

# Oracle of Love

### by Michael Abramowitz

### Second Edition

First Edition July 2014

This Edition June 2016

Copyright © 2008-2016 Michael E. Abramowitz

Published by Michael Abramowitz at Smashwords

ISBN: 978-0-9925596-2-5

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

The Oracle of Love was first published as a website (www.oracle-of-love.info) in 2008 and continues as a work in progress. This ebook edition reflects the content of the website as at June 2016. Visit the website to see later updates.

Cover Design by Michael Abramowitz  
Author contact: mike@oracle-of-love.info

By the same author: "A Very Physical Spirituality" (2016)

The material in this book is intended for mature audiences only.

#

The paths to spiritual awareness are many. Direct paths are hard to find and sometimes even harder to follow. This Oracle of Love is a most direct and accessible spiritual guide.

You don't have to believe in it. It requires no commitment or reverence. Accept or dismiss its counsel as you please. You will recognize its wisdom when you see it.

The Oracle is easy to use. It takes a minute or two to cast a hexagram and another to read its interpretation. You cast a hexagram by tossing three coins to yield a pattern of heads and tails.

The essence of the oracular procedure is chance, so the tossing of the coins must be free of all conscious control. That the fall of the coins be totally unpredictable is the only condition on the use of the Oracle.

The Oracle of Love addresses adult issues. It is not suitable for use by children.

# Hexagram Lookup by Number

 |  |  |  |  |  |  |   
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---  
 |  |  |  |  |  |  |   
 |  |  |  |  |  |  |   
 |  |  |  |  |  |  |   
 |  |  |  |  |  |  |   
 |  |  |  |  |  |  |   
 |  |  |  |  |  |  |   
 |  |  |  |  |  |  |

Touch or click the number of a hexagram to display its text.

If you don't know the number of your hexagram look it up by trigram.

If you don't know how to cast a hexagram read How to Cast a Hexagram.

If you want to find out more about the Oracle read the Introduction.

# Hexagram Lookup by Trigram

If you know the number of your hexagram you can look it up by number.

|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |    
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---  
  |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |    
  |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |    
  |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |    
  |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |    
  |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |    
  |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |    
  |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |    
  |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |

How to find your hexagram in the table:

1. Divide your hexagram into an upper and lower trigram (diagrams of three lines each).  
2. The columns of the table describe the upper trigram and the rows describe the lower trigram (without any accents).  
3. When you have located your hexagram in the table touch or click on it to display its text.

# How to Cast a Hexagram

The most convenient method of casting a hexagram uses three coins. The coins are tossed simultaneously to fall randomly. It is most important that no attempt be made to control which side up the coins fall. The way they fall yields a Yang or Yin 'line', as described below. This is repeated six times, to give a pattern of six Yang or Yin lines – a hexagram.

The only requirement in choosing coins is that every coin has an equal chance of falling with either side up; that is, there is no bias built into the coins themselves. Some people may choose coins with a special significance; I just use the change in my pocket. Small coins of the same size are what I find most convenient.

There is no requirement of setting or location. It can be done whenever and wherever you are comfortable. Nor is there a particular state of mind or attitude required. Scepticism is quite acceptable. However, in light of the introspection involved I do recommend that the Oracle be consulted in a private setting rather than, say, as a party game.

It is not necessary to ask a question. The message delivered will be indicative of your most pressing spiritual needs, whether or not that coincides with any question you have in mind.

Toss your three selected coins. It doesn't matter if they bump up against something or fall off a table, as long as the fall is random. If you feel unhappy with the fall, repeat it - but only if you have not already become aware of the result (in other words, a repeat is not valid if, for example, you got a Yang line and you would have preferred a Yin line).

Record the resulting pattern as follows :

Record two tails and one head as a Yang line: |    
---|---  
Record two heads and one tail as a Yin line: |    
Record three heads and no tails as an accented Yang line: |    
Record three tails and no heads as an accented Yin line: |

(It is irrelevant which way you assign Yang and Yin to heads and tails. If you prefer the opposite order to the one illustrated, feel free to use it as long as you are consistent.)

Toss the coins again and again, six times altogether. Record each successive line on top of the preceding line, so that the first line is at the bottom of the hexagram and the sixth line at the top.

After the sixth toss the hexagram is complete. Find its interpretation using the lookup table and read the text, mindful of the interpretation guidelines provided.

To illustrate the process, I am going to cast a hexagram:

My first toss is two tails and one head. My partial hexagram therefore looks like: |    
---|---  
My second toss is three tails and no heads. My partial hexagram now looks like: |    
My third toss is two tails and one head. My partial hexagram now looks like: |    
My fourth toss is two heads and one tail. My partial hexagram now looks like: |    
My fifth toss is three heads. My partial hexagram now looks like: |    
My sixth toss is also three heads. The hexagram is complete: |

I consult the lookup table and find the corresponding hexagram, in this case 'Family'. (Note how I have ignored the accents for the purpose of finding the hexagram.) I read its text and interpret, with accents, according to the guidelines.

# Introduction

### Origins in the I Ching

The Oracle of Love is a child of the _I Ching_. The I Ching (also called the "Book of Changes") is a collection of ancient Chinese texts whose origins date back to the 24th century BC. It has been used for thousands of years both as an Oracle and a book of wisdom. The Oracle of Love has inherited the same hexagram structure as the I Ching and is largely consistent with it.

The Oracle of Love has developed out of a contemporary encounter with the I Ching. I have used the I Ching (and latterly the Oracle of Love) for some forty years and have come to know it as a close friend. This began in the nineteen-seventies when I was looking for a guide to help me through the psychedelic mindscape of which science and religion had no knowledge.

The I Ching's uncanny ability to make relevant comment on my most subjective experience led to an intense encounter and within a short period I had memorised all the hexagram interpretations. Then, after many years comparing the hexagrams I cast with events as they unfolded, I began modifying the memorised interpretations to better describe the reality I was experiencing. Now in mature age, I stand with an accumulation of adjusted interpretations and an approach to the I Ching that does not conform with any tradition. I have attempted to integrate my insights into the I Ching by re-formulating it as this Oracle of Love. The Oracle of Love is therefore the reflection of a contemporary experience of the I Ching rather than a scholarly re-work of classical texts. I have not called it the I Ching so as not to offend classicists - but the essence of the I Ching remains, albeit expressed in a modern idiom rather than the traditional symbols of ancient China.

### What's Love Got to Do with It ?

My insights into the hexagrams clarified my understanding of the I Ching as a whole. After screening out the distractions of all the cultural references I came to realise what a pivotal role Love plays in the I Ching. Love has come to the foreground in this interpretation of the I Ching - it is the central theme of the Oracle of Love.

While love takes many forms and we probably each have a different conception of it, the word 'love' is used by the Oracle in a very particular sense. When meant in this special sense it is written with a capital 'L', as _Love_.

Understand _Love_ as a feeling rather than a concept. Get a sensation of vibration that gives you a warm, pleasurable glow. The sensation may arouse movement in a sympathetic response, like a dance inspired by music. Sensations and responses can be repeated and played with, stronger and weaker, or faster and slower, in time or syncopated - vibrations within vibrations arousing feelings of their own. _Love_ is a sensitivity and responsiveness, both creative and passive, to the flows and rhythms of waves and vibrations, which we enjoy for their harmony and variety - as epitomised by music.

'Feeling' is meant as an immediately present sensation that is ultimately indescribable, either because a feeling will have changed by the time a description of it has been uttered, or because the feeling may be disrupted by the act of describing it. Perhaps the word 'emotion' can be used to denote a feeling that is maintained by a mental state long enough for it to be described, such as _sorrow_ , for example. _Love_ is meant as a wordless feeling rather than a specifiable emotion.

Feelings of Love can be enhanced by specifically paying attention to them. With increased attention we can perceive them more clearly, feel them more deeply, express them more lucidly and appreciate more consciously their detail and their breadth.

The Oracle aspires to developing relations between separate feeling beings (such as ourselves) so that we share and exchange feelings of Love with each other. To this end the Oracle's counsel is invariably directed towards fostering feelings of Love in our relationships and maximising the benefit from them. More so, the Oracle aspires to an intensity of relation in which the feelings of Love are lavished with conscious attention, both in perception and expression. In human terms it aspires to overtly sexual and orgasmic exchanges of feeling between Lovers.

An important element of a Loving relation is the _exchange_ of feelings. It is just as easy for different feelings to harmonise as it is for shared feelings to harmonise. Consider a couple dancing face to face. When one partner steps forward the other will step backward in order to maintain the dance. Lovers do not have to be experiencing exactly the same feelings. It is important that they be understood to retain their individuality, for it is their differences that power the Love-dance. Love honours the personal nature of our feelings and is, in turn, honoured by our engaging with others who may be feeling differently. The harmonious exchange of possibly different feelings between different beings is the ambition of the Oracle of Love.

Love is the domain of the Oracle. Love is the context in which its auguries make sense. To construe its pronouncements in terms of power, fame or fortune is to misunderstand it. The Oracle has only one thing on its mind - all other ambitions are a subtext for Love.

### Love and Spirituality

For the Oracle, spirituality is a connection between everything in the universe, joining it into a whole that does not obscure or restrict the diversity of its parts. The spiritual presence in the world is an omnipresent background connection of everything.

The Oracle teaches that the spiritual presence is sentient - it feels its connections and influences them, mindfully. It takes pleasure in harmony and endures disharmony. It expresses itself in a song of Love that can be felt throughout the cosmos. But because it does not obscure or restrict anything, the spiritual presence is not controlling and its song is a background to all other influences. That song of Love is a beacon to harmony in the world, but is regularly drowned out by the foreground tumult. By limiting our own noise we can avoid obscuring the spiritual influence, feel the spiritual song and align our behaviour to its harmonies.

The Oracle teaches that when our feelings of Love are at their most sincere they coincide with the spiritual feeling - that by delving the depths of our feelings of Love we can find spirituality. Spiritual awareness is an engrossing  _feeling_  of universal connectedness - an immediately present sensation. The Oracle also teaches that when our activities are in harmony with the spiritual song they intensify the spiritual feeling. Our feelings of Love are a means both to our own spiritual awareness and to giving spiritual pleasure.

We can encounter feelings of Love when not relating with others by turning our attention inward, to our own minds and bodies. Here there only our own subjective feelings, and in this freedom from external consideration we can be imaginative in the search for our deeper feelings and finer sensitivities. The process is exemplified by the practice of meditation, whereby we withdraw attention from the outside world to explore our inner world instead. The sages of many religions teach that there is a coherent reality to be found in such inner exploration. The Oracle teaches that the greater benefits of meditation come from exploring our feelings of Love (including our bodily feelings), rather than attempting to dismiss our feelings or from attending to our ideas or emotions.

Subjectivity plays an important role in both Love and spirituality, but it is not without hazard. In everyday interactions with others it is necessary to act on commonly agreed objective grounds. Acting on subjective feeling alone should only be contemplated in a purely personal introspection or where one is clearly engaged in the harmony of a Love-dance.

### Spirituality and the Oracle

Consider that there are no foreground influences on a random fall of coins, that such completely random events are affected only by the background spiritual influence. Even in the midst of the greatest foreground clamour, the hexagrams faithfully follow the spiritual influence, while interpretations offered by texts such as this Oracle can only try to represent the hexagrams in words.

No representation of spirituality - no Oracle, no idea, no teacher, no religion - is itself the spiritual presence. Representations are only indirect and limited symbols or descriptions of it.  Representations may point us to spirituality and participate in it, but by themselves are not it. None can control it and none has exclusive access to it. We can each have our own direct experience of spirituality, which we can reach without the aid of any representation.

While we may ardently strive for spiritual awareness, as far as I can tell from my use of the Oracle this is not our primary spiritual purpose. Our primary spiritual purpose is to facilitate the spiritual harmony through our expressions of Love, whether or not we are consciously aware of our spiritual connection. However, the skills we acquire in our pursuit of spiritual awareness - quietude and a sharpened sensitivity to subtlety of feeling - these assist us to sincere and harmonious expressions of Love. It is to such deep but appropriate expressions of Love that the Oracle guides us.

One may regard using the Oracle as taking an interest in one's spiritual health and performing spiritual hygiene. But one may also regard it as being considerate of the spiritual presence in the same way that one is considerate of others. Being considerate of another means finding out how they feel about something before committing oneself to a course of action. How far we actually alter our intentions to accommodate others is a choice we make with each act.

While we may address the Oracle with a particular question in mind, its response will direct us to the most pressing spiritual need regardless of our question. Questions are almost superfluous to a consultation. Of course, it is helpful to receive guidance pertaining to problems that are vexing us but that only happens when such problems and the spiritual issues are related. Some problems must be managed as best we can without Oracular help. In my own experience it has often happened that by addressing the spiritual issues, other questions have been put into a clearer perspective. Addressing spiritual issues does not mean that other issues need be neglected.

It can take some time to discover which issues the Oracle is indicating as needing attention. This is because spiritual issues are often seen as trivial from our everyday point of view, especially when there are more pressing matters at hand. This is the great value of the Oracle, for it makes known to us the issues of spiritual importance that we would otherwise overlook in favour of foreground matters that more forcefully demand our attention. These spiritual issues may be so subtle that it is only after a number of consultations that we are able to piece the clues together and arrive at the issue of interest. Discerning the significance of the Oracular messages becomes easier with practice and some helpful advice is offered in the section Interpreting a Hexagram.

Exact instructions for consulting the Oracle are provided in the section How to Cast a Hexagram. The method of consultation for the Oracle also permits hexagrams to be strung together like sentences in a paragraph. While the meanings of the individual hexagrams are sufficiently elaborate to convey a message in their own right, they can also be regarded as the elements of a language from which more complex messages can be built. Guidelines for combining hexagrams are provided in the section Conversations. This replaces the concept of "changing lines" that plays such a large role in the I Ching, whereby one hexagram transforms into another. Such transformation of hexagrams is absent from the Oracle of Love.

# Personality of the Oracle

The Oracle presents itself as a mindful personality in the same way that we do. It is approachable, friendly and unpretentious. It has a sense of humour and enjoys company. My own experience has led me to interact with it comfortably, as I would with a close friend, perhaps my own conscience.

Most importantly I have found it to be absolutely benign, for it has unwaveringly had my welfare (although not my comfort) at heart. I may have questioned the value of its advice at times but it has never deceived me nor led me into situations that have been hurtful. And it has often opened my eyes to opportunities that I would otherwise have missed.

But the Oracle has an agenda that I find quite challenging. In the most direct manner, like that of a child, it foists its agenda on me. As long as it has a particular intention, every consultation continues to promote that intention until either it loses interest or I manage to do something that satisfies it.

This childish insistence is a trait that I believe characterises a personality unconcerned with problems of mortality. Our concepts of personal maturity stem from a recognition of our own frailty. We learn to bear our frailty more gracefully with experience. Similarly, ethical values such as fairness and justice arise from our recognising that everyone else is in a similarly fragile position. But a being that is immortal has no need for these values and I find that while the Oracle respects our difficulties in this regard, questions of ethics, survival and convenience have no place in its agenda.

That agenda is nonetheless relevant to us. Its purpose is to assist us towards expressions of Love, as described in the Introduction. Following it has led me to a knowledge of myself, in the sense of realising my connection to a spiritual foundation. Armed with this knowledge I am able to see the external world with fewer distractions and without clothing it in the many unnecessary niceties inflicted on me by social custom. This also permits me to engage with the external world with a more direct presence, paying conscious attention to both my own sensations and to the relevant sympathetic responses from others. Following the agenda has facilitated a more profound experience of relationship for me. I am not implying that such benefit cannot be achieved without Oracular advice, but that the flexibility and determination of the Oracular agenda has sharpened my awareness of the process well beyond what I was able to discern on my own, or with the assistance of a fixed dogma.

So who speaks through the Oracle? We consciously or unconsciously project ourselves into the hexagram texts, which also carry the perspective of their interpreter. That said, neither we nor the interpreter determine which hexagrams are cast. The random fall of the coins is determined solely by the background spiritual influence. It is the sentient spiritual wholeness who speaks in the hexagrams and we, with the aid of our imaginations and the interpreter's insight, extract meaning from them.

It would be a mistake to attribute to the Oracle any sort of omnipotence, in spite of its spiritual nature. The spiritual sentience that the Oracle represents influences reality but does not control it. The spiritual sentience is not a master of change - it is a rider of change much as we are. When the Oracle promotes its agenda it is suggesting how we might harmonise our activities with the spiritual influence, but that influence has no certain result. The Oracle may offer us a spiritual perspective of the future but cannot point the way to definite success.

The Oracle is also not all-seeing. I have found that there are many situations it is blind to, as if its world does not coincide exactly with our own. Its preoccupation with Love appears to be out of step with our own overwhelming experience of material suffering. It does not understand any of our socially developed institutional structures and imperatives, in much the same way as a baby does not. It cannot respond to culturally based humour, or take account of social convention, or negotiate the intricacies of business and politics. One should be aware of these limitations when accepting Oracular advice. But, like a baby, it is very sensitive to direct sensual and emotional engagement.

