Unchanging Lines vs Many Changing Lines: The Speed of Change

[brzegal]

As I understand it on a very basic level, receiving a hexagram with unchanging lines indicates a situation or event that will hold true for an extended period of time.

And when all lines change, it's my personal practice to read the judgment and image of the next hexagram.

As I pondering the difference between these two extremities being returned in an oracle, it occurred to me that when all lines change, one is in the midst of rapidly changing conditions.

I began to step the amount of lines being returned in a reading back to just five and just four, with the rate and speed of change occurring in mind. When I receive more than three changing lines, but movement is not occurring in the entire hexagram, I pay attention to the unchanging lines - especially the one furthest ahead in toward completion of the hexagram (in the case of 4 changing lines).

I have begun to read those with the same principle as receiving an entire hexagram unchanging: indicating a phase or step within the given hexagram that is going to hold true for an extended amount of time in the change process taking place.

I have noticed that when the sixth line is among those moving, (which should indicate the fulfillment of the hexagram's conditions, proceeding thence to the next), a lower line without movement in it in the case of 4 moving lines seems to indicate a skipped step in the natural order of things. Most oracle interpretation rules for more than three moving lines disregard the moving lines as irrelevant, but there seems to me great merit in considering the unchanging one to gain insight into where one might need to focus attention in a quickly-changing environment or conditions.

I haven't enough experience to know if I'm actually onto something with the rate of change idea.
I'd love to hear thoughts from the community about this! When you receiving more than 50% of the hexagram in motion, do you find that changes within the circumstances of your query is happening at a faster rate and vice versa when less than 50% of the hexagram lines are in motion?

 

[moss elk]

As I understand it on a very basic level, receiving a hexagram with unchanging lines indicates a situation or event that will hold true for an extended period of time.

Hi, Welcome to Clarity.
I don't think it is accurate to say that.
It's just a simpler answer, nothing more, nothing about duration.

And when all lines change, it's my personal practice to read the judgment and image of the next hexagram.

That is good, just don't forget to read the actual hexagram you received, because you did get the 1st hexagram.
You are missing important info if you skip the 1st hex.
(Because that is the actual hex you got.)

Most oracle interpretation rules for more than three moving lines disregard the moving lines as irrelevant, but there seems to me great merit in considering the unchanging one to gain insight into where one might need to focus attention in a quickly-changing environment or conditions

So,
If you ignore any changing lines, you are ignoring vital information pertaining to your question.
Yes, simple is nice. Easy to understand is nice. But, life and situations are not always simple. The multiple changing lines tell a story, and if you skip one, you are getting an incomplete story. Experience has shown me this.

When you receiving more than 50% of the hexagram in motion, do you find that changes within the circumstances of your query is happening at a faster rate and vice versa when less than 50% of the hexagram lines are in motion?

I do not think this indicates anything about the speed of change.

Good luck with your studies.

 

[russell]

I see it more as the complexity of change, not the speed per se (although speed could be part of it).

In my opinion, the various rules for what to do when there are x number of lines are basically arbitrary. The moving lines are “the thing,” “what’s happening.” If all six are changing then there is a lot happening. The judgment of the base hexagram is there to set the theme, or give you a bird’s eye view. But if there are moving lines, they are what is actually important. The judgment of the transformed hexagram points in the direction of change, where is this all headed.

—Russell