[Voyager]

Hi T&L
As I understand it there are 3 elements to a reading.
The first hexagram is a description of your current or previous situation, if you have a changing line, that is the iChing advice. The transformed hex following the changing line gives a description of what could happen if you follow the iChing advice in the changing line.
If you don't have a changing line then the hex stands for both current and future.

The iChing is about proper conduct to a situation, but also asks tough questions, which provoke further thought from the enquirer. It can set off trains of thought you may otherwise not have considered. Sometimes the danger is that we gloss over some of the hidden meanings because they aren't the bits we want to see. (I'm guilty of that) So in your transformed hex, it talks about attraction, but asks you whether you are refined or debased by desire?

Sometimes it is a good idea to take the reading and ask further questions based on it, to get a deeper insight.
It can be very meditative but it can point out things you don't want to see. I can only speak for myself here, but it's those bits I now tend to ask questions about!!xx

[Trustandlove]

Yes, I was wondering about that wise person....  I wonder what other questions I could ask? 

The time I asked the first question the second time it gave me something about "the pheasant has a broken wing", i.e. H is still broken, and the wise person helps him with his horse. 

So I wonder what the obstacle within me is?  I did wonder about the allies; this forum?  I'm all ears if anyone has a view on this. 

But the allies aren't necessarily others here; I took it more as finding allies who would also benefit from me 'bringing my plan to fruition'.  My children would benefit; who else?  Still thinking.

I found it interesting that I got the "attraction" hexagram twice as the tranformed hex. 

And the bit about continuing to bang my head against an immovable force..... 

I guess it would indicate doing a 180, as DB principles would say. 

So who would the sage be?  All of you here?  Someone in particular?  I'm listening.....

[SpecialK]

The question I ask was:  Will my ex eventually return home - this is what the answer was.  I don't understand, can anyone interpret it for me


Cast Hexagram:

51 - Fifty-One

Chên / Thunder

Thunder echoes upon Thunder, commanding reverence for its father Heaven:
In awe of Heaven's majestic power, the Superior Person looks within and sets his life in order.
Thunder mingles with startled screams of terror for a hundred miles around.
As the people nervously laugh at their own fright, the devout presents the sacrificial chalice with nary a drop of wine spilt.
Deliverance


SITUATION ANALYSIS:

A thunderbolt of Cosmic judgement crashes to earth.
For the common person, it's just a momentary fright soon forgotten, its warning unfathomed and unheeded.
But to one who understands its significance, this thunder is a signal to repent.
Centering the Self, seeking balance, the enlightened person will respect and align himself with this Higher Power, while his fellows remain subject to the whims of every passing storm

[Voyager]

Hi T&L and SK
T&L - the allies could indeed be people on here, friends or anyone you consider a force for the good in this sitch. Word of warning though, mainly the iChing's words are about you and your inner consciousness, so it may be that the Pheasant with the broken wing could also refer to yourself. IChing works best when referencing yourself and your thoughts rather than anothers. You could ask further questions about the nature of the obstacle and how to overcome it. The answer will definitely give you some insight into what you need to do. Sometimes longer sessions can be very fruitful if you follow the flow of the answers and ask the questions that arise from each hexagram.
SK
What the iChing is not really used best for is as a predictive tool. It can give you insight into possibilities, that if you follow courses of action it advises could arise. But free will is a given in iChing, it does not base itself on a predetermined outcome. If you use it to look within at changes in yourself to help bring desired outcomes about then it has real relevance. But as i said sometimes we gloss over the bits we don't think we understand because it's telling us what we don't want to hear.!!
So in this instance, your reading is talking to you about what you can work on inside yourself to help bring about change. IMHO!!

[SpecialK]

Ah now it makes sense!

Thanks

SPx

[Trustandlove]

Thank you, V -- like I said, I'm not experienced in these things.  I'll look at it again.  I wish I had copied that second one before it disappeared!

In any case it is telling me something about the obstacles; I'll revisit that in a bit.  So what would be a good question -- I need to understand more about how to word those? 

Can I ask what the nature of the obstacle is?  How should that be worded? 

