Okay, so today I decided to mess around with the I Ching, specifically hexagram 44. I’ve dabbled in it before, you know, just for fun, but this time I wanted to be a bit more, uh, methodical about it.
First, I grabbed my three coins. I’ve got these old Chinese coins I picked up at a flea market ages ago – they feel more authentic than using regular pennies, right? Anyway, I cleared my mind, or at least I tried to. It’s hard to completely shut off the brain, but I focused on the question I had in mind. It was something about a project I’m working on, whether to push forward aggressively or take a more cautious approach.
Then came the coin tossing. Six times, heads for yang (3), tails for yin (2).I jotted down the values on a notepad like this:
- Toss 1: Heads, Heads, Tails (3+3+2 = 8)
- Toss 2: Tails, Tails, Tails (2+2+2 = 6)
- Toss 3: Heads, Heads, Heads (3+3+3 = 9)
- Toss 4: Tails, Heads, Tails (2+3+2 = 7)
- Toss 5: Heads, Tails, Tails (3+2+2 = 7)
- Toss 6: Tails, Tails, Heads (2+2+3 = 7)
Next I used to the values to create the lines. I used the rules for creating lines. Even numbers is a Yin line, meaning a broken line, Odd numbers is a Yang line, meaning a solid line. 6 and 9 are old Yin and Yang, and the rest are young Yin and Yang. Old means the line is a changing line that will turn into its opposite.
I wrote down each line one by one like this:
- 8 is Yin, and young.
- 6 is Yin, and old, meaning changing.
- 9 is Yang, and old, meaning changing.
- 7 is Yang, and young.
- 7 is Yang, and young.
- 7 is Yang, and young.
Constructing the Hexagram
I built the hexagram from the bottom up, old-school style. The changing lines in toss 2 and 3 meant I’d have two hexagrams to consider. The initial hexagram first. I wrote down the lines like this:
- Yang, young
- Yang, young
- Yang, young
- Yang, old, changing
- Yin, old, changing.
- Yin, young
Solid, solid, solid, solid, broken, broken.
I checked my little I Ching cheat sheet (don’t judge, I’m still learning!) and matched it up. Boom – Hexagram 44, “Gou” / “Coming to Meet”.
Then I looked at the changing lines. The old Yin (6) at line two, and the old Yang (9) at line three, these lines switch polarities. This creates a second hexagram, So I changed the lines and write:
- Yang, young
- Yang, young
- Yang, young
- Yin, young
- Yang, young.
- Yin, young
Solid, solid, solid, broken, solid, broken.
This gives me hexagram 12, “Standstill”.
So, I had 44, with changing lines leading to 12. I spent a good while reading up on both hexagrams, different interpretations, and the specific meanings of the changing lines. Hexagram 44 is the correct one in the current situation, the changing lines and the resulting hexagram 12 means what will going to be if I do nothing to prevent it from *’s all about encounters, potentially seductive but maybe not beneficial in the long run. The changing lines highlighted the need for caution and being aware of underlying tensions. It’s not a simple “yes” or “no” answer, more like a “proceed with your eyes wide open” kind of vibe. I’m still digesting it, to be honest, and seeing how it applies to my project. It definitely gave me some food for thought, and a new perspective on how to approach things. It is a reminder that I can avoid the result of 12.
