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Place of the changing lines

persephone

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Hi everyone. I'm still very much a student of the iching. I try to interpret my readings, then look at what other people wrote about it and try to get a broader perspective.
I've noticed something (I hope this is a new question otherwise I do apologize) concerning the placement of the lines.

Sometimes the first and last line changes. To me that kind of feels like a full circle has passed. Could there be another meaning to this? It seems significant.

The other thing is when the second, third, fourth and fifth lines change. I don't have an explanation for this other than my gut feeling telling me it has a special meaning.

I wonder if anyone has something to add to this theory. Or share a good link about the same topic, that would be much appreciated as well. :bows:
 
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persephone

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Hi, nobody have any thought on this? Maybe it is my bad English, I apologize it is not my first language :)

I do get hexes with changing line 1 and 6 quite often. I see it as a sign but for what? Same goes for let's say changing lines 1 and 2 it seems to talk of a beginning, like a flowerbud about to open. Or 5 and 6 for an ending? But what is 3 and 4? The heart and soul of the matter?

If anyone has any insight into this I'd very much appreciate it.
 

iams girl

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I liked Lise's information below about how she looks at readings from this thread: http://www.onlineclarity.co.uk/friends/showthread.php?t=14754&highlight=lines

I begin my reading first without any text. When I am casting the lines, I move from one to the next, during their appearance. Line 1, which is pure earth, the 'matter' of what I can do or need to know. Yang means I will have to be active, yin - receptive. Second line, relations, but close by, simple - same. Line 3, emotions. Line 4 decisions, the mind. Line 5 again relations but more in a kind of overview, the ruler who - well - rules. Line 6, the spirit. Yang: think actively about this, explore it and so on. Or yin: stand back, find out, let things/ideas come to you instead of going towards them.

If lines are old, they get more emphasis, they are points of focus. Like AQ, I read the relating hex as the background or situation I am in. The lines of the first hex as guidelines for what I can do or should not do. My attitude (first hex) in this situation (second hex), how to make it as good as it can be. This means reading the text, but the yin or yang quality of the lines comes before any text.

I look at the trigrams and how they change. The inner as what changes in me, the outer outside, in my actions, or in what can change. Not especially as now and future, I don't enter any time-line into my reading. My cast is 'now'. The advice is only for now, and only my actions can change the future, the Yi tells me nothing about it. Tells me only about what is the best course of action. The change is also 'now', as if I carry both with me and give them both and in combination the space to develop.
 

iams girl

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As a Yijing student as well, I thought I'd also put together some basics for review from my Wilhelm/Baynes book for both of us :):

The beginning line is difficult to understand. The top line is easy to understand. For they stand in the relationship of cause and effect. The judgment on the first line is tentative, but at the last line everything has attained completion.

The second and the fourth place are that of officials. The second [attending to his work in the country] is usually praised. The fourth is usually warned, because it stands near the ruler. The important thing, however, is to remain without blame; its expression consists in being yielding and central.

The third, as the top place of the inner [lower] trigram, has at least a limited power. The fifth place is that of the ruler. The third is usually misfortune, the fifth usually has merit, because they are graded according to rank. The weaker is endangered, the stronger has victory.

The first and second are the places of the earth, the third and fourth those of man, and the fifth and top line those of heaven.

A line is correct when it stands in a place appropriate to it – e.g., a firm line occupying the second, fourth, or sixth place or a yielding line occupying the second, fourth, or sixth place.

When the time calls for firmness, firm lines are favorable; when the time requires giving way, yielding lines are favorable. This holds true to such an extent that correctness may not always be of advantage. When the time requires giving way, a firm line in the third place, although correct in itself, is harmful because it shows too much firmness, while conversely a yielding line in the third place can be favorable because its yielding character compensates for the rigidity of the place.

As a rule firm lines correspond with yielding lines only, and visa versa. The following lines, provided that they differ in kind correspond: the first and the fourth, the second and the fifth, the third and the top line.

Between the two adjacent lines of different character there may occur a relationship of holding together. The fourth and fifth line (minister and ruler) are of first importance. It is more favorable for a yielding minister to hold together with a strong ruler, because in this closer proximity reverence is of value.
The relationship of holding together occurs also between the fifth and the top line. Here it pictures a ruler placing himself under a sage; in such a case it is usually a humble ruler (a weak line in the fifth place) who reveres a strong sage (a strong line above). The remaining lines, the first and second, the second and third, the third and fourth, do not stand in the correct relationship of holding together. Where this occurs it always implies a danger of factionalism and is to be avoided.

(W/B, The Great Treatise, pp. 348-352; The Structure of the Hexagrams, pp. 360-363)
 

persephone

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This is very interesting and it helps me a lot to understand. Thank you iams girl!
 

sergio

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Hello Persephone;
All the above posts represent the "official" or traditional interpretation of the lines' symbolism. However there are other points of view regarding that. For example the late Chris Lofting based almost all of his I Ching hexagram interpretations on the pretence that the first and sixth lines represented the context upon which a hexagram developed. He claimed that those hexagrams with the changed 1 and 6 lines explained the characteristics of a hexagram I.E. for hexagram #1(six yang lines) it would be #28(a situation with too much yang).
Another clue as to different schools of thought to interpret the symbolism of the lines is, to me, the inner hexagram or core hexagram formed when combining the 4 inner lines(lines 3456) to form another( inner) hexagram. This procedure leaves out specifically lines 1 and 6 ( the context of the hexagram). The late frank Kegan in one of his articles in his website develop an idea in which the lines would be "opening" from the center to the outside i.e lines 3'4 representing the spiritual soul the ba, lines 2/5 the po or material soul and lines 1/6 the outside world. To me the inner hexagram procedure is very related to this different approach of interpreting the lines as opposed to the "official"Confucian manner.
Hope this helps;
Sergio
 

persephone

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Thank you Sergio, I like the idea of the spiritual soul, the outside world, opening from the center (like a flower!). That gives me a lot to ponder about and work with! :)
 

sergio

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In one of the previous posts I referred incorrectly to the ba as one of the two souls. It is called the hun.
Sergio
 

persephone

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Is there specific meaning when the first three lines change or when the last three lines change?
I recently received two reading with the 4th, 5th and 6th line changing. It seemed significant.
 

Trojina

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Is there specific meaning when the first three lines change or when the last three lines change?
I recently received two reading with the 4th, 5th and 6th line changing. It seemed significant.

Using change patterns yes I think theres some general significance. If you make all changing lines yang and non changing ones yin..it gives the yang change pattern which has been called the 'way in' to the reading. With the first 3 lines changing in any answer hex 11 would be the 'way in' to the answer...where you are coming from I guess. More simply you only have to look at the pattern. You can see if last 3 lines change the yang pattern would be hex 12 the 'way out' or through the reading

To get the yin pattern you do the opposite..make all changing lines yin lines and the rest yang and that is the way out or way through in the answer


There is a pattern...but its quite a general indication IMO. Just something to notice about a reading. I think its quite useful though...I always notice the patterns now


I notice the first 3 lines changing sometimes seem to indicate a good start/flow but a dead end/abrupt halt in some way ....the change pattern will always be hex 11 going in and hex 12 going out. The last 3 lines changing would indicate the opposite .

I don't think this should take too much predominance over any other factor., but its certainly worth noting IMO
 

persephone

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That is really interesting. The readings I did were about a friendship gone dead a few years ago and now there is some contact and mutuality again. So that applies perfectly to your theory that an 'abrupt halt' is starting to flow again. It gives a deeper meaning and understanding of the reading.
 

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