PreambleThis week is about little steps, and success arrived at through the aggregate of many small actions. An energy is building up within, but as with a bird flying the nest for the first time, hasty decisions and big gestures will invite misfortune this week. Attend to the small details, find joy in the small things, and know that abundance will come. Tend to your garden with this in heart.Oracle outputs1st: 9,8,8 > Changing Yin 2nd: 5,8,4 > Stable Yin 3rd: 9,4,8 > Stable Yang 4th: 9,8,4 ...

PreambleThis week is about little steps, and success arrived at through the aggregate of many small actions. An energy is building up within, but as with a bird flying the nest for the first time, hasty decisions and big gestures will invite misfortune this week. Attend to the small details, find joy in the small things, and know that abundance will come. Tend to your garden with this in heart.Oracle outputs1st: 9,8,8 > Changing Yin 2nd: 5,8,4 > Stable Yin 3rd: 9,4,8 > Stable Yang 4th: 9,8,4 ...

PreambleWater runs through a ravine, flowing continually as it encounters obstacles and empty space. Bruce Lee is famous for having advised us to “be water". Ravines are dangerous places to be however; one is vulnerable, and there is only one way out: to follow the path of the stream. The guidance this week is clear, now is a potentially dangerous time. Only by clearly acknowledging the situation for what it is, and preparing for it, can it be met safely. This readiness requires vigilance, an...

PreambleWater runs through a ravine, flowing continually as it encounters obstacles and empty space. Bruce Lee is famous for having advised us to “be water". Ravines are dangerous places to be however; one is vulnerable, and there is only one way out: to follow the path of the stream. The guidance this week is clear, now is a potentially dangerous time. Only by clearly acknowledging the situation for what it is, and preparing for it, can it be met safely. This readiness requires vigilance, an...

PreambleFire above has changed into Heaven, and this week flows on from the last with only a single line changed. Kou, also known as Coming to Meet, is a multifaceted hexagram. Above all, its message relates to how easily small yet harmful influence can spoil a situation if left unchecked. The risk is there precisely because the danger seems so small and trivial that we do not resist it from the outset. This week, that is to be avoided. Protect the subordinate elements within yourself and ens...

PreambleFire above has changed into Heaven, and this week flows on from the last with only a single line changed. Kou, also known as Coming to Meet, is a multifaceted hexagram. Above all, its message relates to how easily small yet harmful influence can spoil a situation if left unchecked. The risk is there precisely because the danger seems so small and trivial that we do not resist it from the outset. This week, that is to be avoided. Protect the subordinate elements within yourself and ens...

PreambleThe transition from the old to the new time has been accomplished, and we find ourselves at its beginnings. The situation is similar to a kettle over a fire - if the water boils over, the fire is extinguished. If the fire is too strong, the water will evaporate. They must be kept in equilibrium, and the situation’s tension demands caution. The thoughtful person pays attention to omens. Only by recognising them now can we avert evil consequences later, for the confidence in this new mo...

PreambleThe transition from the old to the new time has been accomplished, and we find ourselves at its beginnings. The situation is similar to a kettle over a fire - if the water boils over, the fire is extinguished. If the fire is too strong, the water will evaporate. They must be kept in equilibrium, and the situation’s tension demands caution. The thoughtful person pays attention to omens. Only by recognising them now can we avert evil consequences later, for the confidence in this new mo...

PreambleRetreat, when done properly, is an action that comes from a position of strength. It is different from taking flight, which is an act of trying to escape at any cost. Retreat is the considered withdrawal from a situation that comes before the counter-movement. It perpetuates one’s advantage over an opponent. The rationalistic Western mind sometimes has difficulty grasping this difference - our culture is steeped in a paradigm that sees only unrelenting progress… a mechanical, linear t...

PreambleRetreat, when done properly, is an action that comes from a position of strength. It is different from taking flight, which is an act of trying to escape at any cost. Retreat is the considered withdrawal from a situation that comes before the counter-movement. It perpetuates one’s advantage over an opponent. The rationalistic Western mind sometimes has difficulty grasping this difference - our culture is steeped in a paradigm that sees only unrelenting progress… a mechanical, linear t...

PreambleThis is the second time in a month we’ve had Ting presented as the week’s hexagram. In it, we are given a hint that the concern with higher things is necessary for a civilised life, human life. Only when we gather around a table together and listen can all sides of a story be told. If you have a ritual for making offerings to gods, or energies, or idols, consider doing so this week. If you are fortunate enough to have a real temple nearby, consider visiting. The world is in a constant...

PreambleThis is the second time in a month we’ve had Ting presented as the week’s hexagram. In it, we are given a hint that the concern with higher things is necessary for a civilised life, human life. Only when we gather around a table together and listen can all sides of a story be told. If you have a ritual for making offerings to gods, or energies, or idols, consider doing so this week. If you are fortunate enough to have a real temple nearby, consider visiting. The world is in a constant...

