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61.4 Death

galatea11

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Greetings,

Last year I fostered two adorable white kittens while I had them neutered/vaccinated. With some reservation I returned them to the street where they were born because neighbors very much wanted the kittens to remain there and had fixed up a nice spot for them on the front porch of a large Victorian house. In reality, I could not have kept the kittens at my place because I live in a studio and already have two adult cats. These two kittens (like twin white angels) had an absolutely amazing bond to one another and it seemed unthinkable to separate them to live in different homes.

Each morning I consult the I Ching for general wisdom. Yesterday I received 61.1.4>6. Immediately I thought of the kittens when I saw translations of line 4. Found these at James DeKorne's site:

Wu: The moon is almost full. One horse of a pair is lost. No blame.

Legge: The fourth line, magnetic, shows its subject like the moon nearly full, and like a horse pulling a chariot whose fellow disappears. There will be no error.

Shaughnessy: The moon is past full; the horse will necessarily be lost; there is no trouble.

Cleary (2): The moon is almost full. When the horse’s mate disappears, there is no fault.

Today shortly after noon I received word that one of the kittens, Fidel (short for Spanish fidelidad because of his loyalty to his littermate), had been struck by a car and killed. I have now delivered beloved Fidel's remains for cremation and brought his brother home with me.

My mind keeps traveling to 61.4. Has anyone else ever experienced this line as a prediction of death? Thanks in advance for any information/insight. It will be much appreciated.
 

Liselle

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I don't believe I have, but I'm terribly sorry to hear what happened to Fidel. Bless you for taking such good care of his brother. Was there any resistance to you taking the second kitten home with you? I wonder if 61.1 meant take no heed of it, and do exactly what you did.
 

galatea11

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Hi Liselle,

Thanks so much for your kind, supportive words. Last night I wrote a response to you but my paragraph was mysteriously deleted as I tried to post it. No, I did not encounter resistance when I took the kitten yesterday but everyone was still shocked by his brother's passing. The two kittens had such an incredible bond - they seemed like one cat in two bodies, if that makes any sense at all. Kitten spent night in my large walk-in closet because he needs a new FIV test (scheduled for 8:30am today) before I can reintroduce him to my adult cats. Kitten seems to be adjusting to new environment but not necessarily grieving. He meowed through the closet door around 3:30am so I joined him while he purred, ate, rolled around on the floor and in my lap. Honestly, it feels like his brother is somehow still with him. While meditating last night I had the impulse to ask the I Ching how I should react to Fidel's passing, received 25.1.3.6>31 after tossing the coins. I will study the reading this morning. Thank you again for your response, Liselle. It helps a lot to share the episode with someone.
 

Olga Super Star

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Wow, that is amazing! :eek:
So the future is written in a way. Unless of course we step in to change things.

I am wondering.. Had you thought of the possible connection to the cats and moved them somewhere, maybe things would have gone differently?

Death comes up in several ways, I once read that a terminally ill person got 26.6 as a response "Is this heaven's highway? Creating success"
So death is not always seen in a negative way by the Book ;)

How should I react to the cat's passing? 25.1.3.6>31
You feel emotions and attachment to him yet it seems that something good may even come out of this? (25.3). But then 25.6 is not so good and I'm still confused when I get mismatching lines :D
 

galatea11

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Hi Olga,

Thank you for your response and interpretations. I have always wondered if I did the right thing by letting them live outdoors as community cats although, I should say, numerous neighbors were included in this decision too. When I received 61.4 I did think immediately of the kittens but did not consider moving them because:

a) Part of me doubted my instincts. I tend to be a chronic worrier although I'm trying to stop that.
b) The inclusion of phrases like "there is no fault", "there is no trouble", "There will be no error.", "No blame." in 61.4 seemed to imply that an act of fate was unfolding even though I had no idea then that one of them would get hit by a car.

When I transported Fidel's remains I promised his spirit that I would take the best care of his brother that I can. Crying as I type this. Brother kitten is sleeping in my closet right now. He visited vet this morning and has been purring, eating, napping. When I pet him it feels like his brother is with him. It's hard to explain, haven't really sorted it out. I do wonder if I should have handled some things differently. I gave Fidel his name (short for fidelidad) at the spay and neuter clinic because of his loyalty to his brother. They really did seem like one cat in two bodies. Maybe they are still together in some type of way that humans can't really understand? I don't know, but I do know that I will always love Fidel and will give his brother the best home that I can. Thank you again for replying. It really helps to discuss this.

Incidentally, I volunteer for a hospice organization and visit my patients on a weekly basis. In general I tend not to view death in a negative light. For some reason I handle human death much better than deaths of any other species.
 
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Liselle

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One thing I can think of about the new reading, line 3 in particular, is that "Travelling people’s gain, Townspeople’s disaster" might mean the second kitten, the one who has "travelled" because of this, will be better off now. It's a disaster for the "townspeople" - the ones committed to staying in one place. That probably means Fidel, unfortunately, but maybe it also means the neighbors who didn't want them to leave. The shock of what happened to Fidel seems to have caused them to change their minds, or at least allow you to take him.