[Voyager]

Hi T&L
That's the problem with these things, it's an art form to do the interpretation! I would suggest specifics, like what is the nature etc, or how may I best remove the obstacle in my path?. Recognising that it is likely to reference a self generated obstacle within you, occasionally I have found it to be referencing external things, but I tend to look at the internal meaning first before I feel it is talking about something else.
IMHO IChing always looks at how you can best conduct yourself in a given situation, i'd be interested to know what you get from it. xx

[Mermaid]

Well, you could ask something like that, but I'm not sure you would get an answer that makes sense until you can find part of it yourself.

I find that we need to give these things time. You are now consciously looking for some obstacle, but you can't see it yet. It may come to you in a sudden moment of realisation, it may come in a dream. Wait, reflect, observe.

[Trustandlove]

I know what you mean about things not making sense.  I asked what would happen if I asked H to come stay while I went away, and got:

Cast Hexagram:

43 - Forty-Three
Kuai / Breakthrough

A Deluge from Heaven:
The Superior Person rains fortune upon those in need, then moves on with no thought of the good he does.

The issue must be raised before an impartial authority.
Be sincere and earnest, despite the danger.
Do not try to force the outcome, but seek support where needed.
Set a clear goal.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

Your iron will must come to the forefront now.
It will take great personal determination to resolve the situation in question.
Your adversary would love to force you into an angry display.
That would legitimize his opposition to you.
Such a berserker rage would drag you down to his level.
You must resolutely take a public stand against what he represents, but refuse to engage him.
Without compromise, you show others the way to higher ground.



Changing Lines:

There is One Changing Line.

Hexagram Forty-Three/Line One:

Though you feel confident, you are not equal to the overwhelming odds you face.
One step forward will set you back a mile.

Transformed Hexagram:

28 - Twenty-Eight
Ta Kuo / Critical Mass

The Flood rises above the tallest Tree:
Amidst a rising tide of human folly, the Superior Person retires to higher ground, renouncing his world without looking back.

Any direction is better than where you now stand.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

Several high-priority concerns demand immediate attention.
All are crucial.
None will be denied.
Yet some demand the denial of others.
Like two atoms seeking to occupy the same space, these irresistible forces and immovable objects threaten to ignite a cataclysm that could irreversibly alter your world.
This is no time for fatal heroics.
You are at Ground Point Zero.
Remove yourself from this situation without delay.
Find sanctuary.
Later you may deal with these concerns on your own terms, from a position of strength.

This really seemed like a sledgehammer to kill a fly --"It will take great personal determination to resolve the situation", and  "Remove yourself from this situation without delay" seem a bit extreme -- as does "these irresisitble forces threaten to ignite a cataclysm that could irreversibly alter your world". 

And "you are not equal to the overwhelming odds you face" also seems extreme for this....  are there overwhelming odds within me???

Either that, or I really don't know how to use it. 

I am of course thinking of the internal obstacles within me rather than external forces, but I didn't think this was so drastic.....

[Voyager]

T&L
it is obscure and furstrating. Mermaid and I may disagree on this, but I would suggest you phrase it slightly differently, it is a highly personal experience.
Firstly I don't ask what will happen, because I personally try not to use it as a prediction tool. But i have weakned at times!!!
So the question I asked it today was...
How can I make positive changes to my situation with my h
For some reason I can't get my computer to cut and paste the answer direct from the website, but the answer was hex 64 Before Completion.

I would phrase the question like " Should i ask my h to ? etc rather than a What will question. Or "what is the best way to...? Or what COULD happen if.... Or what is the likely consequence if...
However regardless of how the question is phrased, the language is arcane, and the meanings not always as apparant or as literal as it might seem, IChing is not so useful for the here and now questions requiring immediate answers, but for contemplation over a longer period. It can take a period of time for it's meaning to settle within you and make sense.

That is why it's meditative and contemplative, it asks questions of your unconscious which sows seeds for later understanding.
Sometimes you recognise it straightaway and understand what it is trying to show you.

There is a lot of symbolism in it which can be confusing, and sometimes unnerving to you, but using it over a period of time, sort of gets you into a rhythm of understanding it. Often a pattern emerges in the answers that definitely tell you something.
 The website gives some good advice, especially on the Instruction page. And tips on further reading.
Hope this helps, as i  say everyone has a slightly different approach to using it, this is just my way. Good luck and if you try again and want some help just let us know. xxxx