The fact that there is value for the Oracle in our following its agenda implies that it is keen to interact with us and that we need have no reservations about approaching it. But any expectation of benefit arising from following its agenda must be limited to a facilitation of the spiritual purpose; no material benefit or easing of our material suffering can be presumed.

# Multi-Hexagram Consultations and Conversations

You may like to take the time to think about the meaning of each hexagram before making another consultation, but the fruitfulness of a consultation can be considerably enriched by casting more than one hexagram. For example:

  * It is not always easy to decipher the significance of a message and since the key to discerning significance is consistency of meaning over a number of hexagrams, casting multiple hexagrams in a single consultation may deliver significance more quickly.
  * Sometimes a message can be quite complex and require that a number of hexagrams be joined to convey its meaning.
  * You may recognize the sequence of hexagrams cast in a single consultation to be describing a sequence of events you have experienced. Such a correlation is a valuable pointer to the thread running through your reality that is most meaningful to the Oracle and to which its subsequent messages will relate.
  * Spiritual development involves an ongoing progression from one spiritual issue to the next. As one becomes familiar with the Oracle, one can become quite adept at discerning the significance of the messages and one may be ready to move on to the next issue while still within the same consultation.

An issue may develop slowly over a long time and over many consultations, in which case the consultations and one's responses to them may be described as an ongoing conversation.

So how many hexagrams should one cast in each consultation? Let the Oracle decide whether it has more information to impart, by tossing a single coin to ask if another hexagram should be cast. If that coin comes up heads, then proceed with casting another hexagram; if it comes up tails then refrain. ( It is irrelevant which way one assigns Yes and No to heads and tails. If you prefer the opposite order feel free to use it as long as you are consistent.)

This technique of putting the onus on the Oracle as to whether another hexagram should be cast can be extended to include the first hexagram as well; that is, one can let the Oracle decide whether or not there should be a consultation at all. Since the result of a consultation is likely to be an expression of the Oracle's agenda, one makes a consultation only when the Oracle indicates it has something to say. Having the Oracle indicate that it would like to speak is actually useful information in itself for, if an issue is regarded by the Oracle to have any urgency, it will be keen to keep bringing the issue to your attention. Having the Oracle consistently keen to speak is a sure sign of urgency on the Oracle's part. Similarly, when the Oracle is consistently reluctant to speak then it either has no interest in your current activity or has no desire for you to change what you are doing.

Putting the onus for a consultation on the Oracle has the added benefit of knowing that the Oracle wishes to speak. This allows one to approach the Oracle without restraint, knowing that one is not importuning.

This technique of letting the Oracle decide a consultation is not essential for using the Oracle. Use it if comfortable.

# A Summary of Technique

Spirituality is a relationship. It is a mutual search for Love, rather than a one-sided service to any omnipotent power or blind faith in religious authority. In my own case, I relate to the Oracle as a close friend with whom I am sharing an adventure. The Oracle values my friendship as much as I value its insight and we both respect the limitations of each other's positions.

The following points summarize a very effective oracular technique:

1. Understand that the primary purpose of a consultation is to obtain spiritual commentary and ascertain spiritual need rather than to have the Oracle answer your questions.

2. Use the conversational technique to let the Oracle lead the consultation by deciding whether or not there should be a consultation at all.

3. Cast your hexagram.

4. Find the hexagram you have cast by looking it up in the tables.

5. Read the text of the hexagram using the Guidelines for Interpretation to discern significance in the Oracular message.

6. Use the conversational technique to let the Oracle decide whether another hexagram should be cast. Repeat steps 3 to 6 for every succeeding hexagram.

7. Look for a consistent theme running through a series of hexagrams (whether in a single consultation or even running over days) as the key indicator of meaning, rather than the text of a single hexagram.

8. Successfully following the Oracle's agenda is often a matter of exploring different activities that could be considered appropriate, until one is found that consistently evokes a clearly confirmatory response from the Oracle.

You'll know when you've got it.

# Guidelines for Interpreting a Hexagram

The text of each hexagram consists of an interpretation of the hexagram, suggestions as to how one might respond to it and additional meanings for lines that have been accented.

Accents are only relevant when they are present in the hexagram you have cast. Accents have a strong influence on the overall interpretation of a hexagram. They usually modify it by emphasising one or more of its likely meanings but sometimes can even reverse its overall meaning. Priority should be given to the meaning of a hexagram as modified by its accents.

### Finding Relevance

If the text of the hexagram you have cast offers an obvious answer to a question you have in mind, then its interpretation is straightforward. But if its meaning is not clear then it is likely that the Oracle is trying to draw your attention to another matter of higher spiritual priority. Similarly, if you have no question in mind, then the hexagram is relating to your most pressing spiritual issue. This interpretive technique is intended to help you identify the issue that is most important from the Oracle's point of view.

Understanding the relevance of a hexagram to your situation is not an exact science. The process is very subjective and intuitive. Boldness of imagination, caution, patience and inquisitiveness are the tools of a good explorer. The hexagram texts are a guide to what the Oracle is trying to say - they are not literally what the Oracle is saying. It is up to you to sift through the clues to arrive at the message that is relevant to you.

The most reliable guide to relevance is consistency. It is just as difficult for the Oracle to say what it means with a limited vocabulary and a volatile medium as it is for us to understand it. So rather than attribute great portent to a single hexagram, wait until the significance of a message becomes clear by repetition. Many hexagrams have similar meanings and common themes soon become obvious. _**If a message is important it will be repeated in one form or another until you get it.**_ Regularly following up, or using the multi-hexagram conversation technique, is an effective way to establish consistency of theme.

There is always one particular thread running through your reality that the Oracle would like you to focus on. Of the many possible activities you could engage in or things that you could pay attention to, there is this one that the Oracle prefers. The challenge of finding how a hexagram is relevant to you is to find that preferred thread.

The first thing to notice is whether the meaning of a hexagram is obvious and something immediately comes to mind. One could say that the meaning 'clicks' or 'rings a bell'. This is a very good indication of relevance. But one is not always so lucky.

The next thing to do is to cast your mind over all the situations you are involved in and choose the situation that seems to best fit the meaning of the hexagram. Let your imagination roam. It is often an imaginative association of images and ideas that gives the clue to a hexagram's relevance. (Classical I Ching texts such as the Wilhelm/Baynes translation are rich in suggestive imagery.) Apply the indications of the hexagram to the chosen situation and proceed to act cautiously in that direction. At the next consultation, check to see if the meaning of the new hexagram remains consistent with and supportive of the activity you have undertaken. If yes, you are heading in the right direction and may proceed more assertively; if not find another situation to test. You will know you have found the right thread when you get a string of hexagrams consistent with and supportive of that activity.

Having found consistency and acted accordingly, you will know that it is time to move on to a new situation when the theme of your consultations change.

Except for matters of Love, I have found that the Oracle rarely suggests new activities for me to pursue. Its as if it feels that I am the best judge of what needs to be done in my life, as long as I don't neglect my duty as a Lover. But having embarked on a course of action on my own initiative, the Oracle will often comment on that action.

### General Tips

Take it easy on portent. Rarely will a message have life-or-death implications. Conversation can relate to a major strategic issue in your life but it is just as likely to be related to the ice-cream you are eating right now. The Oracle places great value on the present moment, and on the depth and subtlety of perception and expression that we can bring to bear on it. For the Oracle, it is the directness of our engagement with immediate reality that is the chief determinant of our happiness. Even when it does relate to a long term goal, a message is more likely to encourage (or discourage) each small step as it is encountered along the way.

A hexagram may be requesting you to adjust your behaviour but it may also be providing only a neutral comment.

Be flexible about interpreting the tense of a hexagram. The message may referring to the present, past or future, no matter how tense specific the text of the hexagram may appear to be. For example, the text of the Hexagram 51 SHOCK reads: "Make a strong effort to do something physical." It could well be that the hexagram is referring to a physical action that has already completed. It is usually quite obvious when a hexagram is describing something that has happened in the past or is happening in the present, for we have already become aware of it. It is those hexagrams that at first appear quite irrelevant that are usually indicative of future events. So when a hexagram appears irrelevant, try to keep it in mind for a while. An event may occur that makes the hexagram meaningful and it is then helpful to have the Oracle's perspective available.

An indication that the time is appropriate for a particular activity does not mean that the activity will be easy to accomplish or even that it will succeed, but that if you do accomplish it the experience will be spiritually rewarding.

It should not be taken for granted that you are the subject of a message. It could well be that another person is being discussed. It sometimes happens that the Oracle is referring to itself.

Situations are dynamic. The way an event unfolds or the action you take in response to a hexagram may radically change a situation to the point where a prognostication of just a short while ago may no longer be valid. So stay on your toes.

When a contrary indication is given, for example to both act and refrain from action, take it to mean that there is a question as to which is appropriate. If one or the other is not decidedly clear, it is best to err on the side of caution.

Remember it is ultimately your choice as to whether you follow the Oracle's advice or not.

### About Love

Exhortations to Love abound in the Oracle. They beg us to pay close attention to our feelings and how our feelings are interacting with our environment and with other people. Love should be understood in the very particular sense described in the Introduction, notably as the subjective experience of vibrant feeling, especially when relating to others.

These exhortations to Love are very favourable, as expressions of Love are the pinnacle of achievement for the Oracle. An exhortation to Love means that, from the Oracle's point of view, Love is readily accessible. We should therefore look for or make opportunities to Love even at the expense of other possibly more pressing activities, to whatever degree we can afford.

I have found the following activities to be appropriate responses to these exhortations:

The most highly prized engagement in Love is an encounter with a partner in intimate sexual relation and this should be favoured if such relation is at all possible. Mutual orgasm elicits the deepest spiritual appreciation.

For many of us the opportunities for such a prize are rare. External conditions are often awkward, or partners are not available or not agreeable. But sexual activity need not be put off until circumstances are perfect - a compromised arrangement is often acceptable since sexual orgasm is invariably such a deeply felt experience. Even sexual activity alone or in the context of a one sided (but willing) relationship can deliver appreciable depth of feeling. This does not mean sex at all costs, for without desire, warmth and excitement, responses will be shallow if not impossible. Contracts of fidelity may also need to be considered.

The Oracle does not see sexual activity as a reward to be earned after hardship or as something to be transformed into a superior spiritual energy. Unless indicated to the contrary, there is no necessity to conserve sexual energy or avoid ejaculation and no compunction to either nurture or avert a pregnancy. No constraint is placed on the circumstances or regularity of sexual activity other than it be appropriate and consensual. A period of quietude after orgasm is generally appreciated.

Meditation can be a deeply felt experience of Love. The considered use of some psychoactive drugs can also provide a deeper awareness of feeling. Encounters with beauty, in art, music or nature often provide a spontaneous opening of one's attention to Love. Great artists are capable of revealing Love to us and making it accessible.

Exercises such as meditation can also assist to tune one's mind towards purity of feeling. A mind thus practised can engage in Love with deeper sincerity and greater clarity. As well, becoming practised in focusing the attention and avoiding distraction means that valued moments of relational intimacy will be less likely to be interrupted when outside influences intrude.

Less intimate encounters with family, friends or even society at large can be enjoyed as expressions of Love when the give and take of their relational interaction can be directly felt and engaged with, like the feeling of a dance.

### Warnings

While exhortations to Love should be received favourably, they should not be taken to necessarily indicate success, not even in ventures of Love. The Oracle is not a master of reality. It can't make things happen. The spiritual wholeness too, whom the Oracle aims to represent, influences the world but does not control it.

There are in fact many situations that the Oracle is quite blind to, particularly relating to the rules that operate in our formal social structures. When it comes to matters of business and politics extreme caution must be exercised. At such times it is well to remember that, although the Oracle offers an enhanced perspective of reality, its guidance is inclined towards matters of Love and spirituality. This can be illustrated by the simple example of the Oracle indicating that NOW is a really good time to seek Love when one is in a rush to catch the morning train for work! In cases like this, it becomes your choice as to what you can afford to do. I myself don't take risks if other people might suffer.

Many traditional scholars of religious texts seek deeper meaning by analysing the possible nuances revealed in finer and finer examinations of the details of a text, right down to the choice and placement of words in the text or even the spelling of a word. In the Oracle of Love meaning is more likely to be found in the larger theme of a communication than in its detail. There is an acceptance that the medium of the Oracle is inexact and that interpretations will be highly subjective. While particular words may trigger associations that are meaningful at the time of a consultation, searching for lasting meaning by analysing nuances of the text is more likely to mislead than enlighten.

The non-human nature of the Oracle also represents a risk for us. Its insistence on its agenda can sometimes lead to embarrassment and hurt feelings when not moderated by our own human sense of tact. It is well to remember that its agenda does not necessarily match our own, for many of our sensitivities arise from a human vulnerability that it does not share. Following its agenda requires a certain boldness, but it also requires a wariness for our own frailty.

There is an important aspect of the Oracle of which we need not be wary. The Oracle is entirely free of vengeance, deceit and sarcasm. Its messages are always simple and direct. This is evidenced in the patience and persistence with which it pursues its agenda. One need fear no kind of retribution if one does not follow its advice - there are times when the risk or discomfort appears too great. No matter how inappropriate our responses may be, the Oracle always come back to reinforce its message in the most direct manner.

# General Principles of the Oracle

### The Play of Yang and Yin

Yang and Yin are the two building blocks of the Oracle's hexagrams and its philosophy. A hexagram comprises six lines, each representing either Yang or Yin, depending on how the coins fall. Yang is represented by a solid line and Yin by a broken one. A typical hexagram of six solid and broken lines looks something like this:

Yang has the qualities of leadership, strength and importance. Yin has the opposite qualities of receptivity, weakness and being nothing special. Yang has the energy to offer an unending stream of initiatives to Yin and Yin responds to every one. The interplay of Yang and Yin is the dynamo of the cosmos. This is described in more detail in the section "The Notion of Yin and Yang".

### Change

The opposition of Yin and Yang is also a fundamental principle of difference. It allows things to be differentiated from each other or likened to one another, and permits the fact of change. The principle extends indefinitely in the sense that differences can be different and changes can change, giving rise to a world of immense complexity and variability.

The Oracle sees the world in terms of change. Its hexagrams describe sixty-four characteristic motions in Yang and Yin's dance of change. The most basic teachings of the Oracle address the flow of change:

1. Nothing is certain. Expect the unexpected. Progress goes hand in hand with caution.  
2. One's behaviour should be appropriate to time and place. Being flexible enables one to adapt quickly.  
3. Things change, even if one just sits and waits.

### The Cycle of Development and Decline

The simplest motion of the Yin-Yang dynamic is a progressive development from pure Yin to pure Yang, followed by a regressive decline back to pure Yin. This motion repeats endlessly in an ongoing cycle of growth and decay, with every end followed by a new beginning. It reinforces the teaching that things always change and even that a death develops into the birth of something new.

The cycle is explicitly represented in the Oracle by six hexagrams describing the distinct stages of development and by six hexagrams describing the stages of decline.

The hexagrams of development are:

Return |    
Encouragement |    
Ready |    
Power |    
Closure |    
Yang  
---|---|---|---|---|---

The hexagrams of decline are:

Warning |    
Redirection |    
Impasse |    
Contemplation |    
Ending |    
Yin  
---|---|---|---|---|---

### The Virtue of Modesty

The Virtue of Modesty is the central moral tenet of the Oracle. It may be stated as:

When the strong defers to and supports the weak the ensuing dynamic will be robust and self-sustaining.  
When the strong dominates the weak the result will be short lived.

The interplay between Yang and Yin, the cosmic dynamic, endures because Yang (the strong) defers to Yin (the weak).

To this end, every situation described by the hexagrams where the strong behaves modestly and supports rather than dominates the weak is regarded as favourable.

This Virtue of Modesty is the opposite of concepts such as 'might is right' by which the most powerful are seen to have a natural right to dominion. It clearly demonstrates a morality on the Oracle's part, since there appears to be no necessity for the strong to support the weak, while there is much evidence of the weak suffering oppression at the hands of the powerful.

### Yang, Yin and Spirituality

The dance of Yang and Yin can be turbulent. The sentient spiritual being of the cosmos (See Hexagram 8 Spirituality) feels every nuance of their dance including the turbulence, but expresses itself more harmoniously, in a song that in turn influences their dance (See Hexagram 26 Universal Power). Universal power is the power of that spiritual song and a beacon to harmony in a turbulent world, but its influence is always in the background and its power more subtle than the foreground turbulence.

The significance of the spiritual song is that throughout our reality, the background to every foreground is not an emptiness but a vibrant song that is background by virtue of its softness and subtlety rather than because it is absent.

Universal power is similar to the classical concept of Tao. Whereas Tao is regarded as the natural character of the universe arising from the dance of Yang and Yin, universal power is a mindful participation of the universe in their dance.

