Hexagram 33

[canislulu]

When asking about a course of action I am considering and then I receive Hexagram 33 sometimes I find myself wondering whether the advise is to retreat from the course of action or whether Yi is simply commenting that the course of action would be "a retreat" from the situation in which I am currently stuck. Does anyone have experience with this type of situation? Could it be either, and if so, how does one discern which is the case?

 

[hmesker]

It depends on the course of action. If the course of action you are considering can be described as a step back, a retreat, a pause, a closure etc. then H33 would perfectly fit that course which could mean 'yes, that's the right course'. But when your course is more like 'go boldly forward, do something new, decide a new heading', that would not correspond with H33, which could mean 'I advise you to go back on that'. If a hexagram corresponds with your projected action you can take it as a 'yes', if it clearly clashes with it you can see it as a 'no'. And most often the Yi will not give a clear 'yes' or 'no' but make you think about the possible consequences. Every choice (that doesn't harm yourself, or your surroundings) is good as long as you accept the consequences.