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Single speedwell flower

Why we cherish Yi

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

slices of fruitcake with nuts

Sharing the I Ching

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

man and woman in cangue

Crime and punishment

Some Yijing imagery is immensely straightforward to relate to. I was having the ‘What do you do?’ conversation a few weeks ago, and a friend asked me what kind of thing readings said, and how they answered questions. ‘Imagine,’ I said, ‘you’re asking about taking on a new voluntary role,… Read more »Crime and punishment

duck-rabbit

Hexagram 36: Hidden Pheasant?

Hexagram 36, Brightness Hiding, might be one of the easiest to connect with. Isn’t there a story in the Sorrells’ I Ching Made Easy of someone in an abusive relationship who received Hexagram 36 and broke down in tears of recognition and relief when she heard the story of Ji… Read more »Hexagram 36: Hidden Pheasant?

close-up of light on flowing water

Fire on the river: Hexagram 64

This entry is part 5 of 5 in the series Light outside

Tradition tells us that Hexagram 63, Already Crossing, has its trigrams in the right places: water is above fire, like the pan on the stove; things are cooking; everything is in good working order. And then by contrast, Hexagram 64, Not Yet Crossing, with the same two trigrams in reverse… Read more »Fire on the river: Hexagram 64

mountain fire

Fire on the mountain: Hexagram 56

This entry is part 4 of 5 in the series Light outside

There’s a well-established tradition that these trigrams portray fast-moving fire burning through mountain vegetation.Kong Yingda (574-648AD) wrote, ‘When fire is on top of the mountain, it races through the grass and shrubbery, a condition that does not leave it in one place for long. Thus this provides the image for… Read more »Fire on the mountain: Hexagram 56