Feb 10 26
Nine of Wands
13. Fellowship with Men
22. Grace
22. Grace
These first few lines are the general aphoristic returns for the week. They are raw and uninterpreted; there to use how you’d like. (The specific readings follow.)
Question from “L.T.D.”: Extreme certainty always seems to veil seething insecurity, and its offspring, deep disappointment. How to be insecure and uncertain but maintain vitality, effectiveness and viability? [Thinking here that the scientific method might be a good articulation of what we might be pointing to, that is, the scientific method has embedded mistake-making in trial and error (a kind of positive insecurity). Also, as opposed to religion’s archaic fixity of certainty.]
Oracle reply: Yes, the spirit of experiment is like a positive mistake. The methodology of scientific inquiry is a near perfect way to talk about the necessity of positive “embedded mistake making.”
The recommendation here is to look at it this way. There’s no certainty, but there is personal discovery — which must be followed by cooperative integration with others.
One has to be patient and persistent with their individual learning to develop experience. This personal experience should be integrated in a yielding manner.
Conformity is a death to discovery. But extreme personal withholding is also a destructive end.
Complete Reading:
This week we pulled the Nine of Wands. “Strength within opposition...” Well prepared for conflict. Persistence within struggle. Tenacity. Perseverance. Finally learning to use experience to one’s advantage.
Our first hexagram this week is #13, Fellowship with Men. Here we have the detailing of what creates a strong body politic: to bond the masses a single person of a “yielding nature among many firm persons…” is needed. A leader need not be domineering and unwavering — but quite the opposite: “yielding”. As for the theme and style that unites: “true fellowship among people must be based upon a concern that is universal. It is not the private interests of the individual that create lasting fellowship among people, but rather the goals of humanity. That is why it is said that fellowship with people in the open succeeds. If unity of this kind prevails, even difficult and dangerous tasks… can be accomplished. But in order to bring about this sort of fellowship, a persevering and enlightened leader is needed—an individual with clear, convincing, and inspiring aims and the strength to carry them out.”
There were two changes this week of which the specific notes are: at times, the reality of an impasse brings two parties to their senses and if the inner bonds of people are sincere, they can overcome any adversity.
Our second hexagram, the one that suggests how best to meet the challenges (or the changes) is #22, Grace. Though the “beauty of form — is necessary in any union if it is to be well ordered and pleasing rather than disordered and chaotic, it is not the essential or fundamental thing; it is only the ornament and therefore to be used sparingly, in little things... by contemplating the forms existing in the heavens we come to understand time and its changing demands. Through contemplation of the forms existing in human society it becomes possible to shape the world.” The sum point seems to be this: valuing beauty is fundamental in all endeavors, but thinking beauty to be the main or only thing to consider, can lead to catastrophe. A beautiful surface can lead to catastrophe if depth isn’t appropriately appraised.
- Experience is a key ingredient in preparation; and patience is a key ingredient in experience.
- A uniting leader must be yielding, amongst all qualities.
- A beautiful surface can lead to catastrophe if depth isn’t appropriately appraised.
Question from “L.T.D.”: Extreme certainty always seems to veil seething insecurity, and its offspring, deep disappointment. How to be insecure and uncertain but maintain vitality, effectiveness and viability? [Thinking here that the scientific method might be a good articulation of what we might be pointing to, that is, the scientific method has embedded mistake-making in trial and error (a kind of positive insecurity). Also, as opposed to religion’s archaic fixity of certainty.]
Oracle reply: Yes, the spirit of experiment is like a positive mistake. The methodology of scientific inquiry is a near perfect way to talk about the necessity of positive “embedded mistake making.”
The recommendation here is to look at it this way. There’s no certainty, but there is personal discovery — which must be followed by cooperative integration with others.
One has to be patient and persistent with their individual learning to develop experience. This personal experience should be integrated in a yielding manner.
Conformity is a death to discovery. But extreme personal withholding is also a destructive end.
Complete Reading:
This week we pulled the Nine of Wands. “Strength within opposition...” Well prepared for conflict. Persistence within struggle. Tenacity. Perseverance. Finally learning to use experience to one’s advantage.
Our first hexagram this week is #13, Fellowship with Men. Here we have the detailing of what creates a strong body politic: to bond the masses a single person of a “yielding nature among many firm persons…” is needed. A leader need not be domineering and unwavering — but quite the opposite: “yielding”. As for the theme and style that unites: “true fellowship among people must be based upon a concern that is universal. It is not the private interests of the individual that create lasting fellowship among people, but rather the goals of humanity. That is why it is said that fellowship with people in the open succeeds. If unity of this kind prevails, even difficult and dangerous tasks… can be accomplished. But in order to bring about this sort of fellowship, a persevering and enlightened leader is needed—an individual with clear, convincing, and inspiring aims and the strength to carry them out.”
There were two changes this week of which the specific notes are: at times, the reality of an impasse brings two parties to their senses and if the inner bonds of people are sincere, they can overcome any adversity.
Our second hexagram, the one that suggests how best to meet the challenges (or the changes) is #22, Grace. Though the “beauty of form — is necessary in any union if it is to be well ordered and pleasing rather than disordered and chaotic, it is not the essential or fundamental thing; it is only the ornament and therefore to be used sparingly, in little things... by contemplating the forms existing in the heavens we come to understand time and its changing demands. Through contemplation of the forms existing in human society it becomes possible to shape the world.” The sum point seems to be this: valuing beauty is fundamental in all endeavors, but thinking beauty to be the main or only thing to consider, can lead to catastrophe. A beautiful surface can lead to catastrophe if depth isn’t appropriately appraised.