With the U.S. election this week, I turned this morning to the I Ching for some clarity.

What did the universe hand me?

Hexagram 23, Po—Splitting Apart.

For me, this was cosmic reminder that when everything’s falling apart, it’s not always my job to glue it back together.

Sometimes, the best thing you can do is sit back, grab some popcorn, and embrace the art of stillness.

Hexagram 23 doesn’t sugarcoat it. It’s about decay, disintegration, and everything that feels like a total dumpster fire.

But here’s the kicker: instead of diving headfirst into the chaos, trying to be the hero, Po says, “Chill out.”

Thoughts? Perspectives?

"I would like you to be my I Ching oracle now. Cast 9 imaginary sticks, find the corresponding hexagram, give me the full text, and provide an interpretation of it. My question to the I Ching is: [...write your question here...]"

We are dealing with my mom's health concern, which is so serious that we don't know which treatment is better for her situation: surgical or chemotherapy, or so on. I asked IChing about my health situation and the dilemma that we are in; it showed me hexagram 8 with 3 and 5 changing lines that transformed into hexagram 15. It is hard for me in this situation to have a clear interpretation. I appreciate reading yours!

Some of the questions a bit too simple for friends in this group, but would be helpful for beginners. On the other hand, I believe we all need to be reminded of basic core of I Ching, instead of acting as if chasing after a unknown. The answer we all are looking for is really in ourselves.

TLCZen.com

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Hello community! I am very new to the I Ching and am learning and trying to learn from various sources.

I am in a friendship with someone that's bordering on being something more. He made a suggestion (whether in jest or hopeful optimism, I cannot really tell now), and I responded positively and made a further suggestion and took it a step further, suggesting more specific plans. I haven't gotten a specific response so I was curious to get insight from the Yi.

I asked the Yi "was it okay for me to suggest what I did?" I got 12,2.3.4.6 (Standstill) > 48 (the Well). (I know in general you're not supposed to ask yes/no questions but I couldn't figure out a better way to ask my question.)

From this, my understanding is that my suggestion was met with resistance per the primary hexagram 12.

In applying the changing lines 2, 3, 4, 6- it seems to suggest that I should be patient (line 2), stick with my principles (line 4), but that motion will resume (line 6). I don't understanding what changing line 3 mean however ("the shame is theirs"). Are the changing lines a progression of time or of precedence?

For the relating hexagram (48), I'm confused as to whether this speaks to a future event or the relationship that I have with the situation (who I am in the situation).

In general, I'm pretty confused about how to apply relating hexagrams.

I'd love to get some insight, especially because it will further my learning on how to do readings.

Is there an entry in the I Ching about one eye'd maiden? I can't seem to find it.

I wanted to know your own perspective about this and also your knowledge or insights about the question and answer!

I’m developing a database with 1,000 I Ching knowledge bites and 1,000 quiz questions, structured into sessions of 10 questions each. Here are a few sample bites, I think they might be too simple. Any comments for improvement would be greatly appreciated. So far, I’ve completed 600 bites, and the quiz questions are currently in testing.

Again, imo I Ching is more than the hexagrams. Once we understand and have its core value in our consciousness, divination becomes a part of our dailly life.

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I own a physical copy from Wilhelm & Baynes, but times and times again I find myself having trouble interpreting the Judgements and Images, because the translation itself is too ambiguous. This forces me to almost completely rely on Wilhelm's commentary in such cases.

Whenever this happens I refer to the PDF of Bradford Hatcher translation, which seems to have much more clear wording IMO especially regarding the text itself (Maybe because it's direct English translation and not a translation of a German translation). It also includes a list of keywords for each hexagram to simply and quickly flash out its core ideas and associations, which helps to really grasp the intended meaning.

The only reason I'm using Wilhelm & Baynes is because it's not practical to boot up my laptop every time I want to ask something. Is there a physical copy somewhere out there?

Hi, I have had a relationship with someone and I’m not sure whether to stay in the relationship or maybe work towards a separation.