### Restraint on the Use of Personal Power

The complexity of our world allows many expressions of individuality, as evidenced by the varying degrees of free will enjoyed by all its inhabitants, including ourselves. A cacophony of voices obscures the spiritual song and its harmonious expressions, for the song is always in the background and its power more subtle than those in the foreground. The song of universal power is there for all to hear, were we to pay sufficient attention.

The Oracle requests that we restrain our own expressions of power so that we don't distract ourselves from the song of universal power and avoid obscuring and disturbing its expressions. Our social interaction in general benefits when we behave with circumspection.

Personal power includes all forms of coercion, including physical force, intellectual persuasion and psychological or psychic manipulation.

The restraint on personal power is advocated as follows:

  * Personal power should only be used when one is certain that its use is appropriate.
  * When one does resort to using personal power, one should use only enough to get the job done.
  * Personal power should not be used unless one is in control of it. In particular, one should be confident that one will know when to stop and that when the time comes to stop one will have the strength to do so.

Aggressive behaviour in any form is contrary to the Virtue of Modesty and is always shunned.

The discouragement of personal power is limited to the actual expression of power and not to the desire behind it. Desire per se is not discouraged. In fact there is an oblique form of personal power that the Oracle often encourages, whereby one may promote an outcome by intentionally yearning for it. No action is to be taken to secure the outcome other than keeping it in mind or fantasising about it or teasing it. The most basic expression of this is simple optimism. Because such intentional yearning is purely an internal attitude the Oracle does not see it as needing the same kind of tentative handling as other forms of power.

### The Virtue of Simplicity

The Oracle teaches that there is value in an immediate engagement with reality, that there is benefit to be had by paying as deep an attention to the subtleties of the present moment as we can muster. The key to directness of engagement is simplicity. We should attempt to keep our encounter with reality as free of unnecessary complication as possible.

The restraint on expressions of personal power can also be seen in this light. Our own expressions of power can complicate our encounter with reality by introducing unnecessary expectations that obscure our perception of it.

The Oracle itself is absolutely straightforward in its statements. It finds no value in deception or sarcasm.

Simplicity should be understood purely in these terms of immediacy of perception and expression. It does not pertain to the material content of our lives. There is no asceticism in the Oracle's teaching. Inappropriate asceticism can be as much a hindrance to immediate engagement with reality as any material obsession or other habitual behaviour.

### Diversity, Balance and Respect

The Oracle finds value in diversity. It encourages us not only to enjoy things that are different from ourselves but to enjoy depth in the scale of a differentiation. For example, the Oracle's appreciation of a successful encounter between different people is deepened all the more if they have arrived at their meeting from very different starting points.

Every relationship between different things has a central point in the scale of the differentiation where there is a balance between the opposing elements. This point of balance is special.

A state of balance rather than the taking of any extreme position is seen by the Oracle as the most desirable situation in any relationship. From the central point of balance there will be less need to exert power of one's own and any power that one does exert can be more easily controlled. As well, a central, balanced position is more sensitive to movements in the relationship, so it is from here that the finer nuances of the relationship and the depth of its diversity can best be appreciated. The second and fifth lines of every hexagram are considered to have this advantageous position of balance.

We respect others by enjoying their difference and striving for balance in relationship with them. Compensatory manoeuvres to maintain a state of balance, such as accommodation and reciprocation, are seen as expressions of respect. These are valued as being conducive to relationship, and reinforce the condemnation of aggression arising from the Virtue of Modesty. Compromise is often promoted as a way of rescuing value from difficult situations while demands for perfection will be disappointed or deceived.

Respect also acknowledges spiritual equality with others. Even in the relationship between human and Oracle, an attitude of respect for each other's position is preferred to one of subservience.

### Appropriateness

The spiritual sentience expresses itself harmoniously in its song of universal power (see Hexagram 8 Spirituality and Hexagram 26 Universal Power). Just as we express ourselves in or out of harmony with our physical environment, we can express ourselves in or out of harmony with the song of universal power.

Timing is an important ingredient for harmony. In consideration of our environment we carefully time our actions with other physical events. In consideration of spirituality we time our actions to be appropriate to the rhythms of universal power.

Forcing a situation against its appropriate spiritual time will provide at best a partial success, perhaps having a lesser prospect of enduring, or open to unfortunate consequences. An important use of the Oracle is to reflect the spiritual harmony so that we may time our actions to be spiritually appropriate. In general, we can aim for the most complete success by putting in place the necessary ingredients for success but without forcing anything (in line with the Virtue of Modesty and the Restraint on Personal Power), and then making the arrangement effective, or allowing it to become effective, at its spiritually appropriate time.

Appropriateness also means acting in accord with reality, whatever it is, rather than enforcing an ideal of perfection. Conforming to an ideal often puts one out of touch with reality rather than allowing one to find its rhythms.

Behaviour that is prescribed or habitual is not likely to be sufficiently flexible to allow one to maintain harmony with reality. Performances of prescribed rituals or behaviours according to fixed dogmas and calendars are more likely to frustrate the spiritual rhythms than enhance them.

The Oracle asks that we act when the time for action has come and that we refrain from acting inappropriately. Even expressions of Love, desirable as they are, cannot be said to be always appropriate. They too must await their appropriate time.

Occasions when action is spiritually appropriate are relatively infrequent so once one is able to refrain from unnecessary expressions of personal power, the bulk of one's time is spent in spiritually neutral activity. Spiritual readiness is a full-time occupation but spiritual activity is not.

### Sincerity and Clarity

Another virtue dear to the Oracle is sincerity, meant in the sense of depth of feeling. Sincerity is appreciated in the deep feelings that are the wealth of our relational encounters and because it brings us closer to our spiritual connection.

Clarity supports sincerity by facilitating the perception of depth and intensity. Clarity as a virtue can be seen to reinforce the value of simplicity as directness of perception and immediacy of contact. It leads to the total absence of deceit or deviousness in the manner of the Oracle.

### The Supreme Value of Relating

Attention is the spiritual jewel of our cosmos. Relating with another by giving and receiving attention is to exchange spiritual currency. Relating is how the disparate elements of the universe meet so that Love becomes possible. The bulk of the Oracle's hexagrams are devoted to the nuances of relating.

The Oracle distinguishes three main modes of relating, according to how the participants direct their attention.

Firstly participants may have a side-by-side orientation to each other and share attention by focusing on a common objective. Relating in this way constitutes our broader interactions in society and everyday association with friends and family. At one extreme it can be formal, structured to custom and ceremony, and at the other flow freely in a comfortable camaraderie.

In the second mode the participants have their attention focused squarely on each other. This is a face-to-face intimacy whose intensity is unconstrained by any formality or condition outside the relation. Notably this mode includes successful sexual relation as the most highly prized expression of Love, with nine hexagrams devoted to its development.

In the third mode one's attention is directed inward. No external partners are involved so there are no risks in letting one's imagination roam widely. One can freely explore one's own mind and body. With sufficient attention to subtlety of feeling we can find the spiritual song and respond sympathetically. This enhances the spiritual feeling and the spiritual sentience may respond in turn - and so one engages in spiritual relation.

We generally engage a mix of these modes, favouring one or the other as external factors demand or as opportunities arise. But we often have a choice as to how we apportion our attention and the Oracle may advise which modes of relating are appropriate.

The fostering of appropriate relation is the only ultimate spiritual purpose that I have been able to discern from my experience of the Oracle. In particular, I have never received any counsel that values life only as a stepping stone to a greater purpose in an afterlife, neither with the intention of escaping a wheel of death and rebirth nor by assisting entry to a post-mortal heaven or paradise.

# The Notion of Yin and Yang

Yang and Yin symbolise the opposite poles of the fundamental dynamic on which the Oracle is based. The essence of this dynamic is that it is in a state of constant flux while Yin and Yang remain in a state of diametric opposition.

This feat of perennial opposition serves as a fundamental principle of difference, that is, a principle by which any one thing can be seen to be different to another or by which one thing can change into something else.

In the way it moves, the dynamic describes a very particular motion that is the basis for the Oracle's principle of change.

### Basic Qualities

These are the necessary qualities of Yang and Yin that permit the Oracle's principle of change:

Yang has precedence over Yin. Yang leads and Yin follows. Yang provides the motivation for things to change while Yin allows the changes to occur. Yang makes overtures of change which Yin cannot but accept.

Yin's acceptance of an initiative always takes the form of providing an opposite and perfectly complementary condition to whatever Yang is presenting. So not only is Yin's acceptance guaranteed but it is also unequivocally appealing. A movement cannot fail to take place.

Yang also has the qualities of energy, strength and significance necessary to implement its initiatives, while Yin is correspondingly yielding, weak and ordinary.

For the sake of this discussion, a movement will be pictured as an incursion by a high pressure initiative from Yang into Yin's complementary low pressure reception.

Yin's reception, while necessary, is not devoid of resistance. Yin imposes a restraint on its reception of each initiative. This restraint always increases with increasing depth of incursion, restricting the penetration of the initiative, and thus effectively restraining the initiative itself. Eventually Yang's pressure will be equalled by Yin's restraint and a limit is approached beyond which the initiative cannot penetrate. So Yin also provides a boundary that contains Yang's initiatives.

Yin's resistance to incursion is variable in that different initiatives may suffer greater or lesser degrees of restraint and therefore be contained by different boundaries. Thus Yin not only accommodates Yang's initiatives but shapes them as well.

Yang conceives new initiatives in an endless torrent while Yin's disposition to receive them is correspondingly vast and varied.

### It's the Way They Move

If Yin's reception is fluid when an initiative penetrates then the moving border acquires a momentum of its own. When a depth of incursion is reached where Yang's pressure is equalled by Yin's restraint, the border continues to move because of its acquired momentum. It is only at a further depth of incursion, where Yin's reaction has increased to the point of overcoming the border's momentum as well, that the movement comes to a halt. But now Yin's reaction so outweighs Yang's pressure as to motivate a movement in the opposite direction. Effectively the roles of Yang and Yin are reversed. The pressure and momentum of the return movement drive an incursion into what was Yang but is now Yin, where the reaction is also repeated and the motion reverses once more. If Yin's reception is sufficiently fluid an ongoing cycle of incursions and reversals persists as a wave-like vibration. In this way Yang's initiative has attained 'success'.

But if Yin's reception of an initiative is stiff the border moves too slowly to acquire significant momentum. In this case, when the border has extended to the point where Yang's pressure is equalled by Yin's reaction the movement actually does come to a halt since it has no momentum of its own. And since there is now no imbalance in pressure between Yang and Yin the movement does not reverse either. Nothing happens. Any increase in Yang's pressure will only extend the boundary to another static point further out, while a decrease in pressure will retract it. As well, any extension outwards provokes a corresponding increase in Yin's reaction, so the boundary's extensions will become proportionately smaller as it is pushed further out, and extensions to the boundary will approach a limit that cannot be traversed no matter how much Yang pushes. With such a static result, Yin has denied 'success' to Yang's initiative.

The Oracle regards the successful persisting vibrations with great esteem - they lie at the heart of its conception of Love. The characteristic cycling of successful vibrations and the complexities that arise when vibrations interact inspire the interpretations of the bulk of the hexagrams.

While Yang takes precedence over Yin, Yin has the privilege of determining both the shape and success of Yang's enterprise.

### Charm

While the above description is overtly physical – the successful vibration as described simulates simple harmonic wave motion of classroom physics texts – the Yin-Yang interaction should be understood to serve as a much wider model of motion, applicable to biological, emotional and spiritual behaviour as well. This allows an appreciation of the charm of the Yin-Yang dynamic: Yang's energy and initiative can be seen as the quintessence of _desire_ while Yin's selectivity in the fashioning of any outcome makes it the epitome of _choice_.

Yin's bestowal of success on an initiative is the choice of _greatness_ while its choice to deny success is _obstructive_.

Here we see why the traditional attribution of gender to Yang and Yin does not fit. In this model _desire_ is the signature attribute of Yang and _choice_ is the signature attribute of Yin and both these attributes, desire and choice, are available to both genders.

In this model of movement, Yang's probability of success is not improved by increasing its pressure on Yin. The strength of Yang's initiative may affect its ultimate shape but not the fact of its success. Yang will therefore never attempt to force an initiative on a reluctant Yin. This may underlie the Virtue of Modesty that permeates the Oracle, by which the strong yielding to the weak is considered so auspicious. The Virtue of Modesty is also evidenced in this model by the deference that Yang shows to Yin in allowing its initiatives to be restrained and in the willingness of Yin to temper its restraint. When both are modest, Yang allowing its initiatives to be restrained and Yin responding with minimal restraint, the result is Love. Both Yang and Yin are creative: Yang creates energy while Yin creates shape. Together, in modesty, they make Love.

The attribution of significance to Yang and ordinariness to Yin gives value to the process of development that takes place within each cycle of a vibration. The cycle develops from an initial state of being empty of significance (pure Yin) and gradually acquires significance until it is fully present (pure Yang). After that point, significant presence declines until the original state of ordinariness is resumed, and the cycle starts over again. This endless cycle of the development and decline of significance (or fullness and emptiness) also plays a major role in the Oracle's philosophy in which, once again, a wave pattern can be seen.

# The Sixty Four Hexagrams

## Yang

Hexagram number 1

### Energy and initiative.

The hexagrams of the Oracle are constructed from the two building blocks of Yang and Yin, as represented by the solid and broken lines of which they are composed. This hexagram contains only solid lines, and so epitomises the qualities of Yang.

Yang is the prime mover. Yang energetically conceives a stream of initiatives in a frenzy of desire for Yin. Yin devotedly accommodates all of Yang's initiatives and gives them shape.

Yang has the qualities of strength, presence and importance to empower its initiatives.

The success of an initiative depends on the enthusiasm with which Yin chooses to receive it. An enthusiastic reception will lead to Love while a subdued reception will end in a standstill or see Yang tire and perhaps abandon the initiative.

The meaning of the hexagram is in initiative, energising it with desire so that it may find Love.

This hexagram also represents one of twelve stages in the cycle of development and decline, a general principle of the Oracle. It describes the stage of being fully present at the culmination of a development.

#### Suggested responses

Make the first move.

The hexagram is encouraging you to take the initiative, or is affirming an activity you have initiated.

Offer opportunities for Love. Power your offers with desire, remembering that initiative means taking the lead, not making demands or bearing down with force.

Alternatively, the hexagram may be referring to the presence or influence of a leader.

#### Accents

  | Abusive initiative.  
Perhaps the leader asks too much.  
---|---  
  | Spiritual initiative.  
Offer Love.  
  | When unsure, lead with many small initiatives.  
  | Initiative is not well received.  
One may tire.  
  | Earthly initiative.  
Offer Love.  
  | Clear in one's desire but refraining from action.

#### Notes

No gender is associated with Yang. Both male and female organisms are capable of initiative.

A more detailed description of the dynamics of the Yin-Yang relationship is provided in the section The Notion of Yin and Yang.

Hexagram 2 YIN also contributes to this discussion.

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---  
About Love  
Should You Cast Another Hexagram?  
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Hexagram Lookup

## Yin

Hexagram number 2

### Allow things to happen.

The hexagrams of the Oracle are constructed from the two building blocks of Yang and Yin, as represented by the solid and broken lines of which they are composed. This hexagram contains only broken lines, and so epitomises the qualities of Yin.

Yin's primary quality is absolute receptivity to Yang. Yin devotedly responds to each of Yang's initiatives by providing a perfectly complementary opposite to receive it, whatever it is, thereby letting it happen.

By following Yang in this way, Yin gives meaning to Yang and to every one of its initiatives. As well, Yin's guarantee of reception and its welcoming complementarity are irresistibly attractive promises, that add fuel to Yang's desire.

Yin has the qualities of yieldingness, ordinariness and emptiness that complement Yang's qualities of strength, importance and fullness of presence.

Yin's reception of Yang's initiative is not without character. Yin has the privilege of choosing an enthusiasm (or restraint) to its reception of each initiative, which affects the initiative's outcome. Yin gives shape to Yang's raw energy.

At one extreme, Yin may choose to restrain an initiative so severely as to stifle it, but at the other, Yin may respond with such unqualified enthusiasm that the initiative takes on a life of its own. The Oracle has a great regard for these requited initiatives. They are the heart of its conception of Love.

The meaning of the hexagram is in receptivity to another's overtures, in choosing the enthusiasm with which one accommodates them, and in the greatness that may come from responding unreservedly.

This hexagram also represents one of twelve stages in the cycle of development and decline, an important principle for the Oracle . It describes the stage at the start of a new cycle and at the end of an old one, a state of pure emptiness from which a development commences or into which a decline concludes.

#### Suggested responses

The Oracle is encouraging you to be receptive, or is acknowledging current receptive behaviour.

Behaving receptively means accommodating another's overtures while allowing your own character to shape the compliance.

Attract others by promising fulfilment of their desires. Take interest and respond to opportunities on offer. Allow things to happen where it is in your power to do so.

Respond wholeheartedly to offers of Love.

