...life can be translucent

Menu

Hex 52 to 39

melcomcosh

visitor
Joined
Jan 10, 1970
Messages
15
Reaction score
0
Folks,

I'm a writer (a screenwriter) and I've been really struggling for the last 10 years to try and make something happen. I've had sporadic, limited success. My writing is, however, fairly well respected; (I've attended 2 of the best schools in the world for this) it's just never found a home.

I've been fairly despondent about this lately and have been trying desperately to "shake things up". I've been working harder than ever to start something and have been wracking my brain about how to advance.

Well, the I Ching had other plans for me. My interpretation of this hex is "stop", "stop" and "wait". I'm trying to see the upside in all this, trying not to abandon the idea of writing altogether, because I used to enjoy it - I just haven't enjoyed it in some time.

Do you think this is perhaps urging me to consider another forum for my writing? To give myself a break and see what bubbles up and actually interests me as opposed to stressing out and pushing so hard?

Your insights are most welcome.

Thanks!
M
 

void

visitor
Joined
Jul 8, 1972
Messages
493
Reaction score
6
Uum I would say your second interpretation hit the nail on the head. Seems like a very direct answer - to still your expression for awhile, rest, meditate and most definately 'stop stressing'. The relating hex 39 does not I think advocate struggling on alone against obstacles, find another way. Maybe once you've had a break you will more easily find another way. I would not take it that you stop writing for good, just have a break and reconsider your route.
 

madeleine

visitor
Joined
Feb 8, 1971
Messages
3
Reaction score
0
M,

I think the reading is not bad at all, from my Portuguese translation of Wilhelm's I Ching it's not saying that you should stop, or quit, just to stand still, meditate and stop stressing out! You need to find some kind of "inner peace" to start moving again.

You don't mention the changing lines, but if the resulting hex is number 39, then the changing lines must be 5 and 6, and these look pretty good to me.

I don't know which translation you've got, but line 5 mentions "words" (good for a screenwriter) and "precision" in using them. Maybe that's what you should do. Concentrate on your writing, the here and now, instead of thinking if it'll be good or bad, successful or not.

Line 6 promises good fortune if you reach that inner stillness / peace the hexagram talks about.

Finally, hexagram 39 is not about an obstruction, but about the way to eliminate the obstacles and liberate yourself (the next hexagram is 40, Liberation).

I don't know if I was able to help you, I'm kind of tired, but as a "writer" myself I think I know the feeling, so I just had to post a message!!!
Don't stop writing, focus on your writing, focus on the present, and focus on yourself!

best,

M
 
W

waveringdragon

Guest
Hi M,
A slightly different viewpoint from the 2 above but only slightly.
I think it is about giving yourself a break. To stop writing. Relax in yourself, take it easy, you do seem to be a bit upset about your lack of progress, so give yourself a break from being upset.
Take your time, don't force anything, line 5 alone would lead to Gradual Progress.
Likewise get beyond your ego, spend some time meditating, line 6 alone would lead to modesty.
I think it's about giving yourself a break so that you acquire the peace, clarity and humility of being and mind that will allow you to recognise the obstruction for what it is and from that standpoint realise within yourself how to deal with it.
All the best,
Paul
 

melcomcosh

visitor
Joined
Jan 10, 1970
Messages
15
Reaction score
0
Hello Folks,

Yes, it's accurate to say I'm pretty upset about all this. I have poured everything into this over the past 10 years, uprooted myself to go to school in LA, had the agents, did the parties, did the festivals. And yet, still, nothing...

I have a tendency to want to just push through stuff, be relentless, and stick with it -- but that just doesn't seem to be an option right now.

I'd like to take a break from even thinking about what I should be doing next. As any writer knows, there's no true time when you're "not working" as you are always thinking about some idea, or story. It's exhausting.

I'm just having a really hard time not getting completely bummed out about this. It seems like failure. But there is definitely something that is compelling me to stop. I've seen the fork in the road for some time now. I'm just afraid to choose the wrong road.

Thanks again for your time.

M
 
B

bruce

Guest
Hi Melcox,

Imo, you've received some excellent interpretations here.

A thought from my notes on 39:

A fallen tree holds back the stream. Turning back to itself, building up, water flows along the lines of least resistance: over, around and through the branches.

An obstruction is what you're facing, obviously. And it's of such magnitude that your mind is fixed on the obstruction rather than mission of moving onward. Your job is to create, to write, to inspire. You can't do that when your mind is whirling around with visions of an ailing writing career. The mind must first be stilled of all that.

Mountain upon mountain is 52. Water over mountain is 39. When faced with an obstruction, water builds up behind it, creating a greater force, and greater depth. It seems only natural that your writing would have the same potential. And your writing is the only thing you have control over.
 

lightofdarkness

(deceased)
Joined
Mar 16, 1970
Messages
1,025
Reaction score
3
Mountain (52) reads:

from/with self-restraint comes discernment.

The focus is on quality control derived from a context of suffering. IT covers the theme of learning discernment from one's experiences where those experiences lead to filtering.

Mountain associates more with a buddhist mentality on suffering than a christian one (where JC suffers FOR you, rather than you suffering - this leads into filtering issues where in christianity the rules come from the church, in buddhism/secular focus the rules come from your experiences.

39 covers (a) bypassing obstructions and (b) BEING an obstruction in the form of going against the mindless flow.

WHat whas the specific question you asked, and what method did you use to derive the hexagram?

Chris.
 

melcomcosh

visitor
Joined
Jan 10, 1970
Messages
15
Reaction score
0
Hi Chris,

The specific question was "what should I pursue next" centering specifically around my career. As in, "what should I do next?" I asked it knowing it might very likely tell me what it did, because a reading with an insightful astrologer had told me "not to push" just a few weeks earlier. What can I tell you - I'm stubborn ;-)

I used 3 chinese coins for the divination.

M
 

martin

(deceased)
Joined
Oct 2, 1971
Messages
2,705
Reaction score
60
Perhaps it's a good idea to try to reconnect with what originally brought you to writing. And the fun of it. Forget your ambitions for the moment and play again?

I think 52 to 39 can in this case indicate a kind of mixup of the outer world (achievement and so on) and the inner world (soul) and a need to seperate them.
 

lightofdarkness

(deceased)
Joined
Mar 16, 1970
Messages
1,025
Reaction score
3
Your concern about you career, from a feelings perspective, indicates a 'yin' bias in that there is a sense of values present (you feel after X years a lack of 'success' and so the qualitative).

Your focus on what could-have-been/is-not/could-be indicates a second line of 'yin'.

Your question indicates a sense of having already given-up, no more energy and so is reactive. That WILL give you a context of 'earth' and so a focus on identity issues and on devotion to another/others, issues of trust in another/others to aid in actualising potentials. (others can be 'screenwriting' etc - both in the writing and also the social institution)

IOW your sense of identity is wrapped-up in the context of screen-writing and that context is dependent upon trust in others (their support, opinion, 'court politics' etc)

AS a person, how would you categorise yourself?

(1) facts or values bias?
(2) usual focus on: what-was/is/will-be OR what-could-have-been/is-not/could-be?
(3) generally proctive (instigate things etc) OR reactive (respond to things etc)?

Chris.
 

Clarity,
Office 17622,
PO Box 6945,
London.
W1A 6US
United Kingdom

Phone/ Voicemail:
+44 (0)20 3287 3053 (UK)
+1 (561) 459-4758 (US).

Top