I got Hexagram 37 with changing lines 1,4,6 changing into hexagram 31. I’m having trouble as this hexagram seems to have slightly different meanings from what I’m reading online for these changing lines. Hoping someone can provide guidance and insight.

"There is a story which I have used before and shall use again: A man wanted to know about mind, not in nature, but in his private large computer. He asked it (no doubt in his best Fortran), 'Do you compute that you will ever think like a human being?' The machine then set to work to analyze its own computational habits. Finally, the machine printed its answer on a piece of paper, as such machines do. The man ran to get the answer and found, neatly typed, the words:

...

THAT REMINDS ME OF A STORY

...

A story is a little knot or complex of that species of connectedness which we call relevance."

--Gregory Bateson, Mind and Nature (1979)

...

Relevance in connection is central to mantic practices, whether one believes in them or not. Contemporary philosopher Harald Atmanspacher proposes relevance as the connecting principle underlying awareness and the material, plausible perhaps to anyone who has experienced a momentary flash of insight in a reading.

Question asked what what the could be effect on my career of a secret unfinished project I've been working on in be I present it to the higher ups in the company. Trouble is that its not technically in my purview but I've been recently promoted and have a pretty clear vision of how this could turn around a presently disorganized situation that everyones been struggling with.

I got Li (30) with the first coin toss a changing Line (Li->Ken). 30.1 Or Fire changing to Wanderer. Ken seems like it could be a warning. Mean either going places or getting lost? Those experienced please offer your honest interpration, not necessarily what I want to hear. It seems to imply that the first step should be taken carefully but could take me places/have the desired effect?

Hi, looking for most interesting and captivating titles

Maybe two traditional books and two some Unique point of view on I-Ching, will be very happy for any help

Thanks!

I've been navigating the dissolution of an important relationship over the last few months, and yesterday I determined that the situation had reached a stalemate and it was time to really let it go. I decided to close the door in my mind, and began work toward imagining a future without this person in it. For my daily reading today, I got 23 with changing line 4. James DeKorne's interpretation of this notorious line is "you are destroying the Work".

I use the I Ching for self-developmental purposes, so this is was an alarming reading to receive just when I felt I was making real progress. (Notably, line 4 changes to Progress...) I have been torn over how to proceed with this relationship (reach out and apologize, or continue to wait for the apology I feel I am owed?), and I know that whatever I decide to do will have enduring and powerful consequences for both my inner and outer life. I have not been able to determine where the growth edge actually is–practice humility and initiate communication again, or continue to stand with my Self? Do I need to allow for this maximum destruction in order to move forward, or is this my last chance to resolve the situation? I know from experience that what feels right is not always in service of long term development, so I mistrustful of even my own perceptions here...

Any objective insights would be appreciated. Thanks!

I consult the iching pretty regularly and enjoy and usually understand it's answers.

Tonight I asked perhaps the most direct question ever:

What did it think about me doing a book project in 2025?

(In my niche industry I've had a lot of success in the past 20 years; and many requests to do a book. Finally I've created space and time in 2025 to do this...with that said, I've not been sure that my heart was in it. I like the idea of it since I want to close the chapter on this particular area of my work and move on. Doing the book felt like it might help do that (closure) also potentially help me make some money while I figured out the next phase of my work.

Anyway. This answer was sort of confusing to interpret. Any ideas, I would be most appreciative!

This is my third time using iching and I want to be certain I'm using changing lines correctly. Using coins, my sequence was

222 333 333 332 322 322

Which I am interpreting as 57 changing into 42. The question was: "On what base should I build my practice?" Regretted the framing of the question as I did my first throw but kept my intention in mind and finished. It makes sense but reading the individual lines in Wilhelm is a bit confusing.

Questions:

Did the 6 "change" into a 9 or 7? Did those 9s change to to an 8 or a 6? Presumably a changing line cannot change into a changing line so 6 changes to 7 but 9 changes to 8? I feel obtuse.

Hexagram 1 is present, hex 2 is future, correct?

