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Dream job

kaelin

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Many years ago, I dreamed of working for a certain man, who was prominent in a field I'm interested in. I admired him greatly. Later, I found out he had feet of clay, but it did not destroy my respect for him. But as time went on, it seemed that my dream of working for him was wildly idealistic and improbable. Also, his feet of clay--his willingness to associate with others who I think are less than trustworthy--made me pause; even if I could work for him would it be a good thing to do?

so today I asked the Yi: Could it be a good thing if I worked for X?

I got: Hexagram 37.45 Chia Jen, the Family

This makes sense in one way, as he has a reputation over the years of making his work "team" essentially into an extended family. For instance, he likes to train people himself; they often respond with astonishing loyalty, one man refusing an appointment to the White House to stay with him!

Six in the fourth place means:

She is the treasure of the house.
Great good fortune.

It is upon the woman of the house that the well-being of the family depends. Well-being prevails when expenditures and income are soundly balanced. This lead to great good fortune. In the sphere of public life, this line refes to the faithful steward whose measures further the general welfare.

"She is the treasure of the house. Great good fortune."
For she is devoted and in her place.


I don't know whether I'd be line 4 or not--that might be referring to his actual wife, who is also a strong force in his work (I admire her also). But on the whole, this answer feels to me like a resounding YES as it has the feeling of being drawn into a home/family that is working well--it feels like safety and yes, you could belong here.

0 Nine in the fifth place means:
As a king he approaches his family.
Fear not.
Good fortune.

A king is the symbol of a fatherly man who is richly endowed in mind. He does nothing to make himself feared; on the contrary, the whole family can trust him, because love governs their intercourse. His character of itself exercises the right influence.

They associate with one another in love.

The line is correct, strong, central; hence the image of a king. As a ruler of the hexagram, it influences the other lines. Being central, it does not effect its ends by means of severity.
-Wilhelm


This must be him. It sounds just like him--at least, what his reputation is as a boss, though he is also known to be _very exacting_ in terms of what he expects of people's job performance. But he definitely rules more through love, or at least respect, than fear.

The resulting hexagram was

Hexagram 30: Li, the Clinging, Fire
30. Li / The Clinging, Fire
-----
-- -- above LI THE CLINGING, FIRE
-----
-----
-- -- below LI THE CLINGING, FIRE
-----

This hexagram is another double sign. The trigram Li means "to cling to something," "to be conditioned," "to depend on something," and also "brightness." A dark line clings to two light lines, one above and one below - the image of an empty space between two strong lines, whereby the two strong lines are made bright. The trigram represents the middle daughter. The Creative has incorporated the central line of the Receptive, and thus Li develops. As an image, it is fire. Fire has no definite form but clings to the burning object and thus is bright. As water pours down from heaven, so fire flames up from the earth. While K'an means the soul shut within the body, Li stands for nature in its radiance.


So--that looks good. But now the million-dollar question:

Is there any way it could be made possible for me to work for him?

Right now, you see, it's still just a dream. I am far away from being able to do anything like this. I kind of expected that hexagram where the fox wets its tail, or the one where the mountain pass is blocked and you have to wait till spring, or any of the many other ways the Yi says "Child, *please*!" to me.

But I got this:

Hexagram 7.2 Shih (The Army)

The present is embodied in Hexagram 7 - Shih (The Army): With firmness and correctness, and a leader of age and experience, there will be good fortune and no error.
The second line, undivided, shows the leader in the midst of the host. There will be good fortune and no error. The king has thrice conveyed to him the orders of his favour.
The situation is evolving slowly, and Yin (the passive feminine force) is gaining ground.


I'm often unsure how to read Shih in relation to my questions. It's an odd combination of activity and passivity (obedience and action, like an army, duh!)

The future is embodied in Hexagram 2 - K'un (The Receptive): That which is great and originating, advantageous, correct and having the firmness of a mare. When the superior man must move, if he takes the initiative he will go astray. If he follows, he will find his proper lord. The advantage will be seen in his getting friends in the southwest, and losing friends in the northeast. If he rest in correctness and firmness, there will be good fortune.

The relating hexagram helps me make sense of it a little: "if he takes initiative he will go astray. If he follows, he will find his proper lord." So that would pretty clearly say, don't push it, don't take initiative. But I'm so far away from working for this guy, that it seems like if I don't take initiative, I won't get anywhere. And also, Shih seems to imply that I ought to be doing something.

This seems to be more positive than I thought it would be, but I don't fully understand it. Anybody with any ideas? ideas would be welcome.

Thanks!

Kaelin:)
 

meng

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Usually the wife of the house refers to the one inside who takes care of the rest of us. Her place is traditionally and symbolically within our home, and she is the glue that keeps us together.

Being that you stress the present unlikeliness of working with or for him, I think Yi says to incorporate in yourself the things you admire about him, without his feet of clay.

I see feet of clay as being composed of too many, more or less leftover materials, as from the book of Daniel. A very poor and weak choice for a foundation for so much weight to stand on. I'm curious from where that metaphor came from in you, and if my meaning for it resembles yours.

There's a similar feature within 30, a dependency. Your dependency is upon the earth that feeds you, figuratively your mother.

This mother image comes through strongly in your readings.

7.2 is the general who is within the center of the troops.

So now you go from idolater, to Lady of the house, to a cow feeding upon the earth, to your own general within your own army. Even a general needs good woman. And a general is dependent upon the troops to carry out their mission. Dependency is another strong dynamic in your readings.

Maybe some things to consider.
 
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