A question for anyone that understands the I Ching

Hi, and welcome to the 14th Baktun, (or is it the 1st again?) doesn't it feel good to be alive?

Anyways, I have recently started doing some I Ching readings and would like to know if I got this straight.

To those who know a little about it, there are 2 readings to each hexagram , the first one which is supposed to be the current situation and then the second one which appears after changing lines (6 to 9, and viceversa) which is supposed to be the future if I take a positive stance (am I correct?)

I was curious after watching a video about Terence McKenna and his Timewave Zero and I Ching theories, and have to say that it's surprisingly helpful.
It just says things as they are, the simple truths about life and human psyche that we often forget, and even those who don't believe in divination like astrology, tarot, etc. can take something out of it because it makes you look within yourself, rather than giving you false hopes of good things to come or dire warnings of horrible things around the corner. Everything depends on how we perceive the world. Thats my take on it, anyways.

Now the real question, I keep getting the same reading twice! By this I mean, with every question I ask come different answers/hexagrams, but they never change, no changing lines, no 6s no 9s. The same reading for current situation and possible future.
All the questions I have asked are more or less about how to approach life in the next coming months, since I have had some unexpected news of things that will happen and from people who I thought were well in my past.
What should I take from this unchanging readings?
Does it mean I shouldn't expect any real change? Or is it telling me that I'm in the right track, that the future is already happening?

I wasn't sure of the forum to post this, please move if needed.

Thanks to any reply whatsoever.

reply to post by athousandlives


I dont know how to interpret your readings but to throw the same thing more than once is pretty incredible. I think theres like 64000 different combinations right? Sounds like a pretty powerful message is being sent to you so careful how you define it.

You could just follow your heart. I lean towards that being the best guide although learning to listen to it takes practice.

As far as Terrence goes, the fact that 2012 came and went throws out any of his ideas on what will happen on 12/21/2012. It doesnt however throw out the idea that the I Ching lines up with the great cycle defined by the Myans. Just wanted to throw that in.

What is the reading, exactly? Wordplay is a very important aspect of Chinese, particularly Classical Chinese (mainly because of the nature of Chinese characters) and if you show us the reading, who knows, there might be some wordplay-related symbolism inside.

I had that happen a few times with tarot cards. I have a deck that does some creepy things on occasion.

Once I was trying to pick a flight date for a trip to Italy. I was wavering between leaving on April 6 and April 7. Being the indecisive girl I am I decided to ask the cards.

I grabbed the deck, pulled a card at random, and pulled a 7. Well, that's an answer. I went back to the computer, but again being indecisive I did some more hemming and hawing, and still not feeling certain I went back and pulled another card.

7 again.

Now you'd think I would just go with it at this point but no (did I mention I am indecisive?) So I thought, "OK one more time, the magic of 3 and then I'll KNOW for certain that the 7 is the right date.

I pulled another card at random and this time I got The Fool. I finally got the message. (And it was a great trip!)

My advice is listen when being spoken to. (BTW which combination did you get?)

reply to post by Mike.Ockizard

Yes, its pretty crazy, what are the chances?
thanks for your reply, I will reflect more on these readings.

I wasn't really surprised to see nothing happen, haha, but who knows, maybe at a subconscious level there is something going on? I for one have felt weirdly positive the last few weeks, normally I would just delve into my depressive thoughts.

cheers

The cast hexagram expresses the present energetic dynamic relative to the situation in question. The natural evolution of this energy is expressed by the second hexagram. The changing lines indicate influential dynamics of the situation relative to the questioner.
To me, a non changing hex points to a static situation in a dynamic ever changing system. So the oracle may be inferring to me that I need to adjust my outlook to re-instill a 'flow' where energies are blocked, prevented from moving forward.
Sometimes for me, the oracle will ignore questions more specifically, and answer, say, not the question my mind is asking, but the question my soul needs answered.
Being that you are so impressed by a pattern across all of your readings, perhaps this Wise Oracle is speaking to you on a more general level.
The funny thing is, the only meaning it has, is what it means to you.

That is not easy to answer straightforwardly.

Very interesting, indeed, that there are never any changing lines for your questions.


6 or 9 means that the specific line is going to change, or is prone to change into the exact opposite. So a ying is becoming a yang, vice versa. So, for the future,a the according trigram (and hexagram) is changing into a new one. This means change indeed. A noticable change.
But within the tri- and hexagrams themselves can be change as well. It alle depends on how you pose the questions.

Questions, as on how to approach life, the coming months, are pretty vague questions. In my opinion it's only logical that a more linear answer will come forth, because it cannot 'assume' a change on nothing specific. (you understand?? )

Maybe if you ask questions like: "What is my roll in a specific item, or with that person?" or "If I handle this, this way (or that), what does this mean for me?"

Just fiddle around a bit more with the way you ask questions.

My book says: "All questions about your doubts are good. As well as all your life questions in particular. do not ask questions about physical aspects of an illness for that implies a deep knowledge of the I-Ching. also be sure you are in a relaxed awake state of mind, because if you are nervous or excited, you will only get answers about the nervousness or excitement.."

In conclusion: Yes, it can mean that it is all steady without change, or maybe a lot will change when you keep on going steadily. Only you can answer these questions, by what the I Ching tells you personally and how that resonates with you.