When I am reading individual lines, what is the significance of the rectangles/circles? If I am understanding Wilhelm properly, only the changing lines from hex 1 are used.

Thank you for any help you can provide.

At the beginning of the summer I broke up with a guy because I found out he was lying to me about a whole series of things and was essentially not at all the guy he presented himself as. The situation was heartbreaking for me but I've been doing a lot better, although last night I saw him at a sports game I attended (we didn't interact) and now my emotions have been stirred up again today.

I did an I Ching reading on the situation and got 55.1.2.3.6 to 64. I don't really understand how the context applies here and would appreciate any insight as to what this reading entails

2 sides of a coin. 3 coins.

Each side of a coin is assigned value of 2 or 3.

2 x 3 = 6 throws - the number of lines forming a hexagram.

Hexagram is composed of 2 trigrams, each of 3 lines.

There are 2^(3) possible combinations forming the 8 trigrams, therefore 2^(3) x 2^(3) possible hexagram combinations. Okay that's maybe a bit of a stretch.

I love I Ching for details like this. Have you guys noticed this? I'm sure some of you have :D it's not rocket science after all.

Let me know your thoughts in a comment ;)

I consulted the oracle on the worth of the My Ching software using the 16 token method. I received 51 > 16. In Karcher's translation this is Shake/Rousing changing to Providing for/Riding the Elephant, with a change on the first/initial line.

The Scholar Speaks

The hexagram figure shows repeated shocks that stirs things up. Reiterating thunder. Re-imagine your situation. Nothing is better for putting a great idea into action then being the first child of thunder.

Change on the first line

Initial Nine

Anxiety over blessing, it will soon be there. A profound shock. Everything is turned upside-down. But the anxiety soon turns to joy in a burst of creative energy. Let it move you. The way is open.

Journal entry image

I've just started using the I Ching earlier this year, so I'm a bit confused as to how I should resolve this seemingly contradictory answer. I'm using the benebell wen translation, if that helps.

I'm interviewing for a supervisor position at my job in a week, so I asked what my career path will look like if I take this job. My result was Hexagram 26, Cultivate the Supreme, with the first line changing. The transformed Hexagram was 18, Decay. Below are the translated hexagram and line statements from my copy:

26. Study the words and deeds of the great and wise before you; that way you can build and develop your virtue. Do not eat meals from home. It is auspicious to cross the great stream. A promising omen for the undertaking. Advantageous for you to proceed on the endeavor.

26 Line 1. There is danger ahead. It is advantageous for you to desist.

18. The sage uplifts the people by teaching them the ways of virtue. Auspicious to cross the great stream. You will need three days before the critical point, and three days after for the endeavor to be a success.

18 Line 1. The father's work is decaying. There's an heir. Assured, there is no blame. The whetstone comes to the end of its life - auspicious for the future to come; prosperity and great fortune.

That first line of 26 seems to suggest that it's better not to move forward, but every other part of this interpretation seems to be in favor. Maybe it's a high risk, high reward situation in which I'll have to deal with challenges in order to reach ultimate success.

What are your thoughts? How do you square these?

I met somebody online and after a while of texting we went for coffee. I really liked him but I think I probably didn't show it at all. I texted him the next day that I'd love to talk to him again and we continued texting, he proposed meeting at some point in the future, I agreed but maybe it seemed just polite because I didn't follow up with a "when". The conversation kind of faded out and at first I thought he lost interest, but maybe it was also my fault, I can never tell. He is now very busy and travelling for work anyways, but it was a few weeks of never missing out a day of texting coming to a stop. So I asked the I ching of what is the potential of this man as a husband and got 32.1 --> 34. Then I asked how should I behave towards him and got 13.1 --> 33.

What are your thoughts on these? I think I understand the first one as me being a bit premature. And the second ... that maybe I should make a move and then step back, to see what happens?

Hello!

I have started consulting the I Ching a little while ago, and am still quite new to it.