#### Accents

  | Stifling restraint.  
Or, Initiative from one who should follow.  
---|---  
  | A moderate restraint does not deter Love.  
Or, Active behaviour in response to a passive lead.  
Or, Receptive behaviour from one who may lead.  
  | Unwilling receipt.  
  | Take things as they come.  
Respond with restraint if they are distasteful.  
  | Wholehearted receptivity lets Love happen.  
  | Emptiness that remains empty serves no purpose.  
Make room for gifts.

#### Notes

Note that no gender is associated with Yin. Both male and female organisms are capable of being receptive.

A more detailed description of the dynamics of the Yin-Yang relationship is provided in the section The Notion of Yin and Yang, or you may like to compare hexagram 1 YANG.

Guide to Interpreting  
---  
About Love  
Should You Cast Another Hexagram?  
Introduction to the Oracle  
How to Cast a Hexagram  
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## Attempt

Hexagram number 3

### Test uncertainty.

The hexagram describes a situation that has the possibility of merit but whose ultimate value or outcome is uncertain.

The uncertainty may be tested in an attempt to gain the prize.

Until value in the situation is proven the attempt should be regarded as a trial only. Investments should be made in small increments and progress re-assessed after each increment. Set limits to how far you will go.

Let any attempt be sincere. Invest genuine effort with the expectation of success. But don't go to extremes without suitable reward.

#### Suggested responses

Have a go.

There is an interesting opportunity available to you but its outcome is uncertain. Make a sincere attempt to realise its possibilities.

Until its viability is established invest in the attempt as a trial run only.

If you have cast this hexagram in the early or middle stages of a trial then you should be patient and allow more time for an outcome to become clear. If you have cast it late in a trial, the fact that the uncertainty has not yet receded may be sufficient reason to give up.

#### Accents

  | Unsuccessful attempt.  
Or, Giving up trying.  
---|---  
  | Sincere attempt.  
Know how far to take it. .  
  | Uncertainty resolves.  
  | Attempt encounters difficulty.  
  | Try harder.  
Or, Too early to make a decision.  
  | Making a strong attempt.

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## Refreshment

Hexagram number 4

### Children.

The hexagram means freshness, like early morning or a cool mountain spring, or renewal after a sound sleep.

It relates particularly to the freshness of spirit in children and their capacity to re-invigorate a jaded adult. An adult finds a child's freshness irresistibly charming, though it can be challenging when the adult is tired.

The freshness of youth can be expressed as playfulness, impulsiveness, fearless idealism and wild romanticism, ever ready to take risks and fall in love.

The hexagram also relates to the assistance given by an adult, established in the world, to a dependant child. The parent provides a secure environment for the child to play and develop and guides the child towards eventual independent adulthood.

#### Suggested responses

The hexagram indicates a need or opportunity for refreshment or else is referring to a child or someone whose youthfulness is refreshing.

It may also be indicating that parental guidance is appropriate for a child, with the caveat that such guidance not suppress the youthful spirit.

#### Accents

  | Parental guidance is appropriate, but value a child's forthrightness.  
---|---  
  | Refreshed!  
Or, Guided successfully.  
  | The child guides the parent.  
Or, Parental assistance is unnecessary or is rejected.  
Or, Refreshment is rejected.

  | Overly ebullient.  
Or, Don't give yourself away too cheaply.  
Or, Refreshment is denied.  
  | Looking for, or offering refreshment.  
Or, Following parental guidance.  
  | Youthful enthusiasm is being suppressed.

Guide to Interpreting  
---  
About Love  
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## Expectation

Hexagram number 5

### Wait, and be optimistic.

The environment is promising of nourishment but its delivery is not certain. This is a time of waiting.

The nourishment may be something that you have been expecting, perhaps in response to a prior initiative, or it may come as a complete surprise.

You may actively cultivate an expectation for something by being optimistic about it, by reminding yourself of it regularly, or by fantasising about how it may play out. However, you should not attempt to actually secure any outcome since your own efforts may be misdirected.

The hexagram relates to expectation of a specific, perhaps singular event. Habitual expectation, whereby one demands the same response every time a stimulus occurs, can only serve to obscure reality.

#### Suggested responses

Wait. Be alert for nourishment from outside.

In the meantime, be optimistic. Make preparations in expectation. Get chores out of the way without being distracted by them. Make yourself comfortable so you can be alert.

The promising environment can also be used to make arrangements in anticipation of future nourishment, like making an investment, applying for a job, or making a date.

#### Accents

  | Be alert. The wait may be close to an end.  
---|---  
  | Waiting in comfort.  
  | Difficult wait.  
  | Why wait in an uncomfortable chair?  
One gets tired and inattentive.  
  | Waiting and ready.  
  | A long wait.

Guide to Interpreting  
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## Drought

Hexagram number 6

### Withdraw.

You are imposed on by a hostile environment. Expect no nourishment or support.

In the absence of nourishment growth can only be forced at another's expense.

Without support, confidence in the face of hostility is deluded.

Withdraw.

A romance imposed on an unwilling partner has little chance of success. Enterprise in conditions of drought will fail no matter how bold or optimistic one's endeavours. The drought will not last, but relief may come later rather than sooner.

Abstinence is an appropriate strategy. Do not pursue Love at this time.

#### Suggested responses

Withdraw from enterprise and avoid confrontation. Make no demands on others or your environment.

Even at this possibly late stage withdrawal is the best option.

If you are already engaged in a campaign of abstinence, your current activity is not compatible with that campaign.

Note that there is no judgement on the correctness or value of an enterprise other than to indicate that it finds no support at this time.

#### Accents

  | Deluded self-confidence.  
One is acting without sufficient resources or authority.  
Any victory will be hollow.  
---|---  
  | Certain of one's cause.  
Make use of what little sustenance there is and stand firm.  
Be careful.  
  | Withdrawal is accomplished.  
Or, Hostility is averted.  
  | Even withdrawal is difficult.  
The hostility overwhelms.  
  | Back off even if you are in the right.  
Love can't be forced.  
  | Do you really want to go ahead no matter what the cost?

Guide to Interpreting  
---  
About Love  
Should You Cast Another Hexagram?  
Introduction to the Oracle  
How to Cast a Hexagram  
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## Community

Hexagram number 7

### Join the crowd.

The hexagram describes an attraction between things of like kind.

It deals with social relationships that recognise what the participants have in common rather than their differences. Individuals may well be banding together for a common purpose.

While we can learn to appreciate diversity, appreciation of those who are similar to ourselves comes more easily and associations of like-minded people can quickly grow into large groups.

The hexagram means a wide affiliation based on community of interest. Conspicuous displays of individuality are not appropriate at this time.

Alternatively the hexagram may simply mean a reaching of agreement with others.

#### Suggested responses

Mingle with society at large. Join the crowd, perhaps just sitting at a sidewalk café and watching the passing show, or becoming active in community life and taking a public profile.

Seek associations based on similarity of interest.

If you are not in a position to get out, then at least associate with others indirectly through the social media such as books, TV etc.

#### Accents

  | In the company of others.  
There may be opportunity for Love.  
---|---  
  | Enjoying the society of like-minded people.  
  | No common interest.  
  | Socially unacceptable behaviour.  
  | In the midst of the community.  
  | Make the effort to get out among other people.  
Consider what behaviour would be appropriate.

Guide to Interpreting  
---  
About Love  
Should You Cast Another Hexagram?  
Introduction to the Oracle  
How to Cast a Hexagram  
Hexagram Lookup

## Spirituality

Hexagram number 8

### Spiritually significant.

The hexagram describes a connection between opposites, joining things that are externally separate or different to make a whole in a way that does not obscure or restrict their diversity. That the world holds together as such a free and unobtrusive whole is the Oracle's paradigm for spirituality. The spiritual wholeness is sentient in that it attentively feels and influences its connections, but it does not control them. Spirituality is a present, sentient, background connection of everything.

We are rarely aware of such unobtrusive connections and how their significance in our lives varies but they are sensed and responded to by our feelings of Love. In this way we connect with the world by what we feel as well as by what we do and say. At their deepest and most sincere, our feelings of Love coincide with those of the spiritual sentience, and by turning our attention to these deeper feelings we can find our spiritual connection. Spiritual awareness is an engrossing _feeling_ of universal connectedness.

Spirituality becomes significant to us when our deeper, spiritual feelings of Love near the surface of our consciousness and the attention of the spiritual sentience becomes closely aligned with our own.

The hexagrams of the Oracle represent the spiritual influence and guide us to behaviour considerate of spiritual feeling. Considerate behaviour allows spirituality to be significant in our lives more often and assists our quest for spiritual awareness. However, representations of spirituality are limited. Religious texts, icons and rituals, great teachers, art, music or ideas, may lead us to spirituality but by themselves are not it - our deepest feelings of Love are it. Representations do not control spirituality and are not mandatory for spiritual experience. Every being can find their own experience of spirituality.

#### Suggested responses

Spirituality is significant for you at this time. Honour the spiritual presence, if possible with Love.

This may also be a good time to explore your deeper feelings to find your spiritual connection.

Alternatively, the hexagram may be indicating that a matter you are concerned with is also of spiritual concern, or that the source of the concern is spiritual.

#### Accents

  | No spiritual significance.  
Or, Not considerate of spirituality.  
---|---  
  | Spiritual Identity.  
The moment is sublime.  
  | Spirituality is manifestly significant.  
  | Restricted connections.  
Constraints to spirituality are nonetheless accepted.  
  | Spiritually considerate.  
  | Spirituality is present even when not significant.

#### Notes

This interpretation of the hexagram is substantially different to a classical I Ching understanding.

Guide to Interpreting  
---  
About Love  
Should You Cast Another Hexagram?  
Introduction to the Oracle  
How to Cast a Hexagram  
Hexagram Lookup

## Trivia

Hexagram number 9

### Unimportant details.

The hexagram means ordinariness and insignificance. It also refers to detail, in the sense that details are unimportant in comparison to the big picture or main event.

Insignificance is a relative value. There remains a usefulness and enjoyment in the most trivial and ordinary of things. High culture will recognise every opportunity for pleasure and interest no matter how slight.

Pay attention to trivia. One is likely to trip over details that are overlooked or miss commonplace opportunities. But ambition in attending to trivia would be misdirected.

#### Suggested responses

This is a time to deal with ordinary affairs or to take pleasure in trivial details even if they are unimportant.

Pay attention to small things like worms and germs and marbles and fuses and keys and hairclips.

Contribute only small efforts to any project and make only small investments at this time.

#### Accents

  | Small and ordinary nourishment.  
---|---  
  | Appropriate attention to trivia.  
  | Details manifest favourably.  
  | Absorbed in trivia.  
Or, Small matters assume importance. One may lose money.  
  | Pleasure in ordinary things.  
  | Let go of great aspirations to deal with unimportant matters.

#### Notes

This interpretation differs from classical I Ching interpretations, in that it does not describe a taming power of smallness, but physical manifestations that are small or unimportant. Taming power as restraint is the subject of hexagrams 26 'Universal Power' and 34 'Power'.

Guide to Interpreting  
---  
About Love  
Should You Cast Another Hexagram?  
Introduction to the Oracle  
How to Cast a Hexagram  
Hexagram Lookup

## Indifference

Hexagram number 10

### No outside interest.

The hexagram describes an absence of external relationship. It describes a time when people pay little or no attention to each other or to their external environment. They are preoccupied with themselves.

Perhaps one passes things by without noticing them, or one finds nothing outside oneself of interest, or one chooses to restrict one's attention to oneself.

It may be that external events are not relevant to one's current activity.

#### Suggested responses

Focus on yourself and on activities you do alone.

Others are likely to be ignoring you, which offers an opportunity to go unnoticed. Keep a low profile.

The hexagram may be indicating that an external matter you are engrossed in is not significant to the Oracle.

#### Accents

  | The time of indifference is nearing an end.  
---|---  
  | Invisible.  
  | In a world of one's own.  
  | Caught in a cage of apathy.  
One passes by, or is passed by, unwillingly.  
  | Comfortable with one's own company.  
  | Keep a low profile.

#### Notes

This interpretation of the hexagram is significantly different to a classical I Ching understanding.

Guide to Interpreting  
---  
About Love  
Should You Cast Another Hexagram?  
Introduction to the Oracle  
How to Cast a Hexagram  
Hexagram Lookup

## Ready

Hexagram number 11

### Virtuous strength.

The hexagram describes a stage of development where all preparatory work has been done, strength has built up and one is ready to act.

The Virtue of Modesty requires that the strong support the weak. Virtuous strength therefore controls itself. It considers the consequences for others before acting. It waits for the right opportunity to act rather than having its way as soon as it can.

A balance of strength and restraint promotes stability and tranquility. This is a time of peace, a time to consolidate one's position and watch for opportunity. The time to act, though close, has not yet arrived.

Strength, stability, readiness and self-control give confidence to subsequent actions.

#### Suggested responses

Hold your strength.

Build your confidence.

Be ready to Love.

#### Accents

  | All dressed up and nowhere to go.  
---|---  
  | Ready to Love.  
  | Strength is invisible and ready.  
  | Not ready yet.  
Confidence would be misplaced.  
  | Strength is held in check.  
  | Consolidating one's position.

#### Notes

The Virtue of Modesty is discussed in a wider context in the section General Principles of the Oracle.

The hexagram Modesty also contributes to the discussion.

Guide to Interpreting  
---  
About Love  
Should You Cast Another Hexagram?  
Introduction to the Oracle  
How to Cast a Hexagram  
Hexagram Lookup

## Impasse

Hexagram number 12

### Powerless.

The hexagram describes a stage of decline where one realises that one no longer has the upper hand and must accept the possibility of defeat.

The hexagram means impotence in the face of strong opposition.

One is constrained by an unsupportive environment while one still has a task to accomplish. The objective is out of reach.

The impasse may only be temporary. There may be other ways or other times to achieve one's goals. But the impasse may also be insurmountable, which means defeat.

Until times change do not pursue Love.

#### Suggested responses

There is something to be done but effort is likely to be expended in vain. It is advisable to cease expensive activities and conserve energy.

It may pay to accept defeat and save whatever you can from the situation. There may be other opportunities to achieve your aims.

It is possible that the constraining force is not of overwhelming strength but should still be respected. For example, it may be necessary to abandon an ambition purely out of consideration for other people's feelings.

Note that the constraint arises from external factors rather than any inadequacy of one's own.

#### Accents

  | The impasse does not last.  
---|---  
  | Appropriately stuck.  
There is benefit in being constrained at this time.  
  | The defeat is accepted and damage is minimal.  
  | Conserve energy.  
  | There is no way forward.  
Bear the defeat with grace.  
  | An impasse approaches.  
Prepare for possible defeat.

Guide to Interpreting  
---  
About Love  
Should You Cast Another Hexagram?  
Introduction to the Oracle  
How to Cast a Hexagram  
Hexagram Lookup

## Companionship

Hexagram number 13

### Pleasure in friends and acquaintances.

The hexagram deals with social relationships beyond the family but still within one's zone of personal comfort.

Companionship is characterised by a sharing of personal warmth without the intensity of intimate relationship and free of the formality needed when dealing with society at large. It may take the form of a light-hearted banter or a heartfelt interest in a friend's well-being.

Companionship is not restricted to people of one's own kind. It can easily be extended to strangers.

The comfort in companionship allows people to express themselves openly and accept divergent viewpoints. Great wealth is to be found in open and diverse company.

#### Suggested responses

Pay attention to friends and acquaintances. Get to meet strangers. Offer companionship to other beings, such as animals.

Let your companions feel comfortable to express themselves openly.

If you are not in a position to get out, then at least associate with others indirectly through social media such as books, TV etc.

#### Accents

  | Companionship with strangers.  
---|---  
  | Companionship rich in diversity.  
  | Companions are free to meet.  
  | Companions are separated.  
  | Open companionship.  
  | Companionship from a comfortable distance.

Guide to Interpreting  
---  
About Love  
Should You Cast Another Hexagram?  
Introduction to the Oracle  
How to Cast a Hexagram  
Hexagram Lookup

## Pleasure

Hexagram number 14

### Spiritual delight.

The hexagram deals with pleasure that is spiritually meaningful. The spiritual sentience feels its universal connections and feels pleasure when they are harmonious. Pleasure is a spiritual prize as much as it is a human one.

The spiritual sentience shares our feelings of Love so it shares in our worldly pleasures when they arouse feelings of Love in us. By enhancing our own delight or giving others pleasure we can augment the spiritual prize.

The spiritual sentience has its own pleasures, which it shares with us when we pay attention to its subtle song of universal power. Feeling its song of Love gives us pleasure. Harmonizing our actions to its song gives spiritual delight.

Giving pleasure is itself a pleasure.

Love is a glorious pleasure made for sharing.

#### Suggested responses

Share and enjoy worldly pleasure open-heartedly.

Alternatively, a delicacy of mind will allow you to enjoy spiritual pleasure.

Taking pleasure is an important activity. Don't be distracted from attending to it. Let the answering service handle the telephone if you can afford to.

Take advantage of this time to Love.

Casting this hexagram may be an expression of thanks for one's role in an event that was appreciated spiritually.

