Last minute opportunity: What if I have surgery on 1/5/24? 15.1.3.5>3

[Yasmin]

I was considering non-urgent surgery for after the summer, but a slot just became available for 1 May, ie in 2 weeks time, I trust the surgeon 100%. My Schedule is ok, better sooner than later. But I always avoid making big decisions when Mercury is retrograde, which it current is, until 25/4. And of course I had to cast the IC!
My reading was 15.1.3.5>3.

I really like 15 for surgery, it suggests a capable, diligent surgeon, and balanced, moderate results (ie no massive side effects, swelling etc…).
Lines 1 and 3 are also very reassuring, and they reflect how I perceive the surgeon: detail oriented, hard working, will get the job done conscientiously without fuss.
I am a bit more concerned with line 5: forceful measures may be required. Hmmm. Perhaps it will be harder than expected, some sort of extra measure needed.
And 3 as the background: weaving order out of chaos, no harvest in having a direction? Huh? How can you not have an end result in mind before surgery? It does also says that it is important to choose the right helper/surgeon, which I believe is the case here.
Overall, I get the impression of a diligent procedure, perhaps with an unexpected bit of difficulty which may cause a bit of chaos in the beginning, but should get resolved. But I don’t see anything truly alarming in this casting.
What do you think? Yay or nay?

 

[Liselle]

I agree with you about the first two lines and also don't know what to make of line 5.

My knee-jerk reaction is to wonder if line 5's about the "invasion" (so to speak) of an unexpected earlier slot. It says there's harvest in making use of that - good - but I 'm not sure how to place the "not rich in your neighbor" part. Trying a guess...

Wilhelm translates it differently, it turns out -
'Six in the fifth place means:
No boasting of wealth before one’s neighbor.
It is favorable to attack with force.
Nothing that would not further.'

Balkin's version...
'No need to use wealth to influence one’s neighbors.
It is advantageous to attack the rebellious with force.
There is nothing that is not beneficial.'

...which he explains like this:

Modesty is not weakness or lassitude. It means doing what has to be done without fanfare or unnecessary display. It means acting in a reasoned and objective manner rather than through emotional outbursts or excessive force. Often it is necessary to take action to move things forward. Strong measures may be necessary to correct serious problems. It is perfectly all right to be assertive and to take the lead in such circumstances. The point is to avoid being boastful or flaunting one’s power. This will only alienate people and may actually undermine your authority. Instead, you should assess the situation calmly and objectively and then act firmly and decisively. When they see that you are resolute but fair, people will have increased respect for you and confidence in your abilities, and they will be more willing to support and cooperate with you.

I wonder if it could mean your worries about Mercury retrograde?

Astrology might be wealth - information you're rich in and other people aren't. Wilhelm and Balkin sound like this shouldn't and needn't be part of it.

 

[Yasmin]

Thanks Liselle, that’s a very interesting angle…I had not considered the possibility that it’s advice to just go for it, forcefully, and be done with it! In which case the « recalcitrant forces » that need confronting are my reservations about making a big decisions during Mercury retrograde…
I am not sure either about not rich in your neighbour, I never really understood that anyway

 

[Yasmin]

Update: May 1st is just too short a deadline to get organised medically and logistically, so not going to happen. But that doesn’t mean the cast was pointless. I suppose it could still be relevant to the surgeon and the outcome of the surgery at a later date Anyway, new date TBD.

 

[Yasmin]

Come to think of it…3 was the background, I see that as a period of weaving order out of chaos, finding reliable help, devising a plan, getting organised. Hilary says:

“Sprouting.
Creating success from the source, harvest in constancy.
No use to have a direction to go,
Harvest in establishing feudal lords.”

Harvest in constancy - yes, get that surgery done
No use to have a direction to go - its premature to hop on the operating table, you still need to sort out, figure out some things, develop a plan
Harvest in establishing feudal lords- it’s good to choose a capable surgeon

Hmmm… seems very relevant to the situation. I could have “invaded that spot“ forcefully, but it would have felt very stressful, too many things to organise against a tight deadline. Instead, I am taking a bit of time to sort everything out. So in this case, the 3 background meant: hold on to your intention, and the surgeon, but don’t rush in, all the details are not clear yet, take some time to sort things out first.

Note that I could have cast 16, in which case it could have meant: seize the day, get all your ducks in a row, and do it! Especially if it had been 16.3 for example…
Or I could have cast 5, which would have meant: wait, do nothing, something better may yet come up.