What now? 57.2.6 to 39

[LucieMac]

After an extraordinarily challenging couple of years I’m now coming out of lockdown in a bit of a daze with no clear idea of what I want to achieve and or even if “achievement” is something I want to shape my life around. It’s exactly a year since I got some really shocking news that upended all sorts of things that I thought were strong and stable. I have quite a lot of spare capacity and could start a new project or carry on with what I’m doing which is lots of small bitty things that I’m interested in and believe in and enjoy swapping between but leave me working on my own a lot with not much recognition of what I’m doing. My relationship has taken a battering but is now on solid ground and ready for some sort of new energy or perspective. I’m teetering on the edge of an empty nest and the menopause. So anything is possible and everything is up for grabs and my first question to the I Ching was very vague.
My reaction to the reading is that I recognise all sorts of things in it and it feels like a summary of the last couple of years but a very confusing guide to what to do now. Subtle penetration has certainly been my approach to lots of things including parenting, partnering, creative projects and working in the community. Then my changing lines say that I should have a clear out of what is “under the bed” (and I’ve certainly consulted a welter of counsellors and wise friends recently!) but also digging too deep or overthinking what is under there will bring misfortune. I recognise the push and pull between these two opposing dynamics. Then they take me to an obstruction I can’t overcome so I should go the other way. Or is that what I am bringing to the situation? It certainly seems different than the 57 approach of becoming mutually permeable with my environment which feels like my natural style. But then I read the article on here which suggests that 57 sometimes asks the question “Do you know your direction?”. I really don’t! That’s why I started looking at the I Ching.
I’m excited to try a better question and learn about some of the other hexagrams but I thought I would let this one soak in first.
Thanks for any insights!

 

[sunharmony]

Hi LucieMac,
I have also received this particular combination when asking what can I dooooooooo?

It looks like you really thought this hexagram through and I wonder how things have been going since July? Have you moved or persisted and found something to do that sustains you? Have the obstacles given you a push in the right direction or just been uncomfortable? Did you get help?
I hope 2021 is better and that you have a Happy New Year!

 

[LucieMac]

Hi Sunharmony,

Thanks for the timely reminder that getting really into the I Ching was a big part of the second half of last year and that, at some point around November the books got put on the bookshelf and other things took over. I've woken up with a big issue taking up a lot of brainspace and it hadn't occurred to me to ask the I Ching about it until seeing your message!

It was probably quite useful to be fairly directionless last year and just see what each day brought because any big plans would have come crashing down due to family illness and with Covid restrictions being unpredictable. I continued to get lots of help with looking under the bed on long walks with good friends and I've finally found a new craft to play with (I've dug out my Mum's old knitting machine and giant stock of wool). I've re-discovered a mode of playing and experimenting and being inspired by other people's work that my brain really thrives on. I'm suddenly fizzing with ideas and excitement to try them out and it's only possible to follow all the different interesting paths and diversions from them with no particular end-goal in mind because the rest of life has been a bit of a mulch for so long. And knowing that it is a massive privilege to be allowed to get that bored and shapeless helps with keeping going with the small bits of annoying and thankless community work that still need doing and that will hopefully keep those organisations going until they can open up and be useful and fruitful again.

I don't know if any of that helps you with your reading. If you're at all interested in gardening then it seems to me that my creativity and "oomph" had an extended fallow period where I left the soil to rest under a thick layer of straw and grass-clippings and now the microorganisms and worms have done their work and all the seeds that were hanging around waiting for the right conditions are bursting into life.