unsure of. I don't think any of us would be here if we didn't buy into the mysticism at least a little, so that's awesome in every sense of the word.

I really hope you come back to tell us how it all works out.

"What does this year have in store for me?"

46.2.3.6-23, ​

there is a clear drainage of energy, vitality is going backwards, you are torned between two ideas, cant decide for now which one is the path to safety, taking care of business or assessing change quickly. You could develope insomnia, it would be advised to get your head straight. Moving to safer ground now is good, but will to start to feel like confinement. Paper work, like documentation, could prove to be a problem, nip it in the bud. At some point midyear probably you will feel the need to delegate, don´t. Keep your nose on the grind. Open up to friendly hands receiving you, network your navigation. Advance with courage to what needs to be done. (23)

Please accept my condolences for your loss.

Hi both just thought I'd come back here, one year on after this reading, to share a little bit on how it all worked out. I really appreciated both of your insights, so thank you once again for posting.

With hindsight, the lines make much more sense. Needless to say, 2022 was tough, but I got through it - and that was my initial concern, "will I make it through the year?" There were moments of happiness, moments of calm, but even these always seemed to be underpinned by a sense of anxiety. I did a lot of retreating, spent a lot of time on my own. I'm not sure if I had a specific epiphany, but somewhere down the line, I did begin undoing a lot of old habits and challenging myself with new things, for the sake of my mental and psychical wellbeing ("sometimes things have to be destroyed to make room for something new"). Now, I recognise that there's still some work to do, but I'm comfortable in the groundwork that I'm laying down in order for it to happen. I'm making progress.

After receiving those lines, I didn't consult the I Ching for a year until today, when I felt ready to again. I received hexagram 43 - I nearly jumped out of my seat when I read about it as the inversion of 23. And despite 43 bringing with it a new set of complexities and questions, it felt like the closure I needed from last year's consultation.

<3

 

[Aluhut]

I wonder if you still like Berlin ?