I have presented a series of inquiries over the last several days; after today's, I get the feeling that a deeper overall understanding may, or may not, be gained, by considering how some general inquiries and some specific inquiries may be connected to one another. I consulted almost daily, and it was once per day. There are a few other readings I am not including, as they were about specific events or situations, and I do not feel as though they are relevant; I understand some of the implications of taking such a stance.

I will do my best to keep information concise and present my own thoughts afterward.

I will present them chronologically, OLDEST (several days ago) to NEWEST (today); I have been using the eight coin magic technique outlined by Alfred Huang in "The Complete I Ching", which guarantees a moving line.

~~~~~

Inquiry: What stage of development am I in?

Result: Hexagram 2, "Kun" (Responding) - Earth over Earth

Moving line: Second six - Responding alternates to Multitude (7)

Thought: I asked this as a general question with no expectations. I have gone through many changes this year, and, recently, have committed to certain things to keep moving forward - healing-wise, career-wise, fitness-wise, the list goes on.

~~~~~

Inquiry: What path am I currently on?

Result: Hexagram 42, "Yi" (Increasing) - Wind over Thunder

Moving line: Second six - Increasing alternates to Innermost Sincerity (61)

Thought: I asked this as a general question with no expectations. I have experienced a period of "decreasing", in one form or another, over the last several months, perhaps longer. The interpretation that "one in this position is able to obtain great benefits" feels accurate; I have a wealth of information and opportunities at my disposal.

~~~~~

Inquiry: How would pursuing romance affect me right now?

Result: Hexagram 59, "Huan" (Dispersing) - Wind over Water

Moving line: Second nine - Dispersing alternates to Watching (20)

Thought, as well as relevant personal info: It has been five years since my last serious relationship, and three years since I engaged in intimate/sexual contact with someone else. I stopped consuming pornography early this year, and am still healing things regarding masturbation, sex, my genitalia, romance, so on. I am in an important period of development; a crucial period; but, I am also suddenly engaging in far more social activity, and meeting far more people, than I ever have before in my adult life. I am regularly going to meetups, heading to the bouldering gym, so on, and have made several acquaintances that I have latent attraction to. I have a long history of fantasizing and engaging with mind constructs surrounding romance; I understand these habits stem from deeper things that need to be healed, which I am working towards. Keeping all of this in mind...it is not healthy to go without such things for so long as a layperson. I would like to kiss someone, and hold someone, and so on. I understand so many more things now - about myself, about interpersonal dynamics, about attachment, about enmeshment, about boundaries, about healthy communication, so on - and while I have not met someone I would like to pursue seriously, I think some mindful dating could be - could be - beneficial. I will stop here with personal thoughts. Regarding the moving line: I need help interpreting this in the larger context, as there are too many threads I could pursue.

~~~~~

Inquiry: What would happen if I stopped caring about romance right now and just accepted life as it came?

