Okay, so I’ve been messing around with I Ching stuff lately, and I decided to try and, like, physically make hexagram 50, you know, the one called “The Cauldron.” It sounded cool, and I figured, why not?
First, I had to actually figure out what the heck it looked like. I mean, I’d seen the little lines before, but I needed the specifics. So, I did some digging—looked at some pictures, read a bit about it—until I felt like I had a good grasp of the shape. It’s basically a broken line on the bottom, then a solid line, two more solid lines, a broken line, and a final solid line on top.
My Crafting Process
Next up, I needed to decide how to make it. I thought about drawing it, but that felt kinda lame. I wanted something more… tangible. So, I rummaged through my junk drawer (we all have one, right?) and found some old popsicle sticks. Perfect!
- Step 1: The Broken Lines. I snapped two popsicle sticks in half. Easy peasy. These would be my broken lines.
- Step 2: The Solid Lines. I grabbed four whole popsicle sticks. Done.
- Step 3: Assembly. I laid out the sticks, starting with the broken one, then stacking the others on top in the right order. I used some regular old glue to stick ’em together. Nothing fancy.
It took a little fiddling to get them all lined up nice and neat, but I got there eventually. And let me tell you, holding this thing I made with my own two hands, it felt… different. Like, I had actually created something, even if it was just some sticks glued together.
I’m not gonna lie, it’s not exactly a masterpiece. The glue’s a little messy, and the sticks aren’t perfectly aligned. But it’s mine. And it’s a real, physical representation of this ancient symbol. That’s pretty cool, I think.
I’ve got it sitting on my desk now. It’s a good reminder to slow down, get my hands dirty, and maybe even try making something new, every project don’t need to be perfect, the process is make me happy.
