Awaiting grand application decision: 54.1.3.4.5 -> 48

[compass]

Hi,

During the summer I applied for a grant from a literary society so that I could complete a second collection of poetry. The grant would allow me to take some time off work so that I can focus on the writing. At the time, the literary society said that they would announce their decisions in October. Given that there's only a week left in the month I've been gettin quite anxious to receive the decision.

So I asked the IC, "How has my application fared with the society?", and I received 54.1.3.4.5 -> 48

According to the description on this website, Marrying Maiden indicates "accepting a relationship where you come second. You are only here to play a supporting role; it would be disastrous to try to shape the situation to fit your own needs. You are too junior, not yet ready to exert influence; there is no point in your setting intentions or making plans." I'm unsure of all the changing lines, but the impression I get is that the application will not be successful, OR that I will be awarded less money than I hoped for.

I then asked, "Will I need to resort to applying again next year?" and got 8.2.5 -> 7, Seeking Union's Army. So perhaps next year will be better? I have considered that if my current application is turned down, I might ask for the help of a friend who writes arts grants for a living.

What do you think? What points may I be missing with 54's multiple changing lines?

Many thanks!
--Compass

 

[Trojina]

So I asked the IC, "How has my application fared with the society?", and I received 54.1.3.4.5 -> 48

I don't feel as if I can make a prediction with this it looks more like this is a very considered process as if they have revisited your application a number of times. That's just the impression I get.

If 48 is the funding itself and you're a candidate you are the marrying maiden...

Hampered but still standing in line 1 - BTW over in ED Hilary has written a Blog on 54.1

Making small progress in line 3

Being delayed and reconsidered in line 4

And hitting the jackpot in line 5....perhaps.....let me copy line 5 out

'Di Yi marries off the maidens.
The first wife's sleeves are not as fine as the younger sister's.
The moon almost full, good fortune.'

Now to me this line rings very much of that Bob Dylan lyric that came from somewhere else- biblical I think 'Whoever is first now will later be last' something like that except here the one who was last is now first. Here in this line the lesser one in status, the disadvantaged one takes the glory (it was Jesus- sorry Jesus 'The last will be first and the first will be last' (Matthew 19:30) which is a very 54ish parable by the look of it)

I'd say when they began their appraisal you weren't in a strong position (54.1) and perhaps you had an advocate who lifted you a tad (line 3) and then they delayed (line 4) and then you got the grant (line 5). It does to me look like a sequence of events with you as the Marrying Maiden with the finest sleeves in line 5.

I'm not confident of this prediction, this is 54 after all and it could well be saying you're hampered (54.1) and you won't get it yet (54.4) but you'll get something better in due course (54.5)

I then asked, "Will I need to resort to applying again next year?" and got 8.2.5 -> 7, Seeking Union's Army. So perhaps next year will be better? I have considered that if my current application is turned down, I might ask for the help of a friend who writes arts grants for a living.

Do you have an insider connection---oh just noticed the bit about the friend that may apply. It's just a reading that looks based on a sound affiliation with someone (8.2) who helps you attain goals(7)

Good Luck - apologies for sketchy attempt at prediction

 

[BaronAsh]

Huang has a moving lines system which recommends that in the case of 4 changing lines use the upper of the two non-moving lines which in your case is 6 which basically says whether you are a man or a woman your (sacrificial) offering yields no results.

The idea of working with someone who writes arts grants for a living, however, seems spot on. The yin #2 changing line in Hexagram 8 is about dealing with those above in a correct way without becoming too obsequious etc. So you approach applying for help from above (a grant) with clarity and confidence (your friend the professional grants writer).

This is an interesting combination of hexagrams because 7 has the one yang line at #5 and 8 has the one yang line at #2, so they are the inverse of each other and thus in this case make a pair in Duke of Chou's scheme.

This seems to indicate that you and the grants writing friend might make an excellent team and get excellent results. (Perhaps he should get a percentage of the grant and perhaps this could be a longer term partnership?)

 

[dfreed]

"How has my application fared with the society?", and I received 54.1.3.4.5 -> 48

Of course it we'll be interested to know what the outcome is.

With 54, you have trigram (3-line figure) Thunder above with two moving lines (4, 5), which gives you Water. I sense this is about the society's decision making process: that instead of a quick (thunder-like) decision, they are digging a bit deeper (like water) into the applications which will lead to there decision or decisions; and that they need the entire time (to the end of the month) to decide.

The lower trigram is Lake, which I think is about your inner hope and and joy regarding the society's decision. I can't say what that will be, (that would only be a guess on my part), but I think the moving lines (1 and 3) changing to Wind means you want to be patient, and consider this as a long-term project: and that you may need to consider alternatives: trigram Wind looks in different directions and takes in new information from its explorations.

I see this reflected in the lines: with 54 you start out with the youngest daughters' wedding which is not considered favorable*. However, other alternatives to this marriage arrangement are - or can be favorable: i.e, when she is accompanied by another maiden (54.1) and/or when she's "given in marriage along with a lady in waiting (54.3).

With 54.4 there is a sense of being ready and willing to try again, but this will require patience on your part - here the young bride 'returns to wait'. And 54.5 suggest that if you have to make more applications, that you consider scaling back the proposal in some way, e.g. the young bride's "gown will not be as fine" as others but is fine for this wedding. So similarly, your proposal can be more modest, and still be appropriate to your needs.

* 54's statement (the judgement) and line 54.1 both talk about 'an attack' (one favorable, one unfavorable). This may originally have been a casting where a king, leader, or general wants to marry his daughter to an ally's son so they can forge an alliance, and successfully go into battle (and attack) together - and 54 talks about favorable and unfavorable outcomes depending on which choices are made.

In your case, I see 'an attack' as being about making decisions and taking actions about your grant application and your writing, which are very important to you. I don't think it denotes violence , but is more about making decisive decisions, leading to decisive action(s): perhaps, that your first attempt (54) is not right; but subsequent attempts will be.

Best, D

 

[compass]

Thank you, Trojina, BaronAsh, and dfreed! Your insight has been very helpful.

I've been notified that I didn't get the grant. In the response the Society of Authors didn't explain why, only that they had many people applying and had to turn down many applications. One writer I know was also turned down, while another got her grant--it turns out she had been applying for a few years.

This told me that perserverance is key. I was very disappointed at the time, but afterwards I contacted my friend the grants writer and she happily agreed to a swap where I will help edit her poetry manuscript and she will help with my grant application for the next deadline in February. I really like that kind of swap--one of skills rather than money. There's a deeper integrity and more positive energy to it.

This also explains the reading I got earlier on when I wondered how the application process was going, and I got 49UC. I consulted the thread on unchanging hexagrams for 49 (https://www.onlineclarity.co.uk/friends/index.php?threads/experience-with-unchanging-hex-49uc.16314/). The concensus was that the object of your query tends to disappear with 49UC. I wasn't sure what that meant at the time, but now I do: my application will(!) disappear and a new, revised one will be submitted in its place next year.

Trojina, I know you're very responsible for a lot of those discussions on unchanging hexes, and I've always found them very helpful, so thank you for creating them.

Best wishes,
compass