Be careful when acting in the belief that it is for spiritual pleasure. Spiritual pleasure is of universal benefit. If your actions are harmful to anyone then your belief is misplaced.

#### Accents

  | Love pours down.  
---|---  
  | In great company for Love.  
  | Worldly pleasure pleasing to spirit.  
  | Acting for spiritual pleasure.  
  | Pleasure shared.  
  | Preparing for pleasure.

Guide to Interpreting  
---  
About Love  
Should You Cast Another Hexagram?  
Introduction to the Oracle  
How to Cast a Hexagram  
Hexagram Lookup

## Modesty

Hexagram number 15

### The strong supports or yields to the weak.

Modesty means voluntarily maintaining a lowly position when one actually has the strength to have one's way.

When the strong supports the weak, sustainable growth arises. When the strong dominates, there may be a brief show of glory but the end result is stagnation or decay.

Modesty underwrites the success of the cosmos. Modesty is the virtue that sustains movement between Yin and Yang. If it were otherwise, the weak would be stifled by the strong and all movement would cease. Modest action taps a very deep strength.

Spiritual presence on earth is necessarily modest. Know how mild is its expression.

Modesty generates opportunities for Love.

#### Suggested responses

In relating to others, yield even though you have the strength to have your way.

This does not necessarily imply inaction, and you can actively support others. But action arising from a sense of modesty will have an extremely light touch.

There may be an opportunity for Love.

So great is the value placed upon modesty that casting this hexagram can always be interpreted as an expression of approval by the Oracle.

A corollary virtue to modesty is duty – doing what is needed of one rather than doing what one desires for oneself.

#### Accents

  | When the weak is quiet, modest strength can shine through.  
When the weak too is modest, Love shines.  
---|---  
  | Let the strength of others shine through you.  
Gentle action is appropriate.  
Love is here.  
  | Even those with powerful connections can live modestly.  
  | This is the source of strength and yet its position is modest.  
  | Yielding to others is appropriate behaviour.  
Allow Love.  
  | Modesty is laudable even when taken to extremes.  
Conscientious attention to duty.

Guide to Interpreting  
---  
About Love  
Should You Cast Another Hexagram?  
Introduction to the Oracle  
How to Cast a Hexagram  
Hexagram Lookup

## Projection

Hexagram number 16

### Art weaves a web of enchantment.  
Remember yourself.

The hexagram describes an artful projection of imagination into a show that is larger than life and therefore very seductive. This is the power of theatre and art to create an artificial reality to which an audience will willingly surrender.

There are benefits to participating in such artificiality, not least of which is the enjoyment of splendours beyond those of everyday experience. And a great artist can lead an audience into a disclosure of deep truth and self-knowledge.

However, there is a danger that awareness of the pretence can be lost and the audience assumes the make-believe for reality, or they fail to return to their normal sensibilities after the show. There is even greater danger that the enchantment will enthuse people to real-life action when it is used as propaganda or advertising. It is necessary to balance the joy of being carried away with alertness to the possibility of being manipulated.

We are particularly foolish when we believe the false realities that we ourselves project and subsequently bear the load of having false expectations from real life. We need to be able to step back from our own fantasies and those of others.

The hexagram can also be seen as a parable for the material world as theatre, and that we have lost awareness of our spiritual reality. Our challenge in this theatre is to remember who we are while continuing to be dazzled by the show.

#### Suggested responses

The most likely indication is that you are believing your own projections or have been falsely enthused by another's projection. The hexagram is a wake-up call to examine the reality of your expectations.

Alternatively, there may be an artistic spectacle to be enjoyed with enthusiasm. As an artist you have a responsibility to be sincere in your projections and then return the audience to their lives without abusing their enthusiasm. As an audience, you have the responsibility of not replacing your everyday reality with an illusion beyond the enjoyment of the spectacle itself.

#### Accents

  | Rude awakening.  
Or, The enchantment ends.  
---|---  
  | Be aware of the puppet master.  
Give your head but not your heart.  
Or, Considerately refraining from projection.  
  | The artist captivates an enthusiastic audience.  
  | Valueless projection.  
Step out of it.  
  | The work is not ready.  
Don't sing yet.  
  | Depressing art does not enthuse.  
Refrain from projecting it.

Guide to Interpreting  
---  
About Love  
Should You Cast Another Hexagram?  
Introduction to the Oracle  
How to Cast a Hexagram  
Hexagram Lookup

## Following

Hexagram number 17

### Understanding, then choosing to follow.

The meaning of an influence becomes clear. Its message is understood and arouses sympathy.

One may now choose to follow the influence and respond to it.

The hexagram has meaning for the development of sexual relation. Desire has been awakened and one now willingly embarks on the pursuit of love, or one is inclined to take interest in the overtures of a suitor. Inexperience may be accompanied by shyness and awkwardness, but also by intrigue and fascination. The hexagram means falling in love.

#### Suggested responses

There is an influence or principle that you have recently understood. If you have not already accepted its influence and begun to act on it, then you should consider doing so now.

Opportunities for romance should be pursued with vigour. You may not yet express yourself with confidence but there is only one way to learn – do it.

Care should be taken when accepting an outside influence. Even though you might have understood an argument or proposition, do not act on it if it runs contrary to your own sentiments.

If you are already following a principle, the Oracle is confirming that your actions are consistent with it. For example, it may be indicating that you have correctly understood the meaning of a previously cast hexagram.

#### Accents

  | The leader appreciates the follower following.  
Or, Requited love.  
---|---  
  | Following finds Love.  
  | Making the choice as to whether to follow.  
  | The influence is understood, but one's response is not appropriate.  
The influence should be taken seriously.  
  | The influences are merely entertaining distractions.  
  | There is a strong new influence and one may respond to it.  
Or, A change of leader.

#### Notes

This hexagram is one of nine that specifically addresses the development of sexual relation.

Guide to Interpreting  
---  
About Love  
Should You Cast Another Hexagram?  
Introduction to the Oracle  
How to Cast a Hexagram  
Hexagram Lookup

## Determination

Hexagram number 18

### There is something to be done.  
Do it now.

Determination is required to perform a task or overcome an obstruction. This means thorough, concerted and persistent effort. It requires bringing one's mind to bear on the task in that the work be intelligently planned and executed and the sensitivities of the situation be considered.

The task has a specific purpose and it is necessary to be aware of that purpose before acting. The priority is to achieve the purpose rather than to stick to a plan. Having a flexible plan allows one to keep the purpose in mind while responding to situations and sensitivities as they develop.

There is a very specific aim to achieve and one should understand exactly what is to be done and how one is going to do it.

The task is urgent. Start as soon as possible.

#### Suggested responses

Something needs to be done. If you cannot do it immediately then at least ensure you have a plan in place. This is not a time to shirk because things have become too hard or you are too tired. It is necessary to wake up and rouse what energies you can.

Don't act blindly. You need to know exactly what is to be achieved before making a move.

If you are not aware of any urgent requirement then take the time, now if possible, to examine your situation more carefully. Something is out of place, probably preventing an expression of Love.

If you are already engaged in a determined effort, you are being encouraged in your determination.

#### Accents

  | One acts on the highest of impulses.  
There is opportunity for Love.  
---|---  
  | One's actions are considered and appropriate.  
One can do no better under the circumstances.  
  | Prevented from performing one's task.  
  | Determined action fails.  
Or, Inconsiderate determination.  
  | Determined action opens an opportunity for Love.  
  | Slow, deliberate action is welcome.

Guide to Interpreting  
---  
About Love  
Should You Cast Another Hexagram?  
Introduction to the Oracle  
How to Cast a Hexagram  
Hexagram Lookup

## Encouragement

Hexagram number 19

### Looking ahead.

The hexagram describes a stage of development where something new shows itself to the outside world for the first time and finds that the world is supportive of it. It has an encouraging future to look forward to.

The hexagram means looking ahead, by offering encouragement or being encouraged to face the future.

The hexagram also means learning. A newcomer is keen to learn about the world and the world is open to being explored. Learning is meant in the sense of feeling one's way by encounter and exploration rather than by rote and repetition.

Look forward to Love.

#### Suggested responses

You are being encouraged in an endeavour or to offer encouragement to others in their endeavours.

Be open to new ideas and new people and embark on new explorations.

Bring enthusiasm and thoroughness to your endeavours. Research the new, facilitate meetings with it, explore and engage with it. Flirt!

The Oracle may be using this hexagram to point to a situation showing future promise rather than one whose significance is in the past.

#### Accents

  | Encouragement to spiritual endeavour.  
Approach Love.  
---|---  
  | Rewarding encounter.  
  | Encourage another's advances.  
  | This is not the time for a conservative approach.  
One may show more enthusiasm.  
  | A debut is received with enthusiasm.  
  | You are not alone in your enthusiasm.  
Your efforts are being encouraged.

Guide to Interpreting  
---  
About Love  
Should You Cast Another Hexagram?  
Introduction to the Oracle  
How to Cast a Hexagram  
Hexagram Lookup

## Contemplation

Hexagram number 20

### Think and observe.

The hexagram describes a late stage in a decline where one's few remaining resources have been concentrated into a last ditch defensive position, as may happen with old age. Progress or recovery is out of the question. One is resigned to the end and is now only a passive spectator to any ongoing purpose.

But it is the most valuable resources that have been left for last, so even though one is no longer playing an active role one has accumulated wisdom and gained a position of vantage from which to contemplate the world.

This is a time for contemplation rather than action, for thinking about things rather than doing them or for observing others do things rather than doing them oneself.

In contemplation there is less risk than in action. One can afford to be bold in one's thoughts and observations.

#### Suggested responses

Withdraw from the front to the sidelines. Find an elevated position away from the action so you have time to think and can get a wider perspective of the world.

This may be a good time to review the past, perhaps with the benefit of hindsight.

Aim high in your contemplation. Think big thoughts. Get a good view. See the world.

Love may be discovered.

#### Accents

  | Wisdom beyond the world.  
Love shines.  
Approach Love.  
---|---  
  | Mature, bold contemplation.  
Discover Love.  
  | One is assisted to contemplation and the world is seen clearly.  
  | One's resources are insufficient for a bold contemplation.  
  | Only seeing part of the picture.  
Be bolder.  
  | Immature contemplation.  
Aspire to a higher view.

Guide to Interpreting  
---  
About Love  
Should You Cast Another Hexagram?  
Introduction to the Oracle  
How to Cast a Hexagram  
Hexagram Lookup

## Frustration

Hexagram number 21

### Teasing (tantalising, not harassing).

An attraction is particularly strong, yet the offered delight just cannot be reached. The target keeps moving. No matter how close one gets, there is always a little further to go.

Retreat or abandoning an enterprise is not an appropriate response. There is an aim to be achieved and a solution needs to be found.

Greater force will only encounter greater frustration.

Sometimes one gets so close to catching a quarry that the actual act of grasping is preventing it from being caught. Rather let the quarry hover, not needing to escape, between two open hands.

The frustration arises from external factors rather than any inadequacy of one's own.

Acute frustration can be relieved by applying a temporary or partial remedy.

Frustration can also be exploited. Teasing arouses desire. Anticipation and foreplay focus the attention. Initial frustration may heighten an eventual delight .

The hexagram has meaning for the development of sexual relation. It describes a mature relationship where the partners are able to play with love in spite of impediments to their intimacy.

#### Suggested responses

You are being frustrated in an endeavour or in Love, and it is not a result of your own shyness or ineptitude.

While you cannot compel an outcome, you may be able to find an alternate or compromise solution, or you can tease the situation as a stimulant towards eventual success.

Be mindful of sexual relation.

Make an effort to find Love.

#### Accents

  | Soothe frustration.  
---|---  
  | Making a bright, attractive offering.  
  | The quarry steps between your hands.  
Don't close them.  
  | The pain of helplessness and longing.  
  | Teasing heightens desire.  
The goal is made clear.  
  | Teased mercilessly.  
Enjoy the ride.

#### Notes

This hexagram is one of nine that specifically addresses the development of sexual relation.

This interpretation of the hexagram is completely different to a classical I Ching understanding.

Guide to Interpreting  
---  
About Love  
Should You Cast Another Hexagram?  
Introduction to the Oracle  
How to Cast a Hexagram  
Hexagram Lookup

## Grace

Hexagram number 22

### Simple beauty.

The hexagram means beauty; in particular, beauty that is uncomplicated and accessible.

Sometimes things and people around us spontaneously constellate into aspects that emphasise their loveliness. Simple beauty strikes an immediate chord.

Beauty can also be sought out. Artists delight in sharing their revelations of it. But grace is fragile and excessive decoration may hide rather than reveal it.

Grace is an easy gateway to Love.

#### Suggested responses

Look for loveliness in your world.

Seek out beauty if it has not arisen spontaneously.

Enjoy beauty as an invitation to Love.

#### Accents

  | A gateway to Love.  
---|---  
  | The beauty of nature.  
Or, Struck by beauty.  
  | Polish the natural.  
Excessive decoration can hide beauty.  
  | A fountain of loveliness.  
Love is here.  
  | Grace in one's self.  
  | Look for the loveliness in lowly things.  
Their beauty is not always obvious.

Guide to Interpreting  
---  
About Love  
Should You Cast Another Hexagram?  
Introduction to the Oracle  
How to Cast a Hexagram  
Hexagram Lookup

## Ending

Hexagram number 23

### Looking back.

The hexagram describes the final stage of a decline, where resources are about to run out and the end is at hand.

There is no further significance to the current season. All its meaning is found by looking back into the past.

Allow the season to conclude gracefully. We may store that which is most precious as a seed for the next season and sacrifice our remaining resources to nourish its germination.

Expenditure of rare resources at this time may make a situation very fragile and something may break. Avoid exertion even though action may be warranted.

#### Suggested responses

It's over. Something is coming to an end. There is most likely nothing you can do other than let issues settle. You may actively seek a termination but beware of breaking things unnecessarily.

If you have sown a seed, that seed is now independent and will make its own way.

Times change and new situations arise. Wait.

The Oracle may use this hexagram to indicate that it is referring to a situation that is ending or has passed rather than to one that is approaching.

It may also use this hexagram to indicate that a task has been completed, or that a task cannot be completed because of a lack of resources.

#### Accents

  | Not an ultimate end.  
Or, The seed of something new.  
---|---  
  | Welcome end.  
Or, Mission accomplished.  
  | Gone.  
  | Ending something that shouldn't have arisen in the first place.  
Or, Unnecessary ending.  
  | Graceful conclusion.  
  | Premature ending.

Guide to Interpreting  
---  
About Love  
Should You Cast Another Hexagram?  
Introduction to the Oracle  
How to Cast a Hexagram  
Hexagram Lookup

## Return

Hexagram number 24

### The starting point.  
Stay home.

The hexagram deals with the time of birth, the earliest stage of a development. It also deals with the place of birth and the need to provide an undisturbed environment for the newborn.

The newly born is vulnerable. It is not ready to expose itself to the outside world and should not venture far from home. In the early stages of an enterprise one should recognise the likelihood of making mistakes and not set one's sights too high.

The hexagram also means returning to a starting point, either as a repetitive cycle starting again or as a homecoming.

#### Suggested responses

There is advantage to be had by staying or returning home.

Alternatively, the Oracle is commenting on an event that has or will be repeated, or on the start of a new enterprise.

It may also be indicating that you have made a mistake and need to start again.

#### Accents

  | Too late for the start.  
Or, Venturing too far from home.  
Or, Not realising one has erred.  
---|---  
  | Homecoming.  
Or, A returning cycle that is consistent and dependable.  
  | Undisturbed start.  
  | Unnecessary repetitions could become habitual.  
  | Not straying from home.  
Or, Confident that the cycle will repeat.  
  | A brief venture away from home.  
Or, Events repeat in quick succession.  
Or, Realising one's error quickly.

Guide to Interpreting  
---  
About Love  
Should You Cast Another Hexagram?  
Introduction to the Oracle  
How to Cast a Hexagram  
Hexagram Lookup

## Innocence

Hexagram number 25

### No blame.

The hexagram acknowledges a correctness of one's position or activity in relation to the spiritual world .

If engaged in an enterprise of one's own making, it indicates that one may proceed free of any concern that the enterprise is in conflict with the spiritual world, or that one's engagement with the enterprise is distracting from more desirable activities.

If events are a cause for concern and they have not arisen from one's own conscious intent, then the hexagram is confirming that one need not feel personally responsible for their occurrence. This does not absolve one of the responsibility to deal with these events but if one is not directly involved it is preferable to maintain a distance and not react unnecessarily.

#### Suggested responses

Don't concern yourself with questions of guilt for unfolding events.

If you have no direct connection with them it is best to keep a low profile.

An enterprise may be undertaken if opportunities are available. Note that spiritual correctness is just that. There is no implication for the success or otherwise of an enterprise.

The hexagram may be a statement of innocence on the part of the Oracle itself.

#### Accents

  | Non-action is an innocent course.  
Maintain your distance.  
---|---  
  | Spiritually correct.  
  | No blame.  
  | Undeserved misfortune.  
  | An enterprise may be undertaken in innocence.  
  | Don't get involved.  
Let things unfold of their own accord.