Good luck!

Maybe i didnt explain correctly, im sorry, I asked three or four questions this morning on this subject and got different hexagrams for each one, but while on all other unrelated questions I ask I get a second different reading after changing the 'changing lines' (the future outcome), on these particular questions there is no second reading since there are no changing lines.

First I asked how to approach this situation (this person coming back into my life.... ok, its an ex )
and got 61, Inner Truth, with the same reading twice.
That led me to ask how do I learn to forgive and let go of the past, which I got 45, Gathering Together, again same double reading.
Another question I asked what should I meditate on, what should I take into account the next month in order to be at peace with myself and with this person, and got 24, Return. Also no second meaning.

Its just weird that this specific aspect of my life gets no 2nd outcome, no other way to look at things.

1. what method do you use to generate the hexagram?

2. I did a quick reading regarding you. Got hexagram 5 "calculated waiting" no changing lines. Maybe patience is required of you.

reply to post by CriticalMess


Thanks!
I will try and reformulate the questions in a more specific way.

reply to post by BlueMule


1. I use the old 3 coin method.

2. Not surprising! Patience is one of the virtues I have more trouble with!

You could try this or a similar site:

www.ichingonline.net...

I know nothing about the Yi Jing, but, like most literate Chinese, understand some Classical Chinese. Might this help?

King Wen of Zhou's explanation of 61 is:

中孚。豚魚，吉。利涉大川，利貞。

which translates to:

Piglet and fish . Lucky. Good at walking across rivers and keeping to the side of justice.

45 is a lot trickier and I had to rely on the Vernacular Chinese translation:

萃。亨。王假有廟，利見大人。亨利貞，用大牲吉。利有攸往。

Successful. King goes to temple, good for seeing government official. Successful and favourable for righteousness. It is lucky to use big livestock [as sacrifice]. Favourable for long journeys.

24 is:

復。亨。出入无疾，朋來无咎。反復其道，七日來復。利有攸往。

Successful. Not fast when entering or exiting. No blame when friends come. [The universe] keeps repeating its 'path' [dao/tao], comes back after seven days. Favourable for long journeys.

Can you relate to any of that?

reply to post by diqiushiwojia


cool, thanks for that, I'll think about these meanings. The last one surely does ring a bell "No blame when friends come. [The universe] keeps repeating its 'path' [dao/tao]"
So should I sacrifice a cow like number 45 says? Just kidding.
cheers

OK. I'll give you my interpretation of your first hexagram, since you so kindly gave a little bit more context..

First of all you have to realize that the I-Ching gives you a response on your soul level. That means nothing more than that is does not give you an answer which is interpretable with your brain, your cognition.'

61. the first trigram (lower one) is "lake". It stands for everything that is new, exciting and refreshing. It is what gives your inner being a sense of refrshing new hope. Something to anticipate, a bedding for some new paths in life, something that one does not doubt, it just feels good and eagerness to start it. It is like first love, without any doubt about anything.
The upper trigram is "wind". It stands for motherly feelings and a motherly archetype. It's caring and sturdy, protective and devoted. It's a sense of completion and a safe haven.

Every line from the lower towards the upper is a progression. This is chronological. But it doesn't mean pers se that it is from now on, it can also already been completed.

So interpretating this question regarding your ex, I-Ching says this: In the beginning there is instant love and excitement, youthlike and it progresses into an embedded love, a cherised love, a matured love.
That there are no changing lines, means that this is the story as it is. It's love and it matures. Or it was love and it matured.
You are somewhere along that time line. At either point. You, yourself, know exactly, in your soul, where you are. You can wish for everything you want, but you still are somewhere along that line. So you can cherish it for what it is, or you can't. That is a question for the ego.

I know you are eager for a second outcome, or at least curious why there doesn't seem to be one. But really, this is what it is.

So personally, I think I-Ching is saying: accept that you two already have something solid going on. A deep trust in each other; a safe haven. (Accepting something requires that there is NO change; it requires standing still and taking everything in that is.)
It's a really archetypical hexagram: from an uninhibited curious child to a loving and caring mother.

So, what's next? Nothing is next untill you accept the above. Once you have acknowledged this fully, only then you can ask a new question about where it may lead to..

----

Well, I hope this helped to get you a better kickstart into interpretating the I-Ching. Mind you, that fully understanding the I-Ching requires life time studying. It's not an exact science. It's science of the soul. I always try to follow my heart in it's teachings and i am convinced that that is the only way!

Good luck on your endeavours!

Originally posted by CriticalMessWell, I hope this helped to get you a better kickstart into interpretating the I-Ching. Mind you, that fully understanding the I-Ching requires life time studying. It's not an exact science. It's science of the soul.

I always try to follow my heart in it's teachings and i am convinced that that is the only way!

I'm new here so I'm not sure if throwing out related trivia is allowed (please delete this post if it isn't, mods...). Confucius once said (this is a real Confucius quote) that if his life could be lengthened, he'd spend 50 years studying the Yi Jing.

reply to post by CriticalMess


wow that was beautifully put, thanks!
It rings a bell with what i feel inside, and i guess thats the important part