Finding lost beagle 24.1.3>15

[eisakka]

I posed a question to the I-Ching on the behalf of Sassafras's owners (unknowingly, on their end): How can her owners find Sassafras?

As background, here is Sassafras's website: http://www.findsassafras.net/
I live in the area and have seen these posters around my neighborhood. It tears at my heartstrings that this beagle has been missing for over a year, yet her owners haven't given up!

The response was 24.1.3>15 (Return> Modesty). "Return," as the primary hexagram, seemed especially appropriate.

I am somewhat new to the I-Ching, but here is my initial interpretation:

Return here can refer to both Sassafras's safe return, as well as the fact that her owners continue to return to the same general area where she has been spotted.

24.1: The "return from a short distance" could refer to the fact that Sassafras's general path has been generally confined to one small area in DC/Maryland.

24.3: The danger of "repeated return" could refer to the fact that the owners have been basically applying the same strategy for so many months now, yet have not yet located her. I think there's no blame to this because they are doing all that they can, but the danger is also that Sass probably won't be found this way.

I am not sure how this relates to Hex 15, other than her owners "carrying things through." In practical terms, how should they "reduce what is too much" and "augment what is too little"?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

[meng]

Beagles are notorious for 'being their own dog'. The male beagles I've known were like small gentleman, self possessed and contained. Only time they break from that face is when on a scent (or sight) of a rabbit or other game the dog has been bred to react to with lots of barking. They can be difficult to contain within a fence, even a high one. They need a lot of exercise to stay calm, and I've never seen one that's especially people friendly. They love to hunt and work, but not too interested in being sociable.

I interpret this as return to the beginning of your search, and to the places Sassafras went to most. If he or she is still alive and not yet claimed, it'll likely repeatedly return to that same spot. However, after an entire year, and being a purebred and all, I wouldn't be too surprised to find him or her at the end of someone's leash.

 

[arabella]

I took 24.1 to mean that the dog is living with someone else not too far away from its original home. And the 24.3 seems like, even if they got the dog back, he would only continue to do what he's already done and split on a moment's notice -- probably heading back to his happy hunting grounds as that is most likely his "territory" to him by now. Hexagram 15 to me means "leave well enough alone" the dog is happy and cared for and he chose his people as he pleased.

The only beagles I've ever known were hunting dogs -- drag fox hunting. They are relatively insane a lot of them and will run miles without a thought, having to be gathered up by someone who has trained them and to whom they have whatever "loyalty" they possess. But, they are creatures of the "la chasse" and a person who wants to be loved by one when something else intervenes may be lead a merry chase themselves. This is a case in point I guess.