Hex 19 unchanged~ Spiritual reason for chronic illness

[sarah_]

My question, exactly, was ~ Is there some spiritual reason for my illness and its impact on my life?

I received Hexagram 19, with all unchanging lines.

This has been a chronic illness, from the age of 15, and while I have lived a more or less normal life, I couldn't have children, or a career. An extremely severe episode several years ago, far, far worse than anything I had ever experienced, completely knocked me down, and uprooted my long term relationship, though there is hope for it to continue.
Recently a very treasured friendship was destroyed and I am desperate to heal it, if possible.

The severity of the illness several years ago introduced a new component - if my chemical equilibrium was disrupted, I became distrustful and lashed out. Nothing like this, damaging my connections with the people I care for the most, had ever been in my life before that. I am still not yet fully recovered, but almost there. My nature is compassionate and caring, nothing like the destructive element that emerged but is almost gone, thankfully. That is linked to the severity that I experienced of this disorder and is due to a chemical imbalance.

I am an astrologer - reading charts, teaching and, now, writing biographical astrology interpretations. I have been studying, and reading charts, for 35 years. Though I hung out my professional shingle some years ago, I have yet to come anywhere near making a living. In fact, I am terribly uncomfortable charging for my readings, and even for teaching.

I would appreciate any help I could receive for this interpretation. Thanks.

 

[eastern_girl]

Hi, Sarah!

I don't know how hexagram 19 explains your situation, but if I were an astrologer, I would study my own chart from a karmic perspective. Some say illness can be a great teacher and its presence in someone's life is never accidental. With an illness as your own, causing long term disability on some levels (you say it affected your capacity to work and the possibility of having children) it would be too easy to say something in your lifestyle caused it. Especially that the first symptoms occurred when you were very young. Causes are deeper, maybe it's all about genetics (a hereditary disease, maybe?), or maybe it's karma. Your illness may or may not have spiritual reasons, either way there is still a lesson on this path. The question is: what lesson do you need to learn from this experience?

However, as an alternative medicine lover, I do believe that many health problems are caused by mental/spiritual stress, or, in other words, that ilnesses can have subtle causes. When our soul is ill and we experience negative emotions for a long period of time (think about depression, or a long drawn out mourning, or not accepting yourself the way you are), this emotional pressure will eventually have a negative effect on the body. When these emotions stay with us for too long, our body becomes the perfect playground for a chronic illness.

For example, liver problems indicate anger and criticism towards your own person, myopia shows a fear of the future, arthritis and rheumatism indicate rigidity, thyroid problems - inability to express yourself, hepatitis - a disharmony between mind and spirit etc. Hope this helps.

 

[sarah_]

Thank you very much for replying, Easterrn girl. I appreciate your feedback. Yes, I have studied my chart and do understand the Karmic nature of my illness. It is genetically based and will eventually be regarded the same way diabetes is - it's an imbalance of the chemistry in the body, and external means must be used to keep equilibrium. I have spent years trying all the alternative treatments that have been available, and it is clear that the chemistry is the problem. There are finer points to this - environment can have an impact -but certain levels must be maintained, and if they're not, I function very differently.

Insights into hexagram 19 do shed some light, and I had been hoping that any of those with more experience than I have with the I Ching interpretations could give additional dimensions to its meaning.

 

[ginnie]

Let me quote from R. L. Wing on hexagram 19 unchanging:

Getting this hexagram "without change suggests an eternal spring in regard to the object of your inquiry. This is indeed auspicious, as it appears that you are in an excellent position to carry out your plans successfully; or perhaps you can help others in the attainment of their own pursuits."

I think the I Ching is saying to you, "Approach me. I would welcome other questions on this same subject."

 

[meng]

if my chemical equilibrium was disrupted, I became distrustful and lashed out.

What I hear EG saying is, to consider, which came first. I'm not speaking for you but for myself, and a departed wife, ill since birth, and it was that illness which shaped her life, and eventually consumed mine as well. In myself. If I find myself distrustful and lashing out, including at myself, my body will tolerate no more than 8 hours of this, and will begin with a wavering symptom of nausea (I can't stomach what's making me sour). I once let it have its way, just to see where it would lead to. For the next 5 years I was on antidepressants. It doesn't get better on its own; it requires work, and good timing.

Work and 19 are almost synonymous. It's a question of how best to tackle the job you need to do. And, you are given a gestation period, or a time to get the work done, because after harvest comes winter.

 

[eastern_girl]

To Meng,

Just some additional information on what I was saying about negative emotions: according to Chinese medicine, anger injures the liver, grief injures the lungs, fear injures the kidneys and worry injures the spleen. All these emotions are more harmful when suppressed for a long time. The more we recognize them and let them out (by sharing, crying, prayers) instead of keeping inside and face them on our own, the more we protect our body and mental health. Now, all these organs work as a team and support each other. The chief of staff is the liver. Imbalance in one of our organs can affect other organs too or tend to produce imbalance in the corresponding emotions. Just to give you an example, our vision is very much related to the activity and health of our liver. The Chinese use to say: the liver opens into the eyes. When the liver is harmonized, the eyes can distinguish the five colors.

 

[pocossin]

Is there some spiritual reason for my illness and its impact on my life?
19 unchanging

What are you approaching? Perhaps your troubles are related to incompatible goals that prevent your advancement in health, relationship, and career. Something you picked up in the family environment and have been unable to put down. You should have no hesitation about charging for professional services. Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn, and yet in your discomfort in charging you are muzzling yourself.

 

[heylise]

"The noble one teaches and ponders inexhaustibly, he tolerates and protects the people without limits"
Hex.19 is very caring and open to other people. Could it be that you are so open that your own balance gets lost? The age of 15 is more or less when you start 'seeing' the cares and sorrow of others. When younger children are burdened with it, it is often harmful to them, and most children are still too self-centered. But around 15 you start to open yourself to the soul of others.

To me the anger and lashing out could have something to do with it. Too much comes in, you have to throw it out of your system again, or defend yourself fiercely.

If this could be a cause - no idea. I rather doubt it. But it might make it more severe.

And finally: I don't know. Not at all. Just trying to feel my way around it a bit.

 

[rosada]

I've found when I get a response I can't make sense of it is helpful to write it out, post it where I see it, maybe decorate the page or surround it with flowers. Usually in a day or two the meaning will become clear without my having to "figure" it out. Kinda like eating a foreign food, you may not know how many calories it has or what vitamins but it you can get it into your body you will experience the nourishment.

Rosada

 

[ginnie]

As I posted above, I think the 19 unchanging is an invitation from Yi to you to ask more questions along the same lines, so as to elucidate this very important question.