Okay, so today I messed around with i ching, specifically hexagram 19. It’s called “Lin,” which some translate as “Approach” or “The Gentle Approach.” I wanted to see what, if anything, it could tell me about my current work situation, which has been kinda…stuck.
First, I grabbed my three coins. I’ve got these old Chinese coins I use – nothing fancy, just something to give me the heads or tails I need. You know, heads for yang (a solid line) and tails for yin (a broken line). I do this six times to get my hexagram.
Building the Hexagram
- First toss: Tails. That’s a broken line (yin) at the bottom.
- Second toss: Tails again. Another broken line.
- Third toss: Heads! Okay, a solid line (yang).
- Fourth toss: Tails. Back to broken.
- Fifth toss: Tails, another broken.
- Sixth toss: Tails. A final broken line on top.
So, putting it all together, bottom to top, I got broken, broken, solid, broken, broken, broken. That’s hexagram 19, Lin.
I then looked up the meaning. A few different sources, just to see what resonated. Generally, it seemed to talk about a time of progress, growth, and good fortune, like Spring after Winter, things start to grow and become prosperous. But there were also some warnings tucked in there. Not to get too overconfident, to be mindful, because this favorable time might not last forever.
It was interesting. I wouldn’t say it gave me some magic bullet solution to my work problem. But the idea of “approach” felt relevant. Maybe I’ve been too passive, waiting for things to change on their own. The hexagram’s message, at least how I interpreted it, seemed to encourage taking a proactive approach. It suggests that now might be a good time to make some moves, but to do it thoughtfully, not rushing in blindly. The “gentle” part of the “Gentle Approach” stuck with me.
I am not gonna lie, sometimes I roll my eyes at this stuff. But, I did found the process kind of meditative. It forced me to slow down, focus on a question, and then reflect on a symbolic answer. I’ll see if this “approach” idea leads anywhere. Maybe I’ll try tossing again next week and see what comes up then. Who knows, right?
