I-ching as a picture of spiritual/psychological development

[kindi]

I asked to see a picture of where I am in my spiritual/psychological development, having no idea what kind of response I would receive. I received 8.5 (2). I then asked the same question for a person intimately connected to my life. I received 1.2 (13). At first, I wasn't sure what my answer was, and then it became so clear I got excited and had to post this.

First, the relating hexagram is describing resources being used to drive development. For me, my greatest strength is self-reflection and an ability to receive and respond to energy from others and spiritual guidance. These strengths are being used in my development. For the other person, they have a great strength for be-friending, relating and partnering with others in a friendly, hex 13 type of way.

The primary hexagram is showing me where there is a need to work. Where there is a need to focus in my spirit/psyche. It isn't describing a problem, it's saying, "develop here".

The changing line is explicitly describing an issue to master.

So, back to me, (and I don't mind freely sharing my "issues") I am being told, 'the lesson you are working on is how to allow others the freedom of choice in bonding (holding together with you) or not.' In other words, I am working on learning how to relate to others (in deep relationships) in ways that are completely non-manipulative and non-controlling. Basic co-dependency lessons of letting others care for themselves while I care for myself.

The very same answer pattern was seen in the other person, though of course, that person isn't me, so I can't really interpret them, just gain some insight into what their life themes are. I think the major issue for the other person is learning to lead as a superior example to other people, rather than to dominate people selfishly. Learning to strengthen one's character through taking responsibility....

I also threw for a few other people closely connected to me, and it worked just as it had.

I found this exciting.. and wanted to share it as a tool and ask if others have used the oracle in this type of way.

 

[hilary]

Thank you, Kindi, this is lovely. The way you describe the relating and primary hexagrams and how they combine, especially - it feels very natural.

I'd never asked exactly this question before - probably out of latent cowardice

- but I suppose it's almost implicit in any fairly open reading, of the 'what do I need to pay attention to now?' genre. But I like your way of doing it very much, because of its focus and because it's not time-based. ('What I need to pay attention to this week' might turn out to be 'not being run over by the number 23 bus', after all.)

It felt like a good moment to ask this one for myself, and for someone I'm closely connected to. Asking about the other person is a delicate thing, of course, but I think this is a good way of getting more understanding of 'what's going on with them'. If the relating hexagram is the resource and strength that draws them through this stage, then you might see exaggerated traits of said hexagram in them. And doing this reading might help you to understand why those traits are necessary.

My own reading was 54 moving at line 5 to 19. Marrying Maiden Nearing. Nearing is easy to recognise: on New Year's Day this year I stood on top of the car in our drive (!), looked out over the lights and fireworks of the next town, and felt an upwelling inner promise to reach out to people with Yi. That's 19. In the spirit of the previous paragraph, may I be forgiven if I'm pushy or didactic...

54 - yes, there have been overt challenges of finding myself moved into situations I'm not ready for. (Having to change or grow up because of a change in environment - 54. Changing your environment as you grow - 53.) This has been happening on all levels from the trivial (I'd've liked to have changed the forum gradually and in a controlled way, but then the software blew up...) to the not-remotely-trivial.

The moving line?
I'm not so sure.
Ready to welcome any inspiration...

 

[void]

(Hilary, excuse the interuption, but has the time of postings gone weird because of general disruption or have you changed time zone ? I chose this thread cuz it is Sat May 20th here but it is only 12.50, but your post was written at 5.33 pm which has happened yet ?)

 

[hilary]

(Just general weirdness - as you see, your post is labelled '5.56pm'. Maybe it's the server's timezone. Or maybe this is a little-known effect on discussion board software of using it for many years to discuss an oracle.)

 

[my_key]

Did anypne take into account DST?

 

[void]

Hilary I just noticed you have written you got hex 54 'moving at line 5 to 19'. Eh ? Must be typo as that would make it 54 moving to 58. You must mean you had line 4 moving ?

Hmm sorry I keep interupting with trivia - mmm but no one is speaking anyway so....

I can't see how a question like this can be answered as pyschological/spiritual development must be a multi layered/multi dimensional process (for lack of better words). How can there be one place where one 'is'. Also I'm not sure exactly why one would want to know where they 'are', as in it seems a bit like asking for a grade for something which cannot be graded.

To use this question I suppose it means you would have to believe that there is one over riding 'issue' to deal with in your life that runs through every layer of your selfhood. Not having any reason to believe that, (there may be a million things happening at a million different levels)it wouldn't be question I'd find meaningful for myself.

But hey if some find it helpful I ain't knocking it, but I'm suspicious of it.

For the life of me I can't see what 54,4 says about where you are in your development now...mmm waiting, delaying full union with something... but I reckon someone else will be along with some inspiration anytime now.....

 

[hilary]

I did? Oops, yup, typo, it was line 4. I've been reading the correct line, just typing sideways.

<blockquote><hr size=0><!-quote-!><font size=1>quote:</font>

pyschological/spiritual development must be a multi layered/multi dimensional process<!-/quote-!><hr size=0></blockquote>
True. Now, let's see, do we know any oracles that are good at representing that kind of process? Wait a minute...

54.4 distinguishes 'appointed time' from 'right time' - the difference between an imposed schedule and an emergent one. That's most definitely relevant to me: do I have to make myself do stuff, or is there some way I can allow my inner motivations to lead me more naturally - without just drifting? The question is always present in the background, but I hadn't been giving it conscious attention. Perhaps that's exactly the kind of thing this reading would bring out.

It's kind-of quiet round here because email notification is off (and likely to remain that way for another week). I'll email everyone when there's some progress to report.

 

[kindi]

Holistic, reductionist, yes, but 'theme finding' is a valid approach to growth that the i-ching has the potential to comment on because it so precisely captures change, movement, and inner states. Psychodynamic therapies use the conscious mind to construct a narrative and a life-theme that can be reduced to the complexity of a hexagram. Astrology almost exclusively focuses on describing a person's psychological and spiritual development throughout time using the archetypes of the zodiac.

But of course, oracles don't just answer questions, they teach how to ask questions. The question isn't so much, 'can I get an answer for this question that makes sense', but 'can I determine what it is I want to know with enough clarity to know when I have been given an answer'. And that is an individual matter.

 

[jte]

Hi, Kindi -

Just for the sake of "comparing notes": I've had somewhat different experiences in interpretation when asking "spiritual" questions - in my case, I've received answers with specific moving lines, where the moving line seemed to carry the weight of the answer and the relationship between hexagrams didn't appear to have greater than usual significance.

That said, I think it's great that your style of interpretation is yielding good results for you. I'm a firm believer in looking at different aspects of the answer (e.g. relation of hexagram to line, relation between Hex and resulting Hex, etc.) That is, different "styles" of interpretation can be equally valid for different people (or even for the same person at different times or in different circumstances).

- Jeff

 

[heylise]

Love this thread, and the way to ask. Vague answers to vague things, and then getting something which turns the light on... Truly 'oracling' things.

(little question to Mike: could you mail me your address, so I can mail back?)

LiSe