8 changes to 23 - Very puzzling answer... help needed!

[avatorotava]

I am in a situation where I have to make a very major decision about what to do with all my professional belongings and therefore my entire life/career, since I am closing my office and moving out of town. Main options are to put everything in a storage aka to keep most valuable things or to get rid of most of them and change altogether my life.
My question was put as I was asking what was best thing to do for my Tao in this situation...

Answer was

Primary Hex 8 - Holding together
Changing lines were:
Nine at the 5th
Six at the top
Secondary Hex 23 - Splitting apart

My first reaction was that of a great answer: letting everything go... (Hex 23) after having looked for some some help and suggestions around me (Hex 8)
But than I see the two changing lines totally contradict each other
and now that I see the names of the 2 Hexagram in English, I realise they also totally contradict each other!!!!
Holding together vs Splitting apart
I am very much confused, even after more than 20 years of experience with the Sublime Yarrow Stalks, with this answer...
help me before I loose faith...
thanks
George

 

[Trojina]

I am in a situation where I have to make a very major decision about what to do with all my professional belongings and therefore my entire life/career, since I am closing my office and moving out of town. Main options are to put everything in a storage aka to keep most valuable things or to get rid of most of them and change altogether my life.
My question was put as I was asking what was best thing to do for my Tao in this situation...

Answer was

8.5.6>23

Let me repeat what you first said

I am in a situation where I have to make a very major decision about what to do with all my professional belongings and therefore my entire life/career, since I am closing my office and moving out of town.

This strikes me as backwards. Normally it would be said the other way around as in "I have a major decision to make about whether to close my office and move out of town. If I do I will need to decide what to do with my belongings". The way you write it sounds like the decision about your belongings determines your 'entire life/career'. Do you see what I mean ? In fact I've had to read that sentence several times, it doesn't compute in my brain. The fact that it doesn't compute in my brain is interesting in the light of the fact you have cast 8.6 where action is not coherent, thinking not orderly and potential for things just falling apart very possible.

First question is whether closing your office and moving out of a town is a thought through decision at all ?

And then this sentence

Main options are to put everything in a storage aka to keep most valuable things or to get rid of most of them and change altogether my life.

You are I think putting the cart before the horse, this looks back to front to me. Getting rid of your things won't change your life, you will have just got rid of your things. You can change your life without getting rid of all your things or at least change your life then think about the things.

In 8.5 you have open options, choices. In 8.6 you don't know what the heck you are doing.

Still let us not catastrophize, you on the face of it only asked about what to do with your belongings. Well if I were to take it literally I'd say if you get rid of your belongings you lose the free choice you had in line 5, through unclear thoughts about the future (line 6) when you need them again they will be lost to you (23) and actually why you could be acting against your own interests ?


But also because you have presented the situation backwards twice I also wonder if you have fully thought through the whole plan of life change. It looks to me like someone saying "I am going to get rid of everything and have a new life" and then when they have got rid of everything...they find themselves stripped bare (23) and not happy about it !


Obviously I don't know the situation as you do but the way you write about seems strange and sounds very much like 8.6 'seeking union without a head, pitfall' (Hilary's translation in wikiwing)

 

[avatorotava]

Trojina, first of all thank you for your very very insightful observations and for the time you dedicated to this matter...
What you are saying is quite interesting and I will give it some real thoughts.
The problem is that I didn't express myself properly when I said "I have a major decision to make about whether to close my office and move out of town."
Actually this decision is not even a decision because is already been made by circumstances themselves, the decision to be made and for which I was looking for advice is what to do with my belongings...
But still, you made it all sound like I made some really interesting Freudian lapsus...
thanks again

 

[Trojina]

You said initially

My first reaction was that of a great answer: letting everything go... (Hex 23) after having looked for some some help and suggestions around me (Hex 8)
But than I see the two changing lines totally contradict each other
and now that I see the names of the 2 Hexagram in English, I realise they also totally contradict each other!!!!
Holding together vs Splitting apart

They needn't necessarily contradict. For example 8 can be said to do with finding what belongs with you and what doesn't , and you do use the word 'belongings' and in deciding what belongs with you and what doesn't that may necessitate getting rid of that which doesn't belong, which might be as you said above 'letting everything go' (23) letting go of what doesn't belong with you.

But I tend to think consciously choosing to lose things is more like 41 than 23. Seeing 8.6 and 23 both in the reading just makes me feel you could go too far and lose too much by getting rid of your things. As long as you have your things in storage you still have a choice of what to do with them, you leave your options open as in 8.5. In 8.6 you fail to hold together what you need to hold together.
So I see lines 5 and line 6 as 2 different ways you might go.

As you say you already have no choice but to change your life I wonder if that is the 23, things falling away from you and the lines in 8 as about what you with your things.

Overall my sense of the reading is you have already lost enough in some ways and that it would be better to store your things than get rid of them. However if your own interpretation really felt right to you I also think that is valid.


You have asked 2 questions in one, I wonder if it may clarify to ask Yi about both options. That is ask

'what about storing my things ?'

'what about getting rid of my things ?'

I suggest these since I think your 8.5.6>23 could be taken a number of ways. Currently as I say I think you would be better to store your things for the time being.

 

[moss elk]

I don't like the name Splitting Apart for 23, that seems more like 12 (Seperating)
Stripping is a good name for 23.
In the image: The superior is giving to subordinates, in the lines there is taking from and giving to.

Are you the leader/head of your business, and leaving? (8.6)
Do you have employees or young partners that you could give the items to? Say, 'Hey people, come take any of this stuff (line 5) you want'.