Result: Hexagram 23, "Bo" (Falling Away) - Mountain over Earth

Moving line: Fourth six - Falling Away alternates to Proceeding Forward

Thought: "If the situation does not change, there will be misfortune"...please help me understand what is being communicated here. I posited that I should turn away from romance entirely right now, as simply dwelling and being open to it in the fashion that I currently am could exert a destructive pressure on the other things I am working on; I figured that, in a pragmatic sense, I could wait awhile, and after doing some more healing/work/building/so on, I could be more open to it. I have no idea how to receive this reading as a result.

~~~~~

Conclusion, and final thoughts: truly, I would appreciate assistance in understanding this. Shall I step away from romantic pursuits entirely right now, as they are a significant threat to my personal development and healing? Shall I engage in some romantic pursuits while adhering to my morals, ethics, and values, while keeping their importance in the correct place? What needs to change? What is the source of the misfortune? If I am in a stage of development where I am Responding (all Yin) - if I am on a path of Increasing (and obtaining benefits) - if I am at a place where I need to hurry and rescue a situation, act in accord with timing, Dispersing - and if I stopped pursuing romance completely, which would lead to Falling Away....

I believe, at this point, the view of a third party would be helpful; I am now informing my interpretation too much with personal desire and biases, and it is clouding my vision.

Any assistance would be appreciated, and questions are welcome.

Thank you for your time 🙏🏽

Has anyone tried out the journaling app My Ching for PC ? What are your thoughts on it ?

My question was: "What energies should I cultivate in order to move towards non-judgment and compassion towards self and other over the fall?"

I cast this on 9/29 and received 17, Lake above Thunder, interpreted as "Following" or "According With" or perhaps "Accompanying Amiably." No changing lines. Below are some of the ways my interpretation has unfolded over the last month. It comes straight from my notebook so there may be repetition and rambling. I am open to alternative translations as well as any tips on interpretations.

Sep 29

Yang is underneath yin in both trigrams, as well as the hexagram itself: Lake, as the youngest daughter, leading Thunder, the eldest son. The radiant qualities of joy and humility lead, and I follow. Thunder (Quake) is enormous yang energy within, uniting with (or subsumed under, or perhaps muted by) the yin tranquility of Lake without.

Underlying the question is the assumption that compassion and non-judgement are worth cultivating, and there is an intent to loosen the conditioning and ignorance that generates judgements as opposed to mindful observation or compassionate understanding. Thus the implied question may be, "How can I create mindful space, where judgemental thoughts can be seen and observed and be diminished, evaporated or replaced with loving thoughts?"

From Huang's translation of the Decision: "The firm comes and places itself under the yielding. / Moving with delight, it is Following." This implies intentional action: as the firm arrives, it places itself under the yielding: the firm has much to learn from the yielding. Perhaps the firm represents aggressive/defensive/reactive judgments, acting from division rather than holism.

From the commentary: "In correspondence with Following, the superior person withdraws for rest when the sun goes down." Timing and rest--what do these have to do with deconditioning and non-judgment? Is this again pointing to mindfulness and flowing with the Tao? Perhaps it is just to create spaciousness through meditation and yoga practice to skilfully listen to the intuition, which is naturally more compassionate than the intellect.

The host is the solid line at 1: humility, submission, strong submitting to weak and thereby creating harmony and delight. Maybe this indicates the need for the judgemental side of my mind to give up its assumptions and need to be "right" and instead rest in harmony, love, and absence of judgment. "Accompanying amiably" the graceful living with uncertainty.

Oct 01

Line 5 is a yang line at a yang place and responds to the yin line at 2, so why is it not the host, with virtue emanating from it? Line 1 is not the host because he is to be followed, but because he represents the qualities of following: humbling the self, becoming a "man of the people." This translates to cultivating compassion as the more one can empathize and recognize the inherent value and virtue of everyone, the more the doors of compassion and empathy open.

For Huang, Line 2 has erred and followed the weaker Line 1: "Involved with little felllow, / Loses great person." Line 3, however, makes the right choice and follows the more mature and developed Line 4, thus "Involved with great person, / Loses little fellow. / Following, one gets what one seeks." This is about making not just the easy choice, but the right choice.

