This is another post about the differences between hexagrams: this time, Hexagrams 23, Stripping Away, and 41, Decreasing. Both are about loss, about ending up with less, and – given human nature – we tend not to be pleased to receive either one. But how are they different? Names and… Read more »Losses
There’s more than one story of the Yi’s origins… Mythical origins The story begins in the 29th century BCE with Fuxi, China’s first emperor, who may have had the body of a serpent. It was through his insight that the trigrams were discovered, and people could begin to understand their… Read more »Some Yijing origins
Confusion… Hexagram 8’s called bi, Seeking Union or Belonging (or Union, Alliance, Grouping, Joining, Holding Together, Closeness…)And Hexagram 13 is tong ren, People in Harmony (or Fellowship, Cooperation, Community, Union of Men…) According to the dictionary, we have one hexagram name that means (amongst other things) ‘to share with, join, coincide with,… Read more »Friends and allies
Clarity’s recent member survey (still open here if you missed it) is teaching me a lot about who I’m writing for, how to help, what to improve, and so on – thank you for taking it! Still, I think my favourite part, the question I’m most glad to have asked, is… Read more »Why we cherish Yi
Have you ever tried to explain your relationship with the I Ching to someone? Maybe explaining how you took a decision, solved a problem, reached an insight? Or do you find it simpler just to avoid the subject altogether? Naturally, I find myself mentioning the oracle more often than most:… Read more »Sharing the I Ching
The muddle If you’re new to the I Ching, you could be forgiven for wondering why there are apparently two hexagrams called ‘Obstruction’: Hexagram 12 (according to such translators as Cleary and Richter) and Hexagram 39 (according to Balkin, amongst others). Neither hexagram is one you’d generally rejoice to see… Read more »Obstructions
I went away for a week this summer and met a lot of new people. As you can imagine, the “what do you do?” conversations are always interesting for me. “What do you do?”“Divination, with the I Ching.” And once we had got past the “you do what with the… Read more »The relatable oracle