Guide to Interpreting  
---  
About Love  
Should You Cast Another Hexagram?  
Introduction to the Oracle  
How to Cast a Hexagram  
Hexagram Lookup

## Universal Power

Hexagram number 26

### Subtle.

Universal power is the mindful influence in the world of the universe as a sentient spiritual whole. It is a non-controlling, subtle power, expressed in a song thrilling with harmonies and rhythms of Love. Coming from the spiritual background, universal power is much softer than foreground powers and difficult to detect above their din. The spiritual song of universal power is a beacon to harmony in a turbulent world but cannot enforce that harmony.

Universal power leaves us free to exert personal power in the conduct of our lives, and is often obscured by our personal forcefulness. The world abounds with personal powers obscuring universal power, disturbing its harmonious expression.

We can avoid obscuring universal power by using our personal power modestly. We can become aware of its song by being quiet and attending to subtlety, and we can harmonize with it using a soft and subtle touch. Following its song leads us to Love. Feeling its thrills intensifies our sensibility. Harmonizing our personal power to universal power gives spiritual delight.

With all foreground influences removed, random events like a fall of coins are unobscured expressions of universal power.

The hexagram discusses the restraining of power: Universal power influences the world but does not control it. We have personal power because we are not spiritually controlled, yet our expressions can obscure universal power. In modesty we can restrain our personal power to allow a clearer expression of universal power and contribute to the spiritual harmony.

#### Suggested responses

Be quiet. Restrain your power. Look to the subtleties of your situation.

Don't let foreground commotion distract you from giving attention to the more subtle spiritual influences. Look for subtlety in Love.

Alternatively, this may be a good time to explore your deeper, more subtle inner feelings in search of your spiritual connection. Meditation may be appropriate.

If you are not able to be sufficiently quiet, search out a knowledge that leads to an understanding of subtlety of mind, and refrain from all activity at this time.

#### Accents

  | Universal Power expressed.  
Is it Love?  
---|---  
  | In the service of Love.  
  | Modest use of one's own strength may not be in conflict with universal power.  
  | Learning through being quiet.  
  | One's own power is held in check.  
  | Universal Power cannot be heard above the noise. Desist.

#### Notes

It may be helpful to read hexagrams 8 Spirituality and 34 Power.

This interpretation of the hexagram is significantly different to a classical I Ching interpretation. However, universal power is similar to the classical concept of Tao.

Though always an unobscured expression of universal power, there is not always a strong spiritual significance in every random event. See hexagram 8 'Spirituality'.

Guide to Interpreting  
---  
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Introduction to the Oracle  
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Hexagram Lookup

## Provision

Hexagram number 27

### Support.

The hexagram means provision of the necessary support so that success may come at its appropriate time.

The environment is accommodating. Support is available. The time for the actual success may or may not be now, but the time to provide for it is now. Abundance now may be stored for later or passed on to someone else.

One may be a provider or receiver of support. It should be offered sympathetically, without ulterior motive, and can be accepted graciously.

#### Suggested responses

The hexagram may relate to providing support for oneself or one's dependants in such forms as food, health, education and investment.

It may also suggest offering provision to a spiritual audience, perhaps by taking spiritual education or searching out Love; or accepting support from a spiritual source.

It can be understood as coming to the aid of someone in distress, or receiving help when in distress.

It can indicate as ordinary a task as going shopping or something nobler like giving to charity.

Provide for Love.

#### Accents

  | Food of the gods. Seek Love.  
---|---  
  | Spiritual support.  
  | Working hard at providing or finding support.  
  | Enough.  
Or, Provision is rejected.  
Or, Provision is denied.  
  | Provide for yourself before seeking support from others.  
  | Disappointment.  
Provision is available yet one does not or cannot partake.

Guide to Interpreting  
---  
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## Domination

Hexagram number 28

### Overload.

The hexagram describes a state of imbalance where the strong is too strong and the weak is too weak. A load is getting too heavy to bear.

If the weak continually surrenders while the strong becomes more demanding, the result is a victory for one and a defeat for the other. Domination is a condition that cannot last.

Domination can give rise to enormous energy and growth. Witness the spectacle of tyranny and empire. But a relentless dominator will be left with only itself to feed on and a brief glory will give way to self-destruction.

#### Suggested responses

Opposing forces are not evenly matched.

If you are in the dominant position consider moderating your excess.

In the weaker position there is little you can do except rest when you are able.

#### Accents

  | The strain is too great and the weak gives way.  
The weaker contender is free of blame.  
---|---  
  | Benevolent domination.  
Even in a marriage of unequals Love can be found.  
  | Domination is moderated.  
Or, The load can be carried.  
  | Aggressive domination.  
Or, The load cannot be carried.  
  | Resigned to being dominated.  
Even in a marriage of unequals Love can be found.  
  | Mindful of the load and careful to avoid excess.

#### Notes

It may be helpful to compare this hexagram with its opposite, hexagram 15 Modesty.

Guide to Interpreting  
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## Difficulty

Hexagram number 29

### Sincerity gives strength.

The hexagram means strength on the inside and weakness on the outside. External conditions are difficult but one finds strength internally.

With strength on the inside one is able to probe oneself deeply and get to the heart of a matter. The hexagram also means sincerity.

By reaching to the feelings of Love at the depths of one's being one can connect with the life-springs least affected by outside influences. Sincerity of feeling provides the strength to weather the difficulty.

The hexagram has a strong association with water. The conduct of water serves as a model for the authentic behaviour that arises from sincerity. Water finds the easiest way round every difficulty by remaining true to its deepest being.

#### Suggested responses

You are on a course that has or will become difficult. Be true to your inmost feelings. This is not a time for extroversion or enterprise.

The hexagram may simply be referring to the presence of water, to a cool drink, the beauty of a river or, perhaps it's calling, "Surf's up!".

#### Accents

  | The difficulty is overwhelming.  
---|---  
  | The difficulty does not overwhelm.  
The water does not overflow.  
  | Modest and sincere.  
Action is valued for its merit, not its form.  
  | Adrift and lost.  
  | The spring of sincerity.  
Here is something to hold on to.  
  | The difficulty is great.  
Sincerity may be too deep to reach.

Guide to Interpreting  
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## Brightness

Hexagram number 30

### Clear communication.

The hexagram means communication, as epitomised by the illumination of light. It may mean shining a light, seeing a light or seeing what a light reveals. It implies that the light is bright, that the medium through which it shines is transparent and that the light is quickly and clearly perceived. The hexagram means successful communication.

It may be that one's feelings and thoughts can be externalised to be perceptible to others or that another's expression can be clearly perceived, and that there are no intervening obstacles to their conveyance. It may also be that one's general environment can be clearly seen. Brightness of expression and clarity of perception are assisted by clarity of mind.

Just as they make for fast communication, brightness and clarity can pass quickly. Be quick to get the picture.

The hexagram may simply be referring to the presence of light or clarity, perhaps to a bright sunny day or the light of a fire, or to a general openness to communication.

The hexagram relates specifically to communications between things that are not unified by their act of communicating, so that qualities such as speed, brightness and clarity play a role in the communication.

#### Suggested responses

There is an opportunity for clear expression or perception.

Look for light and Love.

The opportunity may be brief.

#### Accents

  | Brightly expressed and shared with others.  
---|---  
  | A transparent mind shines with the radiance of Love.  
  | Brightness is brief.  
  | An opportunity to communicate is missed.  
Or, An expression is not appropriate.  
Or, Missing the point.  
  | The light of the midday sun illumines the deepest crevasse.  
Communication is crystal clear.  
  | Communication is not clear.

Guide to Interpreting  
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## Wooing

Hexagram number 31

### Inviting.

The hexagram means inviting or being invited.

It relates particularly to the awakening of sexual desire. This could be a new discovery of ardour in youth or the re-emergence of desire in a seasoned lover. It may relate to the renewal of a jaded relationship.

Sexual relation is important to the Oracle and this hexagram is an explicit attempt to steer attention in that direction.

The hexagram can sometimes be interpreted non-sexually, for example finding a swimming pool inviting on a hot summer day.

#### Suggested responses

Woo or be wooed. Do what it takes to be a lover.

Successful sexuality is a delicate affair. While an invitation to engage can be strong and clear, there is never any excuse to impose on an unwilling partner.

#### Accents

  | Too much talk, not enough action.  
Or, An invitation is withdrawn.  
---|---  
  | This wooer is irresistible.  
  | Woo with all your heart.  
  | Compromised invitation.  
  | Be receptive to amorous invitations.  
  | The ardour is not strong.  
Perhaps one should wait before taking an initiative.

#### Notes

This hexagram is one of nine that specifically addresses the development of sexual relation.

Guide to Interpreting  
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## Continuing

Hexagram number 32

### Stability.

The hexagram describes a cyclic motion that is so well balanced, or wanders so little from the stability of its centre, that it endures.

Lack of variation may make it uninteresting.

The hexagram means continuing in a regular routine.

Such movement is a model for many of the enduring harmonic motions found in the natural world, such as the revolution of the earth around the sun.

The hexagram may also mean that a suspended movement is resumed.

#### Suggested responses

This is not a time to make changes. Continue with whatever you are doing.

If things are dull, bear with them. This may be a time when there is simply nothing special to do. It may be spent doing chores or being mildly entertained.

If times are good enjoy them while they last. Pass bad times patiently.

The hexagram may be referring to a particular task or event that is part of your regular routine, or is suggesting that it should be.

#### Accents

  | This condition should not be allowed to endure.  
Or, The time of continuing ends.  
---|---  
  | Enduring through devotion.  
  | Boring.  
  | Doesn't last long.  
Or, Not much time available.  
Or, Impatience changes nothing.  
  | Strength to endure.  
  | Too soon to expect a change.  
Or, Stability comes early.

#### Notes

A general teaching of the Oracle is to act only at the appropriate time. Times of activity are relatively infrequent, so long periods are sometimes endured waiting for the right moment. By understanding this leisured pace for appropriate action, we can reduce our anxieties regarding our spiritual purposes.

Guide to Interpreting  
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## Redirection

Hexagram number 33

### Changing course.

The hexagram describes a stage of decline where the threat of decay has become so urgent as to warrant a redirection of one's energies.

Resisting the decay is no longer appropriate. The strategy one is currently engaged in is not able to stem the decline so an alternative is required. This means a definite change of course or plan. It is not a temporary detour.

It may be necessary to retreat from a commitment.

#### Suggested responses

The Oracle is requesting that you consciously change your direction. It is probable that an activity you are engaged in is distracting you from something more important, like Love.

Alternatively, the hexagram may be commenting on a process that changes direction without any action on your part.

The hexagram may also be indicating a change of mind by the Oracle itself, perhaps in relation to a previous indication it had given.

#### Accents

  | Redirection is spiritually rewarding.  
There may be opportunity for Love.  
---|---  
  | Redirection opens up new opportunities.  
Perhaps Love can now be seen.  
  | Voluntary change of plan.  
  | Forced into compromise.  
The redirection cannot be completed.  
  | The redirection is accomplished in an orderly manner.  
  | Leaving the redirection too late.  
Or, Changing one's mind at the last minute.

Guide to Interpreting  
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## Power

Hexagram number 34

### Be very careful.

The hexagram relates to personal power, that is power directly or indirectly under one's own control. Such power may be exerted physically, psychologically or psychically, as an individual or as part of a group .

The hexagram describes a stage of development where strength has accumulated sufficiently for one to make a powerful thrust.

Expressions of power are risky. They need to be measured carefully. The use of force can amplify mistakes and generate unwanted reactions. One must also be mindful of not impinging on bystanders. Importantly, expressions of personal power are likely to obscure the more subtle expressions of universal power.

The hexagram is therefore not necessarily advocating that power be used. On the one hand it may be indicating that the time is conducive to an expression of personal power, but on the other it may be questioning the need for doing so. If one harbours any uncertainty of purpose it is better to refrain from acting forcefully than to expose oneself or others to risk.

If one nonetheless chooses to exert power, one must assume a responsibility of care and control. This means using the least amount of power necessary to get the job done and being in conscious control of it at all times. Most importantly, it means being confident in one's ability to stop, and in one's ability to recognise when the time to stop has come.

#### Suggested responses

If you are certain that acting forcefully is appropriate then do so, with due consideration of care and control.

If you are already acting forcefully, then re-consider that action, possibly as to the level of care and control but more likely as to whether force is necessary at all.

If you feel that the Oracle is asking you to moderate your action then avoid using psychological and psychic power.

If you are in a position of power then take particular care in your decisions at this time.

If you are not aware of acting forcefully in any way then cease even your mildest activity so that nothing you do interferes with the expression of universal power.

#### Accents

  | Power used excessively.  
Withdraw immediately.  
---|---  
  | Knowing when to stop.  
Power is controlled or withheld.  
  | Dealing with power appropriately.  
  | Using power is not appropriate.  
Desist.  
  | Power used sparingly with care and control.  
  | Too eager. Not controlled. Not ready.  
Desist.

#### Notes

It may be helpful to compare the non-personal form of power described by hexagram 26 Universal Power.

Guide to Interpreting  
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## Prosperity

Hexagram number 35

### "Summertime, and the living is easy."

Energy is abundant and one can indulge in it. Much can be achieved with little effort.

One may have accumulated energy by one's own labour, or one may be basking in somebody else's, perhaps a spiritual, munificence.

While the hexagram points to a time where resources are plentiful and expression is easy, this need not be an aimless holiday. The energy can be directed purposefully, especially to the purpose of Love.

#### Suggested responses

Take advantage of the free energy, perhaps by trying to accomplish more, perhaps by taking things easier without losing speed.

This is a time to take pleasure in your activities and accomplishments.

Take advantage of the time to Love.

#### Accents

  | Pushing hard to achieve more.  
Be careful not to overdo it.  
---|---  
  | Love comes easy.  
  | Prosperity is out of reach.  
  | No adversity.  
  | Energy for Love.  
  | Prosperity is brief.

Guide to Interpreting  
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## Adversity

Hexagram number 36

### A light has gone out.

No energy. Cold and dark. The air itself becomes thick and opaque, preventing the flow of light and warmth.

Love has been lost.

People are lethargic, expression is impaired and communication breaks down. Culture is diminished and we become lonely.

In spite of the wintry outlook an inner warmth is preserved so that one is capable of not only surviving to the next spring but maintaining one's integrity through the ordeal.

The hexagram also means concealment, which suggests a strategy for coping with adversity, by hiding or keeping a low profile until a more favourable time.

The hexagram may simply be relating darkness, or to a sunset, to the end of the day or being tired at the end of a day.

#### Suggested responses

Be aware of adverse conditions affecting you.

It may be that you are contributing to the adversity through an activity of your own and ceasing that activity may lighten the situation.

But it could also be that you simply have to endure the adversity, in which case you need to have a long-term perspective, perhaps taking thought of how to assist the recovery when it does come.

You can rely on an inner warmth to get you through.

#### Accents

  | The source of darkness.  
Darkness ultimately destroys itself.  
---|---  
  | Finding a place to hide.  
Sitting the adversity out without succumbing.  
  | No hope here.  
Take flight to a safer place.  
Or, Love walks out the door.  
  | Standing up to adversity.  
  | A source of light in difficult times.  
  | At the edge of darkness.  
Withdraw before things get serious.

Guide to Interpreting  
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## Family

Hexagram number 37

### Attend to family and friends.

The hexagram means familiarity. It deals with those with whom one is closest and most comfortable, one's immediate family and close friends.

Familiar relationships have no strong divergences or strange ways to accommodate. They are warm, gentle and open. One can enjoy a liveliness of expression reserved for those in one's inner circle.

#### Suggested responses

The Oracle is trying to draw your attention to a family member or close friend.

Most desirably, attend lovingly to your intimate partner if that is appropriate.

#### Accents

  | Look to the extended family.  
---|---  
  | Holding the family together.  
Love is here.  
  | Putting family first.  
Prepare for Love.  
  | Separated from one's family.  
  | Closely related.  
  | The family keeps to itself.

Guide to Interpreting  
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## Separation

Hexagram number 38

### Diversity.

The hexagram describes a time when differences are accentuated and things tend to separate out. It also relates to that which is unfamiliar and the experience of diversity.

This is not an easy time. It is more difficult to relate to those who are different from ourselves than to those who are like us and adjusting to the unfamiliar can be uncomfortable. The situation can be made even more challenging when those we are encountering are emphasising their differences, even amongst themselves.

The hexagram means separation and loneliness.

It is necessary to remember that we all share a spiritual connection so there is a possibility of harmony between us. The most indirect of connections can be built on to negotiate cooperation using tact and compromise.

There is also a wealth to be found in diversity. By expanding our horizons to accept those who are different from ourselves we reap the reward of a wider experience.

Rejecting difference leads to isolation. Contrasts stand out more than similarities and can easily be exaggerated into xenophobia.

#### Suggested responses

It is likely that you are lonely, or are experiencing a larger degree of diversity than you are comfortable with.