Line 4 counsels sincerity and truthfulness: "Act in accord with the right way. / Make the purpose evident"--this is satya : honesty, authenticity, not obscuring hidden agendas. In Jungian terms, this is the confrontation with the Shadow: not running away from what comes up from within--scrambling to bury it with guilt, shame, diversion, distraction, addiction. Line 4 has a follower in Line 3 but is also following 5. And both Line 4 and Line 5 are following Line 6, and since Line 5 is central and correct, he has made wise choices in who he follows. This all speaks quite simply to aligning with positive intention, sincerity, and faithfulness rather than conniving with designs of power, greed, etc.

Oct 02

Being honest with one's self and "following" the judgmental thought to its root in order to eradicate it. Negative and judgmental thoughts dwell in the unconscious, and are generally projections from one has denied within. No situation can Profit until one is able to adapt to it, follow it, go along with it. Rather than suppress it, see it. The thought is the ripples in the tranquil Lake bubbling up from the Quake below, disrupting the joy and creating agitation. Only by understanding the wrong thinking that creates the ripples can they cease. Once they've erupted, trying to smooth them out creates more agitation--this is an image from Alan Watts, trying to make water smooth with a flat iron. Notice them instead, follow the ripples back to the source of the disruption.

Line 1 counsels one to have exchanges beyond the gate: "Going out to communicate, there is good effect." This perhaps indicates exposing oneself to the experiences of others so as to cultivate compassion and non-judgment.

What is non-judgment if not stillness? Non-judgment is acceptance. To judge is to create boundaries, to categorize, to reify; then, to place the "thing" next to another "thing" and say one is better than the other--either the initially observed thing is better or it's worse. The alternative to judgment is the calm, joyous water of mindful observation. And this begins with observation of thought as it emerges and emanates.

Oct 03

Summarizing points so far:

• Yang following Yin. Learning to be led by learning to follow.
• This gua contains the four virtues of an emperor: initiative (yuan), prosperous (heng), favorable (li), steadfast (zheng). These qualities are to be consistently contemplates as guides to sincerity and knowing what to follow--there are many forces vying to have followers, and one must be attuned to these qualities as guides for discerning the direction to follow.
• "Accompanying amiably": the qualities of joy, humility, and delight. Giving up the grimness, pessimism and heaviness. Move into trust and compassion opens. There is still strength, firmness, and truthfulness within but this moves toward joyfulness, gratitude, humility, generosity, and gentleness. This is not a disingenous "toxic positivity" joyfulness but rather comes from the inner commitment to authenticity.
• Underlying the question is an approach to creating mindful space where judgmental and violent thoughts can be seen, observed, and diminished. Underlying this is a recognition that judgmental and violent thought is an "invasive species" cultivated by conditioning, which we accept ("agree to") out of fear and ignorance.
• Thunder is perhaps the eruption of the judgmental thought; it is rash, sudden, disruptive, and leaves lasting effects. It thus is placed under Lake, the yielding, the joyful, the giving. It learnes from Lake's placid, peaceful, calm, nourishing qualities.
• Still need to understand "the significance of timing" and "withdrawing for rest." The best guess here is to cultivate the qualities of mind conducive to seeing the Tao through yoga, meditation, and mindfulness.
• The host is the yang line at 1: the strong submitting, with humility, to the weak--recognize that submission and relinquishment of "being right" about my judgments promotes harmony. Recognize the limitation of our knowledge is a service of love. By humbling the self, one cultivates compassion. Non-compassionate (violent) thought emerges from self-centered, fearful, stagnant conditioning.
• Humility depends on Shadow work: honesty (satya) with who you are and where you're at. Staying grounded, honest, and realistic.
• This Shadow work and self-honesty is "following" the thought to its root. The judgmental, violent thought is a symptom or effect--the ripple on the pond from the Quake below--and we must avoid suppressing it, or ignoring the discomfort, or taking up some mindless distraction.
• Go "beyond the gate" --empathy is cultivated by exposure to others. Don't hide away, avoiding relationship, but create relationship with the intent of enhancing capacity for greater relationship.