PreambleThe Caldron is a vessel of civilised and refined peoples. In it, a meal is prepared and shared around with guests. Below, a flame fed by wood keeps it’s contents hot. From sharing a good meal together, we go beyond the necessities of a bare life and nourish the higher plains of existence. Yes, food nourishes the body, but good conversation and warm company nourishes the mind and spirit beyond bare physical needs. These things, thought of as “nice to have extras”, are in fact essential...

PreambleThe Caldron is a vessel of civilised and refined peoples. In it, a meal is prepared and shared around with guests. Below, a flame fed by wood keeps it’s contents hot. From sharing a good meal together, we go beyond the necessities of a bare life and nourish the higher plains of existence. Yes, food nourishes the body, but good conversation and warm company nourishes the mind and spirit beyond bare physical needs. These things, thought of as “nice to have extras”, are in fact essential...

PreambleSometimes an obstacle is best overcome by decisive force. This applies especially so in matters concerning crime and criminal behaviour, as harmony needs justice in order to be attainable. Today’s hexagram presents us with themes of Justice, punishment, and its delivery upon those who are culprits. Unresolved affairs and old grievances may come to light this week, and those who serve justice may be unfavourably viewed for “resurfacing” what happened long ago. The Oracle states that ev...

PreambleSometimes an obstacle is best overcome by decisive force. This applies especially so in matters concerning crime and criminal behaviour, as harmony needs justice in order to be attainable. Today’s hexagram presents us with themes of Justice, punishment, and its delivery upon those who are culprits. Unresolved affairs and old grievances may come to light this week, and those who serve justice may be unfavourably viewed for “resurfacing” what happened long ago. The Oracle states that ev...

PreambleThe I Ching often speaks about the power of community, and this week that power is in focus. Amidst what some may feel to be a tumultuous window, gathering together serves a purpose. At the lowest level, there is strength in numbers. At a more civilised layer, the city is where culture has historically been born. Maybe now, we can gather online in even greater numbers than ever before. Alongside this emphasis on community was also a more subtle hint pointing towards the week being a t...

PreambleThe I Ching often speaks about the power of community, and this week that power is in focus. Amidst what some may feel to be a tumultuous window, gathering together serves a purpose. At the lowest level, there is strength in numbers. At a more civilised layer, the city is where culture has historically been born. Maybe now, we can gather online in even greater numbers than ever before. Alongside this emphasis on community was also a more subtle hint pointing towards the week being a t...

PreambleA threshold was crossed over the last few weeks, and we begin to emerge into a new equilibrium. Thunder and Wind both seem like fleeting phenomena, but their essential nature is always unchanged, and this should be studied. Change is the only constant thing, and when things change, to carry on doing as one was before invites misfortune. You too must change in response, and flow with the stream of life. Put differently, true persistence is a commitment to constant renewal and adaptabil...

PreambleA threshold was crossed over the last few weeks, and we begin to emerge into a new equilibrium. Thunder and Wind both seem like fleeting phenomena, but their essential nature is always unchanged, and this should be studied. Change is the only constant thing, and when things change, to carry on doing as one was before invites misfortune. You too must change in response, and flow with the stream of life. Put differently, true persistence is a commitment to constant renewal and adaptabil...

PreambleThe wanderer is someone called to travel - this may be out into the world, or within to one’s own depths. Either way, there is a calling to venture into the unknown. When we leave the familiar, circumstance demands that we change our behaviour. In foreign places, tact and reserve are the tools of the successful traveller. By taking on the customs of others, we learn from their ways; and by remaining tactful, we avoid inviting unnecessary risk. The wanderer exists within all of us, and...

PreambleThe wanderer is someone called to travel - this may be out into the world, or within to one’s own depths. Either way, there is a calling to venture into the unknown. When we leave the familiar, circumstance demands that we change our behaviour. In foreign places, tact and reserve are the tools of the successful traveller. By taking on the customs of others, we learn from their ways; and by remaining tactful, we avoid inviting unnecessary risk. The wanderer exists within all of us, and...

PreambleFrom last week’s momentum upward, we are met this week with the stall. Floodwaters are rising. The weight of the situation has become excessive, and the supports are no longer strong enough for the load they bear. This is an extraordinary situation, and it may justify extraordinary measures to meet it. Things that would normally be considered out of the question or excessive should not be excluded. Just as when we lay something very heavy down, we put a towel or mat on the floor to en...

PreambleFrom last week’s momentum upward, we are met this week with the stall. Floodwaters are rising. The weight of the situation has become excessive, and the supports are no longer strong enough for the load they bear. This is an extraordinary situation, and it may justify extraordinary measures to meet it. Things that would normally be considered out of the question or excessive should not be excluded. Just as when we lay something very heavy down, we put a towel or mat on the floor to en...