Although it may be difficult, greater benefit is to be had by accommodating differences rather than by rejecting them.

When differences show up in personal relationships, we have the choice of accentuating the differences, which would likely lead to isolation and hostility, or looking for compromise and appreciating the diversity that is acceptable.

A time of separation need not prevent one from embarking on enterprise. This may even be a good time to venture out. But understand that things will not be easy and that effort will be needed to accommodate the many differences that will arise.

#### Accents

  | The time of separation lasts only for a while.  
---|---  
  | Accepting of difference.  
Diversity is intensely rewarding.  
  | Comrades in loneliness.  
  | The loneliness is keenly felt.  
  | A respite from loneliness in which the common ground is recognised.  
  | Correcting for small differences.  
Perhaps there is no need.

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## Obstruction

Hexagram number 39

### Put things off until the way is clear.

You are constrained from using your resources in a meaningful way.

The obstruction is temporary. All you need do is wait until it clears.

There is no suggestion of adversity. The obstruction may even be useful. Think of a dam on a river as a means of regulating the flow of water or a traffic light managing intersecting traffic.

There is no necessity to overcome the obstruction at this time.

Do not pursue Love.

#### Suggested responses

Wait the obstruction out.

You can spend the meantime recovering strength or accumulating resources so that you are ready to resume your enterprise when the obstruction clears.

Be vigilant for signs of it clearing.

#### Accents

  | The obstruction has fulfilled its purpose.  
Soon things can move again.  
---|---  
  | Comforted or entertained while waiting for the obstruction to clear.  
  | Accumulating resources while waiting.  
  | Appropriate obstruction can be useful.  
Know when to stop.  
  | Unwarranted obstruction.  
  | Quietly waiting for the obstruction to clear.

Guide to Interpreting  
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## Deliverance

Hexagram number 40

### Freedom and achievement.

The hexagram describes a release from constraint that coincides with a powerful urge to move, so that the release is explosive, like a seedpod bursting.

Motivation and freedom also combine to deliver great achievement. The hexagram means achievement, especially after a period of difficulty.

This is an auspicious time. Make the most of the favourable conditions by drawing on your deepest feelings. Sincerity of feeling promotes confidence.

Take advantage of the time to Love.

The hexagram may also mean that one delivers others their freedom.

#### Suggested responses

Let go the brakes and oil the wheels – this is a special time.

Make a splash. Pursue a dream. Follow your innermost desires.

#### Accents

  | Highly mobile, highly effective.  
Aspire to Love.  
---|---  
  | Great achievement.  
Love is here.  
  | Explosive deliverance.  
Keep Love in sight.  
  | The deliverance is not complete.  
Some fetters remain.  
  | The freedom is true.  
Love is possible.  
  | Testing the freedom.

Guide to Interpreting  
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## Becalming

Hexagram number 41

### Calm down.

A state of calm and disengagement is enforced. Advances are not responded to. Movement slows and interest subsides. Interactions become cool and unexciting.

One may be suffering a calm that has been imposed by an unfavourable environment such as an unreceptive audience or an unwilling partner, or it may be that one is overly excited and needs to calm down.

It may be that one finds a proffered engagement uninviting.

An imposed becalming may be accepted with serenity or resented. One may try to end the calm or just sit it out.

There is no scope for achievement as things stand. Until things change, there is no prospect of Love.

#### Suggested responses

If calm is imposed on you unwillingly and a remedy is available, then take it, but there is no point going to great lengths in these conditions.

If you are agitated then make a conscious effort to calm down.

#### Accents

  | The calm is spiritually sourced.  
It's OK to be cool.  
---|---  
  | Bearing the stillness graciously.  
  | Boring.  
  | Calm things down.  
  | Effort could be made to end the calm.  
  | Dead calm.

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## Stimulation

Hexagram number 42

### Controlled excitement.

A strong attraction between diverse partners drives a lively and exciting dance. The dancers' vigour is balanced by respect for each other and a desire to stay in step.

The hexagram depicts advanced sexual relation in which confident, well-matched lovers inspire each other to ever greater exhilaration, while keeping their dance centred and they themselves balanced and considerate.

In a more general sense, the hexagram describes controlled excitement, like the power and grace of an ocean wave whose strength and elegance can stimulate all who look on.

The mood is very optimistic and celebrates both mind and body. This is a time of high culture, strong interest, vivid colours and rich sounds. It is a time for speed and agility to be expressed with strength and style.

The time abounds with opportunities for Love.

#### Suggested responses

Get physical. Get moving. Take interest. Participate.

Make Love.

Although the accent is on excitement, the situation also calls for balance and control.

#### Accents

  | If the excitement is too great, dance a little slower.  
---|---  
  | Strength, sensitivity, timing, flair: What a dancer!  
Love now.  
  | Centred at the balancing point.  
There is great power here.  
  | Incomplete stimulation.  
  | Looking for thrills.  
Allow Love.  
  | The source of excitement.  
Love now.

#### Notes

This hexagram is one of nine that specifically addresses the development of sexual relation.

Guide to Interpreting  
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## Closure

Hexagram number 43

### Almost there.

A long held aim is within one's grasp.

The hexagram describes the closing stages of a development where the thrust of the main journey is over and only the final, delicate docking has yet to be completed.

A multifaceted approach is called for. Attention should be shifted from the journey to the destination so as to be certain of hitting the target, but anticipation should not distract one from taking care of the final details of the journey. It is also necessary to appreciate past contributions that others have made to the journey's success by giving thanks and settling debt, and ensuring that no issues are left outstanding. All this is feasible since the closure is graceful rather than hectic.

Love may follow the successful closure.

#### Suggested responses

There is an opportunity for fulfilment. It probably relates to participating in Love.

Carefully resolve all outstanding matters so that the closure can be completed gracefully.

Be vigilant to ensure that the end is the destination desired.

The mode of the closure is confident and serene. This is not a time for dogged determination or desperate action.

#### Accents

  | Something has been left undone.  
Or, One is distracted from the target.  
There is still time to correct and find Love.  
---|---  
  | Making the closure.  
Expecting the kiss.  
Stay vigilant.  
  | Closer to the end than you think.  
But don't rely on this augury alone to get you there.  
  | Getting tired and the end is not yet in sight.  
Or, Don't boast about a job not yet finished.  
  | The quality of the work that has been done makes for confidence about reaching the end. Give thanks.  
  | Still pushing hard.  
Closure requires a more delicate touch.

Guide to Interpreting  
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## Warning

Hexagram number 44

### There is an unwelcome presence.  
Resistance pays.

The hexagram describes the opening stage of a decline where pollution is being noticed for the first time and decay is starting to show.

At this very early stage the decline may be delayed or even averted by appropriate resistance.

However, the decay may be difficult to detect and one's own behaviour may be inadvertently assisting it.

The hexagram is a wake up call not to be lulled into decline.

#### Suggested responses

You are tempted to fall in with an activity that is apparently harmless but is distracting you from attending to more important matters. It should be stopped.

If you are not able to identify the offending activity, then you should suspend as many of your activities as you can afford until the area where your attention is needed becomes clear.

Once the desired attention has been paid you may be able to resume the activities you have suspended.

#### Accents

  | Resisting with force.  
---|---  
  | There is no real threat of decline.  
One may engage the intruder with care.  
  | The intruder is well hidden.  
  | Tempted to fall in with the decline.  
Resist.  
  | The unwelcome presence is necessary and can be accommodated.  
  | Stop it immediately.

Guide to Interpreting  
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## Sharing Spirituality

Hexagram number 45

### A spiritually significant gathering.

A social gathering is attended by a significant spiritual presence. The participants' deeper, spiritual feelings come close to the surface in their social interaction.

The gathering may be of a large group of people, a few friends or with an intimate partner. It may take the form of a simple enjoyment of nature and togetherness, a sharing of ideas or experiences, or a glorious expression of theatrical splendour.

The spiritual participation may be experienced differently by each person. For most it will be an imperceptible backdrop to their social activity, but some may become aware of it and may even recognise each other sharing awareness of it.

Ceremony and ritual may structure a social activity or guide one's attention to spirituality but cannot ensure significance to the spiritual presence.

#### Suggested responses

Take opportunities to gather with others.

If there is a social occasion coming up, partake in it keeping in mind that there may be a significant spiritual presence. If appropriate, honour the presence with Love.

If you are not in a position to get out, then at least associate with others indirectly through social media.

#### Accents

  | Please join with us.  
Spirit requests.  
---|---  
  | Sharing spirituality and Love.  
  | Bringing people together.  
Take opportunities for Love.  
  | Make an effort to join with others.  
  | Letting oneself be drawn to a social gathering.  
  | Reaching out to others.

#### Notes

It may be helpful to read hexagram 8 Spirituality.

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## Gentle Persuasion

Hexagram number 46

### Softly does it.

There is an objective to reach but it is subtle and requires a gentle touch. Gentle persuasion provides the minimal assistance needed to help something fall into place of its own accord.

Use perseverance and tact to negotiate a way one step at a time. Pressure need not be forceful but it can be well planned and determined. If things don't succeed in this way let them go rather than force the issue.

By using only gentle persuasion one can be sure that an objective has been reached with the concurrence of all parties.

The hexagram is a paradigm for successful teaching. Rather than imposing knowledge forcefully a good teacher offers it in a lively and interesting way and persists until the student is receptive and the message is heard. The knowledge is presented in short lessons that can be easily understood and is appreciated as not having been imparted for the teacher's ends alone.

The process of healing is also an example of gentle persuasion. We do not heal a wound so much as assist it to heal itself.

#### Suggested responses

Address an objective by gentle persuasion.

Exert pressure in small increments, allowing time for the matter to resolve by itself before taking the next step.

An outcome may be slow in coming so you may need to be persistent. If you lose patience abandon your objective rather than resolve the matter by force.

#### Accents

  | When pushing only gently success may take some time. Let things go rather than force an issue.  
---|---  
  | Gently does it!  
Gentle persuasion achieves its aim.  
  | Receptive to gentle persuasion.  
  | Getting nowhere.  
Or, The pressure is not well received.  
  | Confident in one's cause but modest in one's means.  
  | Bringing a gentle pressure to bear is appropriate.

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## Hunger

Hexagram number 47

### Nothing that the right nourishment won't fix.

The hexagram means need, as a result of one's resources being exhausted. It could be a need for anything - food, energy, love or stimulation. The hunger is debilitating and if not addressed could spiral out of control. Effort should be made to find nourishment, even if one is tired, for it is unlikely that the situation will resolve by itself.

There isn't necessarily any external obstacle to nourishment. While it is possible that one's environment is poor, it may also be that one is hungry amidst a sea of plenty.

The hexagram specifically concerns the development of sexual relation. It means hunger for love. One may have enthusiastically embarked on a pursuit of romance but is finding it difficult to engage a suitable partner. Or, if already in relationship, one is separated from one's partner and longing for togetherness.

A hunger can be exploited: Consider exhaustion as an exhalation to be followed by an inhalation. The deeper the exhalation, the richer the subsequent inhalation. When a hunger is deep, the right nourishment is particularly strengthening.

Address the hunger by constant effort, by keeping it in mind and by longing for a resolution. In the context of sexual relation, deliberately deepening a longing is a gainful strategy to enrich an eventual meeting.

#### Suggested responses

There is a need for nourishment of some kind. It is most likely available but is not getting through. Tired as you may be, it is up to you to attend to the need and it is necessary to do so to avoid becoming totally exhausted.

Be aware of the importance of sexual relation.

Make an effort to Love.

#### Accents

  | Strengthened by the right nourishment.  
Or, Starting to move may get the ball rolling again.  
---|---  
  | Making the effort to find nourishment.  
  | Hunger in the midst of plenty.  
  | Exhausted.  
Nourishment is denied in spite of one's efforts.  
Or, Impaired by hunger.  
If fasting, it is time to stop.  
  | Hunger heightens desire.  
  | Hunger pangs begin.

#### Notes

This hexagram is one of nine that specifically addresses the development of sexual relation.

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## The Well

Hexagram number 48

### Be mindful of your deeper feelings.

The hexagram uses the metaphor of a well to describe using one's mind to reach into the depths of one's being and bring one's deeper feelings to the conscious surface.

Our deepest, most sincere, feelings of Love are our connection to spirituality. Bringing them into consciousness brings us to an awareness of our spirituality.

Reaching such depths is not easy. Sincerity is our guide. But sincerity is fragile and mindfulness is needed to recognise sincerity without disrupting it. Persevere through difficulty.

Fetching our deeper feelings into conscious awareness makes them available to be expressed outwardly. However, by exposing our intimate selves in this way we make ourselves vulnerable and should take care about whom we show our hearts to.

#### Suggested responses

Make a conscious effort to get in touch with your deeper feelings.

Love can be found.

Meditation may be appropriate.

Careful use of psychoactive drugs can also bring one's deeper feelings to consciousness.

#### Accents

  | The well overflows.  
Celebrate Love.  
---|---  
  | The treasure is reached.  
Love is revealed.  
  | Conditions are not yet right to reach sufficient depth.  
  | A working well is not being used.  
  | The well reaches a great depth.  
  | The well is not working.  
Or, The well has not been used for a long time.

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## Transformation

Hexagram number 49

### Sudden and drastic change.

The hexagram describes a condition that has become unsustainable and is ripe for change. Transformation is available or has come. The development of the condition may have been gradual but the transformation is sudden and drastic.

The transformation is not necessarily unwelcome or uncomfortable. One may even have seen it coming and been able to prepare for it.

The transformation may occur spontaneously but it can also be pushed over the edge.

#### Suggested responses

This is a good time to make a change, if you are not already in the midst of one.

If any action is taken to initiate the change, it should only be sufficient to trigger an existing potential. Any need for a concerted or forceful campaign is a sure sign that the action is misplaced and should be stopped.

Conditions that are ripe and suitable for change should be easily identifiable. Consider particularly your own state of mind, changeable through the pursuit of Love. Consider too, the drastic transformation of the human psyche triggered by the ingestion of psychoactive drugs.

It may be that you are in a position to see the change coming, especially if you have initiated an action to trigger it. In this case, preparations can be made beforehand to ensure that the transformation occurs as cleanly and as comfortably as possible.

#### Accents

  | The main change is done.  
Details may take time to settle.  
Use no coercion.  
---|---  
  | Spontaneous transformation.  
Love is a great transformer.  
  | Transformation is complete.  
Love is possible.  
  | Transformation is delayed.  
  | Transformation can be assisted by a nudge in the right direction.  
  | Preparing for transformation, and watching for the right moment.

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## Information

Hexagram number 50

### Carrying a message.

The hexagram means an expression of mind, or a symbolic representation of culture.

It is referring to an item that is a carrier of cultural information, such as a medium of communication, a cultural artefact or an icon. It may also be referring to a specific message being conveyed by such an item.

The possibilities are many. Consider as examples spoken or written language, perhaps a book, music, a musical instrument, a re-player of recorded music, a recording medium itself, or a particular piece of music. It may be referring to a theatre performance, a painting, a film, a message stick, a postal service, a computer, a television or the like. It may also be referring to the particular message being conveyed by such a medium.

#### Suggested responses

There is a medium or message of cultural communication deserving of your attention.

#### Accents

  | The information has spiritual value.  
Seek Love.  
---|---  
  | The medium is true.  
The message is delivered.  
It may be a Love-letter.  
  | The medium does not carry the message.  
Or, The medium is not available.  
  | Information is slow in getting through.  
  | The information is of value.  
  | The medium is empty or not being used.  
Or, The information has no value.

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## Shock

Hexagram number 51

### Moving hard and fast.  
Have you got what it takes?

The hexagram describes a hard movement with high momentum - substantial, fast and exciting. There is also the possibility that things can get out of control.

The hexagram is most likely a call to make the physical effort to get up and go. But it can be very difficult to get off a speeding train so, before embarking, you should ensure that you are well fortified and have ready an exit strategy in case you tire or get hurt.

Alternatively, it may mean that you have been involuntarily caught up in a fast moving environment where, if one is not sufficiently quick or robust, one may not be able to keep up, especially if you are an unprepared or reluctant participant.

The use of physical force in overcoming an obstacle may be appropriate at this time.

The hexagram may relate to extreme sports - big waves, cold ice or fast cars. Watch out for buses and avalanches.

#### Suggested responses

Make a strong effort to do something physical.

If certain of your purpose and the appropriateness of your action, force may be used to break down a barrier. But if obstacles persist after one or two forceful measures, then it is likely that the action is not appropriate and should be stopped.

Be careful of taking on something that is more demanding than you think. A glamorous job can easily turn into hard labour if you are not up to it. Conversely, it may be that you are already caught up in an extreme activity that you find draining and would like to abandon.

#### Accents

  | Excitement is not welcome.  
Or, Passing up on excitement.  
---|---  
  | Riding the big wave.  
You've got what it takes.  
  | Agitation - repeated shock.  
Or, Shock is countered. Strong effort is not successful.  
Or, Disabled by shock.  
  | Moving too fast.  
Perhaps time is short?  
  | Straining to keep up.  
This is no picnic.  
  | Composed, strong and resilient.  
Climb every mountain.

