Excuse me but I asked the I ching for insight into if i was a bad person.... i've just left a very bad volitile unhealthy relationship and took my very young daughter with me to protect her (her being in my custody has been legally sanctioned). No one knew what was happening, almost everyone has stepped away from me... i'm left wondering if the 'badness' is me. Patetically maudlin question but my want to understand what's happening & why is sincere. I want my daughter to grow up happy, respectful (of herself and others ), aware of the joy & light all around her... Any insights gratefully appreciated.

Hi Fraggle,

Could you tell us what your reading was?

38 > 54 sorry - no idea what i'm doing... don't need an iching reading to tell me that! Still very interested in an interpretation of the hexagram that came up if you have time Liselle. Thank you so much x

Well you're in the right place for learning what you're doing - Hilary has a whole "Learn the I Ching" section as you may have already noticed.

38.6 > 54

Opposing's Marrying Maiden... 38, Opposing, can be about things like feeling someone or something is completely foreign to you, from another planet as Hilary often puts it.

54, The Marrying Maiden, is about things like being in a subordinate position where you don't have a lot of control or influence, perhaps where you're not a priority, but having to make a life for yourself anyway.

"Everyone has stepped away from me" - that sounds like 38 to me, are you wondering if all this is happening because everyone thinks you are an alien, someone they don't want to associate with?

Your moving line is 38.6 -
"Opposed, alone.
Seeing pigs covered in muck,
The chariot loaded with devils.
At first drawing the bow,
Then relaxing the bow.
Not robbers at all, but matrimonial allies.
Going on meets the rain, and so there is good fortune.

I think this line is reassuring. The beginning seems like a description of how you feel, and then maybe you're "drawing the bow" against yourself, wondering if it's all your fault and whether you're a bad person. I think Yi says no, you're not - put down the weapon, don't punish yourself. "Going on meets the rain" - I think this means to meet your problems, do what you have to do - which is what you're doing - and then Yi says, "good fortune."

"Not robbers at all, but matrimonial allies" - that part is tricky, I don't know what it means. What is says is that what you think of as "robbers" are actually "allies". I think that's reassuring - it might mean that your negative perception of yourself, and maybe the reaction you're getting from other people, won't actually hurt you or take anything away from you. I have no idea how it's an ally, though. Maybe that will become clear to you later on.

Thank you so very much! Absolutely fascinating x