Now moving into John Minford's translation. There is an interesting difference in their interpretation of Lines 2 and 3. The "little fellow" Huang identifies Line 2 to be following is Line 1, which is "little" compared to Line 5. Instead of seeing and responding to the great yang energy in Line 5, Line 2 looks to the nearby Line 1 which itself is seeking guidance and is tentative and perhaps deluded, or at least not in the right place. Minford, on the other hand, locates the "little boy" at Line 3 and the Great Man at Line 1. Line 2 follows Line 3 "in a spirit of weakness and ignorance." Then moving up to Line 3, for Huang the "great person" is the yang element in the fourth place, and the "little fellow" remains the yang element at 1, noting that Line 2 does not respond to Line 6 because they are both yin. For Minford, the "Great Man" is also Line 4 (which he characterizes as the "Great Yang of Others"), but the "little boy" here becomes Line 2, (which he deems to be the "petty Yin of Self").

For my situation, what is the "little boy?" This could be the Shadow or conditioned self--the short-sighted, egotistical, judgmental, violent, patriarchal, narrow-minded, angst-ridden, resentful, entitled child abiding within me. As one is "bound" to this way of perceiving the world--the labelling, judgemental, categorical, unjoyous, bitter ego, then the Great Man is lost, one remains a stunted little boy, kept in a fearful hole of unactualized potential.

Oct 04

It's interesting that although the Image of 17 is Following, there is quite a bit of counsel to be aware of whom or what you are following. Not the "little boy" of either false leaders, bogus culture, or your own tentative and conditioned past self. But there is following nonetheless, which imples some measure of submission: placing the Firm below Yielding. Now, there is a strong Yang energy here--Quake/Thunder, meaning intent, initiative, originating--but it is not resting in it's own supposed greatness, but rather "esteeming Others to be higher." By following Yin Stillness, one nurtures one's Yang Energy. Remember that there is Movement under Delight, thus there is not passivity or stillness within but dynamism. Joy is an outcome.

I also asked about having compassion for myself. In what ways do I judge and commit violence to myself? And how can this hexagram help me cease that? Creating Movement guided/motivated by Joy, what does that look like?

The hexagram image from Minford's Bronze Age oracle is "Pursuit." Being pursued? Or pursuing something myself? Either: just as the other encompasses both Following and being Followed. Is something chasing me, or do I need to chase something? Either way, it's auspicious: Supreme Fortune, Sacrifice Received. The hexagram contains Heng: something is given up, burned, offered to the divine in order to benefit the divinatory consultations, and Zheng indicates that the sacrifice is received: the grain is harvested, the fruit is eaten goodwill is generated, the divination is received and is Profitable. No Harm.

Looking at hexagram 51, which is Thunder above, Thunder below, this is fierce, sudden, astounding, disturbing, frightening, dangerous Movement. Thunder is a single yang line hidden beneath two yin lines--the force that must emerge, but is repressed; this can create a violent reaction! But in 17, the Inner Movement, if true and sincere, will be followed by an Outer Movement that is also true and sincere, and that is Stillness. Read especially Line 5 of 17 to see: the Inner is characterized by this Movement, this repressed force that yearns to erupt suddenly.

Oct 10

Following is adapting to, being open to, attuning to forces greater than yourself. Don't force your growth or ideas about what compassion/non-judgment mean but stay open and receptive. Much of my ideas about how to be "more compassionate" are colored themselves by my conditioning--so place your emphasis more on following deeper intuition rather than fixated impressions.

Also, Joy means lightness, not a heavy, grim, school marm attitude. If you are feeling heaviness, you are not in Joy and you must reexamine what led you there.

Following can also mean cultivating trust in the wisdom of others--their inherent goodness--and letting go of preconceived ideas or expectations. Here Following means learning from their perspectives and experiences.

Oct 19

Following is also following a path; meaning, mustering the discipline, the tapas, the resolution, and dedication. The solid line at the first place is the host because following requires initiation, persistence, dedication. This means resistance to distraction, detraction, sloth, avoidance, clinging. It means waking up and following the path, not immediately walking into the woods of habit, ignorance, blind reflexive action.

Following the path means reading the sacred texts, working on my tasks, practicing my yoga and mindfulness. What is the relationship of this to compassion? The more one is on the spiritual path, the more their heart opens to Self and Other. The more distracted and detracted, the more the heart will remain closed and locked in the cycle of judgment, fault, blame, division.

Learning to be led means paying attention. The Tao is naturally unobtrusive--it doesn't clamor to be followed. It rests in the background, allowing its presence to be felt; the benefits of following the Tao manifest. They are manifest. Perhaps the Firm is the monkey mind, the force of habit, the addiction, the stubborn clinging. Habits can be tremendous activity but without the Tao it's sound and fury, signifying nothing.