I mean, I think I can understand, a little bit - they loved the kittens, too, in their own way. It's very difficult when what's best for someone is a loss to others who love him. "If you love something, let it go" sounds good, until you have to apply it. Then it's hard.

As for line 6, I don't know what Yi's trying to say, but if it's yelling at you, phooey. There's only so much you can do when you have opposition and you're only one person. I do think 25 is good advice, as much as possible. Try to disentangle or detach from Fidel, and concentrate on loving kitten no. 2 as you obviously do. Look how happy he is with you! He was happy with his brother, but he's happy now, too. :hug: Maybe 31 means to let that influence you and help you detach? That won't be entirely possible, but maybe a little bit at a time?

What is kitten no. 2's name?
 

Olga Super Star

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Hi Olga,

Thank you for your response and interpretations. I have always wondered if I did the right thing by letting them live outdoors as community cats although, I should say, numerous neighbors were included in this decision too.
I probably didn't make myself clear. I was not accusing you of not caring about the cats. I was jsut wondering whether things would have been different in case you had moved the cats or done anything else that looked like an 'intervention' on the world. I am wondering whether this "prediction" would have blown up in the air or if it would have been incarnated any way.
 

galatea11

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Thank you for your additional comments, Liselle and Olga. I really appreciate them.

Liselle, I believe you helped me right from the start of the Fidel saga: https://www.onlineclarity.co.uk/friends/showthread.php?22772-Stray-Kitten-Hexagram-12-Unchanging

Fidel actually sent me to urgent care upon our first meeting. I had tried to get him off the street by zipping him into a carrier, not realizing that he had a twin brother lurking underneath the same parked car. When twin was later discovered most people, including me, thought twin was a girl because Fidel was so devoted to protecting his sibling. I have a long history with finding/adopting stray animals and often name them for the street where I found them. Fidel's twin is named Cinco (Spanish for "five") since I encountered the kitties on 5th Street. Liselle, I have never been able to disengage from my loved animals after they pass - instead I embrace them in a different way. Fidel and Cinco were identical white kittens except for the fact that Fidel had one crystal blue eye and one gold eye. Cinco has two gold eyes. For the past few days I have been wearing a light blue crystal pendant in honor of Fidel and focusing on caring for his brother as best I can. Your comments on 25 reading make sense and I will ponder them more. 25 seems an especially complex hexagram.

Olga, I understood what you were saying in your previous post - think I was just sort of typing as I was thinking when I responded. There's a fantastic Joan Leslie film from 1947, Repeat Performance, in which leading lady moves Heaven and Earth to change the course of events on one pivotal night in her life. Turns out that she could not thwart fate. I don't know for sure if 61.4 was a forewarning about Fidel, but if it was... numerous translations of line 4 seem to suggest that something predestined was about to unfold and there was nothing I could do to change it. My mind keeps returning to:

Wu: The moon is almost full. One horse of a pair is lost. No blame.

Then in the next moment I wonder if I'm trying to assuage my guilty conscience and wonder if I should have handled things differently.

On a brighter note, Cinco just took his first dose of medication like a champ. Turns out he has Giardia but it should clear up in about a week.
 
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rosada

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I have seen hexagram 61.4 to mean some one leaving a situation because they choose to. For example someone dropping out of a club in high school to get a job. The club members felt the loss but they didn't blame their friend for taking the job which was a unique opportunity.
 
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Liselle

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Good boy, Cinco! (If he keeps being a medicine-taking champ, I might have to use him as an example with my own cats, ahem.)
 

galatea11

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Thanks, Rosada. Read something once - may have been here on this site - that certain groups of animals may share a collective soul. White cats seem like a unique group unto themselves. Don't want to get too "far out" here - almost wonder if I should type this - but notion has hit me that Fidel's passing did ensure that Cinco was taken off the street. Every time I pet Cinco it feels like Fidel is right there too. Strange, I know. Incidentally, Cinco appears to have a heart condition which will require further testing. Maybe Fidel always protected him because he sensed his brother was weaker. Thank you again for the comment. I will think on it further.

Just saw your comment, Liselle. I treated both Fidel and Cinco for Giardia and roundworms around the time they were neutered. They never seemed to identify medicine as being something different from food. However, this may change as Cinco grows into a pampered housecat :)
 

Liselle

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Don't want to get too "far out" here - almost wonder if I should type this - but notion has hit me that Fidel's passing did ensure that Cinco was taken off the street.
Yes...it's uncomfortable to think this, because it seems so unfair to Fidel, but it is true...

They never seemed to identify medicine as being something different from food. However, this may change as Cinco grows into a pampered housecat :)
Ha ha! My vet has said she thinks animals sometimes do understand that unpleasant things are good for them and that we're doing it to help them, but still - I generally have to sneak up on mine when they're half asleep, for things like medicine or teeth cleaning. They seem to have a sixth sense about when I'm approaching them for snuggles or play, or with ulterior motives!
 

galatea11

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Hi Liselle,

Yes, cats are very quick to sense ulterior motives. Sometimes I find myself repeating a mantra out loud when I try to administer medicine or wrestle an individual into his/her carrier. "All for the greater good. All for the greater good. All for the greater good.. " I hear myself saying, hoping that they do indeed believe me. Like your vet, I think they do;)
 

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