#### Notes

The Oracle rarely advocates the use of force. Hexagram 34 Power discusses the problems of using force, and gives precautions to be taken when contemplating such action.

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## Inertia

Hexagram number 52

### Do not disturb.

The hexagram describes a process proceeding undisturbed.

It means actively resisting disturbance to the process - preventing new movements from starting and ensuring existing movements continue without change - in a manner that is modest so as not to disturb.

By simply refusing to be moved by a disturbance oneself, one may act as a shield against it for others and ensure that one's own movements do not disturb.

The hexagram means resisting change, it does not mean stopping all movement.

#### Suggested responses

You are involved in a situation that is, or should be, left undisturbed. Don't disturb it, and don't allow external events to disturb it.

If nothing is happening then let things stay that way.

Resist change.

Refuse to be moved.

Don't overdo your resistance.

#### Accents

  | Modest resistance prevents disturbance.  
Or, An activity is not disturbing.  
Love is possible.  
---|---  
  | Not disturbing or being disturbed.  
  | Passively resisting disturbance.  
  | Actively resisting disturbance.  
  | Proceeding undisturbed.  
  | An immovable mountain.

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## Confirmation

Hexagram number 53

### "Yes".

The hexagram means an acknowledgement of presence, acceptance into relationship or recognition of achievement.

Most desirably it means acceptance into a sexual relationship when, after a period of wooing, a suitable partner has been found. It describes a transition from awakening to the possibilities of love to active engagement.

Love is in the air.

#### Suggested responses

The hexagram is a confirmation that an event or activity is significant or that your current attitude or activities are being recognised.

This is definitely a time to attend to courtship. Don't allow shyness or ineptitude to halt an amorous engagement.

#### Accents

  | Dancing with Love.  
---|---  
  | Recognition.  
  | Knocking on the right door.  
  | Making the effort to engage but finding no response.  
  | Engagement is possible.  
Wine and dine.  
  | Shy and immature courtship does not encourage engagement.

#### Notes

This hexagram is one of nine that specifically addresses the development of sexual relation.

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## Compromise

Hexagram number 54

### A reluctant marriage.

Participants in a relationship have the right ingredients for success but their attitudes do not align constructively. The result is a partial success, measured by each one's readiness to compromise.

If unwilling lovers can compromise their differences to the point of allowing a close encounter to take place, the meeting will not be diminished by their original reluctance. Even in compromising circumstances Love is possible.

Perfection is the stuff of dreams. Success can never be guaranteed. Don't lose an opportunity for real accomplishment by demanding perfection.

#### Suggested responses

If there is benefit to be had by compromise, do so.

Compromise, especially, for the sake of Love.

#### Accents

  | Even a compromise may be difficult to reach.  
Or, Compromise is not appropriate.  
---|---  
  | A compromise is found.  
Love shines.  
  | Love is delayed.  
  | A deeply compromised position.  
If one can bear the strain one may still continue.  
  | Unrequited love.  
The ardour of one partner makes the marriage.  
  | Not perfect, but a marriage achieves its purpose.

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## Stuff

Hexagram number 55

### Material.

The hexagram relates to the material infrastructure of life and to material wealth or poverty.

This hexagram is often an assurance of material welfare, that one's needs are being met, either through one's own efforts or through another's agency.

Consider that when material nourishment has been taken care of we become free to engage in Love. That is, material nourishment is a support to a spiritually desirable activity rather than an end in itself. Consider too that material needs can be very demanding of our attention, so when dealing with stuff we should take care not to become possessed.

The hexagram may simply be referring to a substance, probably of a hard, bright and showy variety, like metal or gold.

#### Suggested responses

The most likely indication is that material nourishment is available, that you may partake of it and enjoy it in moderation.

#### Accents

  | Unnecessary stuff.  
---|---  
  | Freedom from care.  
Material wealth enjoyed in moderation.  
Love shines.  
  | Consolation prize.  
Material nourishment is only sufficient to the purpose.  
  | Poverty.  
Or, Material clutter is clouding the real issues.  
  | Material activity prepares an environment for Love.  
  | Material activity is not distracting from other matters.  
Be confident to engage in it.

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## Orgasm

Hexagram number 56

### Climax.

The hexagram means a peak experience.

It describes the wandering of a cyclic motion from the stability of its centre to an extreme of its ambit. Extreme excursions of an enduring cycle are likely to be rare and short-lived. A peak experience will be extraordinary but temporary.

For the Oracle, a peak experience is an expression of spirit in Love. For us it is enlightenment and sexual orgasm.

Enlightenment means being aware of spirituality \- consciously feeling its influence or being aware of one's own universal connection. It is an extreme of human awareness that does not last. However, one can maintain an enduring cognizance of spirituality by being considerate of it and following its influence even when not conscious of one's universal nature. Sexual orgasm that is simply spiritually appropriate is a great personal and spiritual delight.

Our lives are enduring cycles. Peaks of enlightenment and orgasm come again and again.

The hexagram depicts an apex in sexual relation where Love is fulfilled and spirit is attendant in its consummation.

#### Suggested responses

Love now!

(Successful sexuality is a delicate affair. While the inspiration to Love can be noble, it is never an excuse to impose on an unwilling partner.)

#### Accents

  | Orgasm.  
Shine!  
---|---  
  | Enlightenment is invisible.  
Love shines.  
  | Climax is fleeting.  
  | Imperfect climax.  
Love is nonetheless appropriate.  
  | A beacon of Love.  
  | Too easily brought to orgasm.

#### Notes

This hexagram is one of nine that specifically addresses the development of sexual relation.

This interpretation of the hexagram is significantly different to the classical I Ching understanding.

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## Mindfulness

Hexagram number 57

### Consciousness, intelligence, and a gentle intent.

A lively and insistent movement touches lightly and sensitively like the wind, thoroughly infiltrating whatever it encounters with little impact. Such gentle penetration is a paradigm for the ability of mind to grasp something without affecting it.

A mind can perceive what is material, abstract it into a detailed knowledge and understand, maintain and organize that knowledge relevantly but purely conceptually. The hexagram refers to conscious awareness, knowing and intelligence.

A mind can develop a deliberate intent. A conscious mind can plan strategically, look ahead wilfully and materialise its thought. Gentle penetration suggests that a mind materialise its intent sensitively, appropriately and considerately of others.

#### Suggested responses

Think before you act.

Act when you have thought.

Set clear and appropriate goals for yourself. Assess your desires in the light of a considered appraisal of others and your environment. Have clearly calculated priorities, so that you are able to recognise opportunities when they arise and act on them deliberately.

Be mindful of your strategy to Love.

The hexagram may be pointing to a specific item of knowledge, perhaps recently acquired, and be indicating that plans can be made in the light of that knowledge.

The hexagram may be an acknowledgement by the Oracle that it is aware of something; or the hexagram may be referring to the mindfulness of another person.

A lively, determined but gentle demeanour is appropriate.

#### Accents

  | Penetration goes too far.  
Or, Cleverness is not appropriate.  
---|---  
  | Scaling the heights of intellect.  
Now you can share your knowledge.  
Be careful.  
  | Cleverly done.  
A clear intention is implemented.  
  | Thinking about things again and again.  
The intent is not clear.  
  | Penetrating the mysteries.  
Or, An intent becomes clearer.  
  | Understanding takes patience.  
An act of will requires a clear understanding.

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## Serenity

Hexagram number 58

### No urgency.

The hexagram means calmness and the absence of urgency.

Calmness may mean that one's environment is quiet and free of pressure and that changes are slow in coming. Such times are easy to negotiate if a little boring. On the other hand, it may mean that one's environment is hectic or even difficult, but that one is able stay calm under the pressure.

In the absence of one's own urgent agenda it is easy to adapt to any external influence - and then just as easy to come back to one's original position once the influence has waned. The hexagram also means ambivalence.

The hexagram may also describe a state of contentment after an ambition has been satisfied.

#### Suggested responses

It is likely that things will be quiet, but be responsive to outside influences that appear. Accept calmly whatever situation arises.

There is no action to be taken other than to respond to your continuing circumstance.

#### Accents

  | One is influenced too easily.  
If uncertain, it is better to refrain.  
Or, Satisfaction is not attained.  
---|---  
  | Adapting without fuss.  
Love is possible.  
  | Serenely open to change.  
  | The calm is met with impatience.  
  | Well satisfied.  
  | Content to be quiet and undisturbed.

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## Opening Up

Hexagram number 59

### Liberating.

The hexagram means gently but purposefully dissolving obstructions, clearing a way so that things become free .

It suggests exploration as a tool for liberation. That which is unfamiliar can prove an impediment until it has been explored sufficiently to yield a knowledge by which it can be managed.

Exploring new ideas can lead to technologies that overcome physical obstructions.

Education, insofar as it promotes exploration, opens the intellect to new influences and frees it of ignorance and prejudice.

Exploring new attitudes and states of mind develops the flexibility to overcome one's own mental blockages. Dissolving a false persona opens up the possibility of acting with unbridled sincerity.

Sexual orgasm is an immediate form of self-dissolution.

The hexagram has meaning for the development of sexual relation. It describes newly engaged partners opening to each other and overcoming obstacles to their intimacy by a process of exploration and familiarisation.

This is a time for accomplishment rather than waiting. Exploring can be exciting and liberation is satisfying. Take advantage of the time to Love.

#### Suggested responses

Open yourself to Love.

Explore your state of mind with a view to dissolving barriers to sincerity.

Remove from your environment anything that may be a source of friction with others and refrain from making demands that may hinder relationship.

#### Accents

  | Even guilt for past deeds can be resolved.  
Love is merciful.  
---|---  
  | Great ideas are instrumental in clearing a way.  
Love flows free.  
  | Difficulties can be resolved.  
Love is in reach.  
  | Open yourself and make no demands of others.  
Love is accessible.  
  | Free of insincerity and ready to Love.  
  | When one finds an opening the liberation can begin.

#### Notes

This hexagram shares the theme of freedom with hexagram 40 Deliverance. Here the liberation is gradual while in that hexagram the liberation can be explosive.

This hexagram is one of nine that specifically addresses the development of sexual relation.

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## Limitation

Hexagram number 60

### Stop.

One is exceeding an acceptable limit.

The hexagram means stopping, either as a voluntary act or as an imposed condition.

This is not necessarily a permanent change of direction, nor a request to do absolutely nothing. It means that one's current activity is not appropriate or is distracting from something more important. The paused activity can probably be resumed later.

Alternatively the hexagram may simply be noting that something has stopped or will do so.

The concept of limitation extends to the idea of stopping a stopping. For example, if you are currently abstaining from something then this may be a suggestion to end the fast.

#### Suggested responses

Stop whatever you are doing. You should be able to identify a particular activity that should be stopped rather than ceasing all activities . It is likely that the activity in question is distracting from an opportunity to Love.

At this time it is better not to resist imposed limitations.

#### Accents

  | Limitation is difficult to accept.  
Nonetheless it is appropriate.  
---|---  
  | Sublime self-control.  
  | Stopping comes easy.  
  | Ignoring limitation will cause regret.  
  | Too much of a good thing.  
  | The limitation is acceptable.

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## Simplicity

Hexagram number 61

### Truth is uncomplicated.

The hexagram means the truth of reality as it is, measured by the directness of one's experience of the moment.

Close to this truth, one's experience is simple. It is as uncomplicated and real as it possibly can be.

When one has fewer expectations and preconceptions about reality, there are fewer internal complexities preventing its direct perception and one's expressions are more sincere.

A less complex external environment also facilitates a direct engagement with reality because it is easier to comprehend and imposes fewer demands on one's behaviour.

By taking life as it comes and not subjecting one's experience to comparison, one can be more accepting of reality as it is and more comfortable with one's place in it. Simplicity leads to peace of mind.

Simplicity can also be seen in the uncomplicated straightforwardness of domestic life. The hexagram means feeling at home.

#### Suggested responses

Keep things straight, honest and simple. No secrets.

Find simple comfort, alone or with people you feel at ease with, so there is no need to project any persona other than your real self. Make others feel at ease, so that they too can be themselves. Seek company based on easy, natural affinities rather than formal relationship.

Make fewer demands of life. Accept the position you find yourself in and don't let disappointment with past mistakes distract you from engaging with the present.

Avoid engaging in imaginary intrigues or abstract thinking at this time.

#### Accents

  | Things get complicated.  
---|---  
  | No pretence.  
  | Straying from the truth.  
Do you have a secret?  
  | Far from the truth.  
But take things the way they come.  
Or, Not at home.  
  | True company. Simple food.  
Love is waiting.  
  | Complications distract attention from the truth.

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## Alienation

Hexagram number 62

### Vulnerable.

The hexagram means being alienated from the simple truth of the moment. One's experience is more complicated than it needs to be.

It means alienation from depth of feeling and it means expressions that are insincere.

It also means being far from home, where one is exposed and vulnerable. Extreme caution and reticence are necessary.

The alienation may arise as a result of one's own inner conflicts preventing a more direct contact with reality or because of complexities in one's external environment.

One may be able to protect oneself in an alien environment by maintaining a false persona or by clothing oneself in appearances. But beware of losing your true identity amidst the complexities of maintaining a false reality.

Do not pursue Love at this time.

#### Suggested responses

"When in Rome, do as the Romans do" – and be more careful than the Romans are.

Away from home, you can still be comfortable in the local ways as long as you remember your vulnerability and ensure that necessary protocols are followed. Beware of over-confidence when playing someone else's game.

This is not a time to show your heart. External appearance is everything.

It is a time to cope rather than be entrepreneurial.

If the opportunity arises, retreat to the safety of home.

#### Accents

  | The complexity is overwhelming.  
Just keep out of the way.  
---|---  
  | Coping well while away from home.  
One is accepted into the inner circle.  
Remember who you really are.  
  | Defensiveness is appropriate.  
  | Out in the open and very vulnerable.  
  | Playing the role with style.  
  | Don't even try to do anything real.  
Be nice.

#### Notes

This interpretation differs significantly from classical I Ching interpretations in that it is viewed as an opposite of hexagram 61 Simplicity rather than as a preponderance of the smallness described by hexagram 9 Trivia.

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## Fantasy

Hexagram number 63

### Too good to be true.

The hexagram describes an apparent state of perfection. However, the hexagram lacks modesty, meaning that the state of perfection is either not sustainable or is a fantasy.

The hexagram also means falsity, in the sense of a veil or apparition disguising a truth. It can also mean seeing through a veil to an underlying reality.

The hexagram may be relating to a fiction in which reality is idealised, or a dream of perfection that one aspires to, or a belief system that one follows. But it may also be relating to an experience of harmony which, though temporary or fantasized, is spiritually nourishing.

Fantasy is not without value. In the world of theatre and art, for example, the use of imagination and the lure of perfection is often appropriate. Fantasy can be used to stimulate desire. Teasing and foreplay enhance sexual delight.

#### Suggested responses

The hexagram is most likely pointing to a situation that you are interpreting too positively, where things are not as rosy as they seem.

It may be pointing to a difficulty that is imaginary, perhaps arising from a misunderstanding.

It may be that you have unrealistic expectations of an enterprise and are setting your sights too high.

There is a possibility that you are being deliberately deceived. Be wary of theatrical displays of sincerity.

Alternatively, the hexagram may be relating to the enjoyment of a fantasy or the enjoyment of a real but temporary perfection.

#### Accents

  | The dream is over, yet one is reluctant to leave it.  
---|---  
  | Enjoy the ride but make no investment.  
  | A dream beyond reach.  
Or, The dream evaporates.  
  | Foolishly believing the fantasy.  
  | The real thing is worth more than the fantasy.  
  | Disillusionment.  
Or, one doesn't fall for the fantasy.

Guide to Interpreting  
---  
About Love  
Should You Cast Another Hexagram?  
Introduction to the Oracle  
How to Cast a Hexagram  
Hexagram Lookup

## Fulfilment

Hexagram number 64

### Love now.

The hexagram means ripening into fullness, coming of age, or attainment of adulthood. A promise or purpose can be fulfilled.

This is the time to accomplish an aim. It may be so easy that one need do no more than watch the pieces fall into place, or one may actively participate in the fulfilment.

Take care not to be distracted. Timing is important.

The hexagram describes the full development of sexual relation. Feelings are sincere and clearly expressed. A marriage can be consummated.

#### Suggested responses

Fulfil the promise of Love.

#### Accents

  | Not there yet.  
Celebration is premature.  
---|---  
  | A marriage of the deepest sincerity and brightest expression. Love now.  
  | Promise is fulfilled.  
Love now.  
  | Not a grand accomplishment but a purpose is fulfilled.  
  | Well aimed and ready.  
No need to rush.  
  | Don't close too early.

#### Notes

This hexagram is one of nine that specifically addresses the development of sexual relation.

Guide to Interpreting  
---  
About Love  
Should You Cast Another Hexagram?  
Introduction to the Oracle  
How to Cast a Hexagram  
Hexagram Lookup
