Q: Continue to pursue becoming a counsellor? 36.2.6 to 26

[January]

Hi there,

I've asked the I Ching about whether I should continue in my pursuit of becoming a counsellor. To put things in context, I'm a 55-year-old woman who is a good listener and I have my own experiences of healing and growing beyond trauma and have a history as a mixed indigenous person. I'd also like to be valued for what people seem to seek me out for naturally, what I'm interested in, and what I've been doing for free in my spare time. I work 9-5 as a secretary and I'd like to make a change in career to counselling. However today I'm overwhelmed with just the first online course. I'm considering altering my path to only include in-person courses and just getting the basics (1 or 2 yrs to be a counselling therapist part-time) instead of the whole finish my BA and get a Masters in counselling psychology (7 or 8 years part-time).
My actual question is "Yi, what is your advice today with regard to my becoming a counsellor?" (Yi, had given me positive encouragement for the idea of becoming a counsellor in previous readings)
Yi answered with 36.2.6 to 26
36 is Brightness Hiding: Light swallowed by deep darkness. Hide your brightness from the masses. Stay true to your course despite obstacles.
Line 2: The grieving pheasant has a wounded left wing. The agent of darkness wounds the man in his left thigh. Still the man helps others to safety with the strength of the horse.
Line 6: It's broken wing mended, the pheasant is released to its fate. Realizing that darkness co-exists with the light in his own heart, the man transcends the bonds of good and evil and freely roams the heights of heaven and the bowels of hell.
Changes to 26 Recharging Power.
So, I'm taking this to mean I should continue in my goal to become a counsellor, 36, stay true to your course but that I should hide my brightness from the masses. I think that might mean that I don't do the whole Masters. My counselling will probably be mostly geared to indigenous people and people with trauma by virtue of what I bring to the table, so it might be appropriate that I hide that a bit.
Line 2 speaks about being wounded and still helping others to safety with the strength of a horse. Interestingly, I am going to be working with horses and healing and young women who have similar histories to me this month in my volunteering!
Line 6 speaks about a broken wing being mended and being released to fate. Acknowledging the light and dark. Bringing my heart into the picture. I think the heart is the vehicle for any true healing, as both the light and dark speak to the heart. There is a reference to being free to roam both heaven and hell - I feel that is a poetic way of talking about trauma and addiction and moving through pain and into freedom and self-acceptance. Those are my ideas about line 6.
Then it changes to Hex 26 Recharging Power. I think that's what I need to do right now as I've worn myself out trying to do an online course that is overwhelming for the last 4 months and have been getting literally nowhere.
Does anyone have any input with regard to what this reading might mean? I'm thinking I might not have enough perspective on this situation as my nose is really up against the mirror at this moment! I'm particularly puzzled about Line 6, really, and am hoping others might have more perspective and experience than me with this line.

 

[my_key]

Hi January
It looks like you have spent a lot of time reflecting on what the reading means for you. To the point where there is some puzzlement setting in.

My actual question is "Yi, what is your advice today with regard to my becoming a counsellor?" (Yi, had given me positive encouragement for the idea of becoming a counsellor in previous readings)
Yi answered with 36.2.6 to 26

The reading seems to me to be building on the previous advice to becomes a counsellor and Yi is now saying something like "Becoming a counsellor requires that you carefully manage your involvement, and be conscious of giving too much of yourself. There is a habit that you have that pulls you this way, however you will find the strength (have the stength) to overcome this. This is a small but vital part of a long arduous journey of which you are nearing the end. Reflect on where you started and how far you have come; learn from it all, (tucking the lessons away to help you and your future clients).....and then before you realise it'll be time to embrace the next challange."

Of course it may mean nothing at all like this.

Good Luck

 

[January]

Thank you my_key for your comments. I do tend towards over-involvement and, I agree, it is important to learn how to manage my involvement. Such a key piece, really. Small but vital! I was actually discussing with my partner yesterday (before your response), that the main thing I want to learn from counseling training is how to this dance gracefully with future clients: the stepping towards, the stepping back. Thank you for your insightful input and well-wishes.

 

[liquidity]

I interpret this as suggesting that you're going to need to put your head down and take the long dark path forward... which probably would be exactly finishing the BA and doing the master's course. Jumping to counseling after only a year or two -- that would not be hiding your light, that would be displaying it. You are going to have to pretend that you don't have all the real-world experience you do, so that you can get the credentials and training you need.

26 is about training and about repressing the desire to surge forward quickly. So go ahead and walk down the long dark path... it's going to be very difficult, but if you persist, you will grow.