hex 23 unchanging?

[SophiaNY]

Hello everyone,

I'm brand new here, wondering if could ask your thoughts about Hex 23 unchanging, when I asked what attitude I could take to a painful situation, which I've already accepted I am in, I just want to be in it in the best way possible. It kind of makes obvious sense, but then I wonder if there is something subtle I am missing.

Thanks so much!
Sophia

 

[SophiaNY]

Hi again,
Sorry, just to clarify..when I read the description of 23, I thought 'well, that sounds like exactly what put me in this painful situation'…but since I was asking about how to be in it, I got confused…because I started to wonder if I am reading the situation wrong…i.e. is I Ching commenting and just mirroring back what has happened (even though I didn't ask that)? Or is it saying something more subtle about my attitude to what has happened?
Thanks!

 

[sooo]

23 is often interpreted in a strictly negative light. Sometimes it can mean to just lose it, cut it away. But it also can mean to trim what is no longer useful, what has become obsolete, like dead branches. To give generously to what is below, in the case of pruning, sends the chi or life force back down into the roots, where it can be used to grow new branches, full of life, and even flowers when in season, like pruning a rose bush.

 

[SophiaNY]

Thank you sooo. Pruning is a nice metaphor. I don't generally view 23 as negative, since as you say, stripping or pruning is also life-giving. It's just painful when forced to let go of something you don't want to. But what made me confused was that I wasn't sure how to read it as an answer to my question about what attitude to take (rather than as a description of 'what is happening here') in a situation that made me sad. Maybe pruning is a good attitude? To be open to being pruned? Or maybe my sad attitude itself needs a revision?

 

[Trojina]

I think as 'what attitude to take' acceptance may be the way.

This thread may give some ideas also if you haven't seen it yet http://www.onlineclarity.co.uk/frie...eriences-with-Unchanging-Csatings-hexagram-23


I'm just going to check what the shadow of 23 is....since I was going to say the attitude not to take for example would be "I am going to fight to make this alright and work out well'. Things are already crumbling...eroding. Accept it and give out, let go of, what needs to be let go of.

Just checked, the shadow hexagram of 23 is 42. In 42 one pours more energy into things, builds things up,,,,you can't do that now. Acceptance of the direction of falling apart is the best way through.

 

[SophiaNY]

Thanks Trojina. I will check out that thread.

What's a shadow? (I'm still new to this).

It's funny, I still can't' tell whether I Ching is just mirroring me or suggesting something new…because I really feel like my whole sincere attitude to the larger situation was one of experiencing all the energy of 'stripping away' what isn't working, and suffering the loss, and accepting where I am fully, but feeling sad and blue about it…and then I turned to I Ching to ask what attitude to take to this situation I already feel I need to accept…and I got stripping. !!

 

[Trojina]

I shouldn't worry about the shadow if you are new. It is just a pattern if you count inwards like this from 1 to 64 you get the shadow hexagram. The shadow is what not to do.

It's like this

1 -64
2- 63
3- 62

so for example if you had hexagram 3 you would not take the advice of hex 62.


Karcher's idea I think...but really not something to use if you are new it will only confuse...


Yi may be just confirming what is happening for you. You are doing 23.

 

[SophiaNY]

Thanks again. Interesting thread and interesting experiences!

I have Karcher's book--it's been my first foray into this, so maybe I will take a look at shadow at some point.

I wonder if one might think of 23 as maybe a kind of counterpart of separatio and/or mortificatio in the alchemical processes (of the psyche)? But I guess that is because I tend to look more to I Ching to reflect upon current inner personal processes and knowing (as related to the larger whole) rather than as predictive of anything external in the future.

 

[sooo]

Thanks again. Interesting thread and interesting experiences!

I have Karcher's book--it's been my first foray into this, so maybe I will take a look at shadow at some point.

I wonder if one might think of 23 as maybe a kind of counterpart of separatio and/or mortificatio in the alchemical processes (of the psyche)? But I guess that is because I tend to look more to I Ching to reflect upon current inner personal processes and knowing (as related to the larger whole) rather than as predictive of anything external in the future.

I think of this process as inclusive in h50, and also a bit with 49. But 23 is not altogether unrelated or uninvolved. But refinement, specifically alchemy, is the process that happens in the Cauldron.

 

[SophiaNY]

Interesting! I will take a look at 50 and 49, just to learn more. Thank you.

 

[sooo]

Sophia,

I was thinking more about this, and this thought birthed in my mind.

23 is refinement through elimination.
49 is refinement through regeneration.
50 is refinement through transformation.

 

[SophiaNY]

That's beautifully said, and makes a great deal of sense to me. Refining does seem to be the common thread (refining fire?). Thank you!

 

[SophiaNY]

I went back and read just the oracle itself in Karcher's book. (I revisited Hilary's wise words to focus on the oracle's response as primary, not all the commentary!). It's interesting that it says 'harvesting'. It's an interesting juxtaposition to stripping, isn't it? Almost like it can also be a threshing or winnowing?

It's really quite something to just sit and let the images unfold over time, here and there gaining an insight.