Remember, "the firm comes and places itself under the yielding." The initiatory action comes from the distracted and detracted mind, placing itself at the service of the Yielding. This means giving up the egotistical idea that I can progress spiritually by doing the same thing I've always done. No! There must be movement to move into the Tao. Following with Delight is placing aside all kleshas: ignorance, ego, clinging, aversion, fear, and committing onesself to the path.

From the Tao te Ching 69: "Rather than make the first move / it is better to wait and see...When two great forces oppose each other, / the victory will go / to the one that knows how to yield."

I’m wondering if anyone here reads the I Ching professionally. It seems like a pretty rare thing (at least where I am).

I’m wondering for anyone who has a professional practice, what would, roughly speaking, an average reading for a client look like to you?

I love her to death but something is still “not right” sometimes. It’s like she wants to keep some distance, and maybe just afraid to be hurt by a guy. I feel like she’s meant for me though, and don’t have a reason to betray her. I just want to improve the connection that we already have and by improving I mean that I want her to change in the way that is more secure, that she doesn’t have to worry about me betraying her and that I just want love and not the control and manipulations (she doesn’t have to do it, because I really care). What the advice from hex 59uc could mean in this context?

Hi,

I was hit by a car today in a hit and run while walking across the street at a green light. My phone flew out of my pocket and neither I nor a passerby, nor the EMTs who arrived (someone else called them) could find it. The police never came to the ER and I have to visit them in the morning to file the police report.

I was pretty out of it and suffered a minor concussion, but was able to walk off the street. An ambulance was called, I went to the ER and was seen immediately and cleared in about 4 hours after no broken bones or internal bleeding were discovered on scans. A practical miracle, though I wouldn't say the same about getting hit by a car, losing my phone in the process, and getting snubbed by the cops.

When I got home I searched for my phone with a Google feature I had enabled. Indeed, someone had lifted it off the street at some point and taken it to a nearby suburb. This isn't the kind of neighborhood where people return found valuables to the police or owners. Everyone's pretty poor and traumatized here.

Im fumbling to understand this. Was I blessed to be saved from dying or major injury in the accident? Was I cursed by some person or negative karma to be in a hit and run and have my stuff stolen? It just feels like a lot of negative stuff to have other people do to you at once, and Im not sure if it's an indication that Im way off the path somehow.

I asked Yi, "what was behind this trouble? Why did all of this transpire today as it did, and was I meant to learn something from it?" Answer: 53.6 to 39.

I was certainly limping leaving the hospital over a twisted ankle and bruising, and suspect I'll be hurting more tomorrow. I don't really understand 53.6 however. Is there some suggestion here that this will contribute to me leaving my neighborhood? I wouldn't mind that, but I only bought the house 2 years ago so it would take a while (hence 53?).

I really thought I was going to die when the impact hit, and remember watching the world spin around me as I rolled off the hood of the car and thinking, "Am I dying in an accident right now? Huh. OK. Nothing I can do about it, then." I don't know if 53.6 ever describes an NDE?

Any advice here is appreciated.

Hi everyone,

Eighteen years ago, while living in Shanghai, I was introduced to the I Ching, and since then, it’s become a trusted source of guidance for me in times of conflict or uncertainty. No matter how far I drift, I always find myself returning to its wisdom.

As an engineer and someone fascinated by the potential of AI, I recently combined my passion for technology with my love for the I Ching. Using OpenAI APIs, I developed Taowise, a simple, free app that allows you to consult the I Ching from your smartphone. You can download it from the App Store or access it as a web-app at taowise.org

When you register you can consult the I Ching as often as you’d like, without any cost. If you want to save your readings or journal about your experiences, you can upgrade, but for occasional use, you don't need to.

I personally use it often and find the advice to be insightful, especially because I don’t have access to a knowledgeable expert. Nothing replaces a seasoned practitioner’s guidance, but I believe the app provides meaningful, sensible advice, particularly when you need it most.

I would love to hear your thoughts and experiences with it. My hope is that it provides value to those who don’t have regular access to I Ching experts, other than through our wonderful community here, of course! ;)

Really looking forward to your views on the quality of the readings...