More I-Ching

I can't really think of much to blog about because I'm too busy worrying about what else I should be doing at every moment. So, to calm down, I am going to do some more I-Ching. Here is the reading for the question of "goals" I asked on November 3rd, while I was at work.



"The Receptive, which moves downward, stands above; the Creative, which moves upward, is below. Hence their influences meet and are in harmony, so that all living things bloom and prosper. This hexagram belongs to the first month (February-March), at which time the forces of nature prepare the new spring." ~ text from www.eclecticenergies.com

The hexigram's name is "Peace" and starting off, it is a comforting message to have regarding my goals. Harmony for blooming and prospering sounds great- especially since I have been battling to find time to be creative (a bad case of "Law and Order" addiction has not been helping). But blame for the TV aside, I think I am having "real issues deciding how to make money AND grow at the same time.

Now to throw my i-ching I use pennies. Heads are worth 2 and tails- 3. You start from the bottom line and throw six rounds of the 3 pennies. You can come up with a 6 (three heads), 7 (2 heads and a tail), 8 (2 tails and a head) or 9 (3 tails). Even numbers get a straight line and odds get the dotted line. If you're wondering why you need 4 numerical values to get either full lines or dotted, it has to do with 6's and 9's. When you get a 6 in one space (as opposed to an 8) you can also look at the character that has that space as the opposite character- for instance, my character 11- Peace, has a 6 in the third spot that can change the whole character to a 19. I guess it's supposed to signify that in that space there is tension that could cause the shift from character 11 to 19.

Do you hate math yet?
But this is why i-ching is great. Not only can you get one character worth of wisdom, but if you have 6's & 9's you get to explore entirely different options, and form links between the characters and their messages that can be molded into meaningful statements about your life.

So my 11 can turn to 19.
"No plain not followed by a slope.
No going not followed by a return.
He who remains persevering in danger
Is without blame.
Do not complain about this truth;
Enjoy the good fortune you still possess.

Everything on earth is subject to change. Prosperity is followed by decline: this is the eternal law on earth. Evil can indeed be held in check but not permanently abolished. It always returns. This conviction might induct melancholy, but it should not; it ought only to keep us from falling into illusion when good fortune comes to us. If we continue mindful of the danger, we remain persevering and make no mistakes. As long as a man's inner nature remains stronger and richer than anything offered by external fortune, as long as he remains inwardly superior to fate, fortune will not desert him."

"No plain not followed by a slope."
It'd make a great T-shirt.