"Seeking Union": 'The Road Goes Ever On and On...'

[Dark Starlight]

I am new here, to this website, but not to the, "I Ching"...So 'hello' to my fellow, "I Chingers"!

I suspect that many of you are following a spiritual path or you would not be here. Thus, you surely know how it can be: difficult, frustrating, you can often feel like giving up amid what seems like one endless 'dark night of the soul,' your rational, ego-based mind wants to overrule the intuitive, spiritual mind of the Self so then the doubts come in and the fears too. For me, it can be especially challenging since I have one of 'those' minds--you know the kind: analytical, pedantic, a true over-thinker and chronic worrier (I'm a Virgo!). Suffice it to say, I am being put through 'the wringer' and I have been for years now since I really got going on this path. I have certain 'gifts' but lately, I question what these gifts have communicated to me in the encouraging sense because in the here-and-now, it seems hopeless and depressing. Thus, I am feeling quite discouraged. I've worked so hard and I believe I have come quite far, but I know I have more hard work to do, a very tumultuous several months to somehow survive through and indeed, 'walk' through--step by step by step.

So, tonight, feeling overwhelmed by it all, I asked the, "I Ching" if I should hold to my current path--or, quit it. I received, "#8:Seeking Union" unchanging. I cast it once more (I don't tend to do this with this hexagram--though it is a given option to in some on-hand translations, my faithful one included. Of late, I have been getting this hexagram often--with changing lines--but for some reason tonight, I felt the urge do another coin toss.)...I got "#8: Seeking Union" unchanging yet again. I suppose that is a 'yes'--a very, solid, definitive yes to keep on truckin' on this path I am already following.

And then I think: What if I don't make it?' What if I fail?' 'Wjat if it's already too late?' What if I don't fulfil my life's purpose? What if I disappoint my soul, Higher Self and my spirit guides? What if my life, thus, is like this forever?' But most of all I wonder, 'How--how do I go on?' I can only be strong for so long, having already survived through a lot in my 38 years of life!

Is anyone 'gelling' with this at all? I hope so.

Thank you for reading and for assisting should you choose to.

Brightest Blessings!

 

[Tim K]

I feel a kindred spirit in you, Dark Starlight

I agree with your thoughts, two h8 in a row W/B: Inquire of the oracle once again
Whether you possess sublimity, constancy, and perseverance; Then there is no blame.
I think say that you do possess these qualities, so keep going on!

Its very curious that I read your post just when I was thinking the same thing, do I need to keep going on with my spiritual quest despite the difficulties? The deeper through the rabbit hole I go the harder it seems to get, but to stop in the middle (or just before the end I hope) feels wrong. (Yi said 11.1 and 53.5, I'll keep going on too )

 

[weaver]

May I also point out that both of you have also sought, and found union here as kindred spirits?

 

[loverofknowledge]

Hi, without knowing the nature of the difficulties that you are facing, it is hard for me to understand the Yi's response. For instance, if your difficulties (your "dark night") are that you feel isolated (just an example), and you asked, "shall i go on this way" (implicitly: despite my vast feelings of isolation), I would understand the Yi as replying, "NO, don't go on with the isolation, join with others".
If you're asking about the spiritual path in general, then I guess 8 is an unequivocal, "yes, do go on," i.e. seeking union with a higher source.
I wonder though if there's an implicit question (besides the explicit one), i.e. what kinds of difficulties do you wish to be alleviated? What hardships have become so difficult as to prompt the question itself?
You don't need to answer. I sense that the answer may address those unspoken doubts and frustrations.