Okay, so I’ve been messing around with the I Ching lately, and today I decided to focus on Hexagram 45, which is called “Gathering Together” or sometimes “Massing.” It’s supposed to be about bringing things or people together, finding common ground, that kind of stuff.
First thing I did was grab my little I Ching book and my three coins. I always use these same three coins – don’t ask me why, it just feels right. I cleared off a little space on my desk, took a couple of deep breaths to kind of center myself, and then started thinking about a situation where I’m trying to, well, “gather things together.” In this case, it was a project at work where we’re trying to get different departments to collaborate more effectively. It’s been a bit of a headache, to say the least.
So, with that work situation in my mind, I started tossing the coins. You do this six times, right? Each toss gives you a line, and the lines build up from the bottom to form the hexagram. I jotted down each line as I went – heads is 3, tails is 2, and then you do some simple math to figure out if it’s a solid line, a broken line, or a changing line. It’s kind of meditative, actually, just the rhythm of tossing the coins and marking down the results.
- First toss: Heads, Heads, Tails. That’s 3+3+2 = 8. A broken, changing line.
- Second toss: Tails, Tails, Tails. That’s 2+2+2 = 6. Another broken, changing line.
- Third toss: Heads, Tails, Tails. That’s 3+2+2 = 7. A solid line.
- Fourth toss: Heads, Heads, Tails. That’s 3+3+2=8 A broken, changing line.
- Fifth toss: Heads, Tails, Tails. That’s 3+2+2=7.A solid line.
- Sixth toss：Heads, Tails, Tails. That’s 3+2+2=7.A solid line.
After six tosses, bam, I had Hexagram 45. But, because I had those changing lines, I also had a second hexagram to consider. Changing lines basically mean the situation is in flux, and they point you to another hexagram that shows where things might be heading. The changing lines in 45 turned it into Hexagram 17, which is “Following.”
Reading the Results
I spent a good chunk of time reading the interpretations of both hexagrams. 45 talks about the importance of having a strong leader, being prepared for potential challenges, and the value of sacrifice (not like, animal sacrifice, but more like putting aside personal desires for the greater good). The “Following” hexagram, 17, emphasizes adapting to the situation, going with the flow, and finding the right path by observing what’s happening around you.
Honestly, it felt pretty relevant to my work situation. The “strong leader” part made me think about who is (or should be) taking charge of this inter-departmental project. The “being prepared” part reminded me that we probably need to anticipate some resistance and have a plan for dealing with it. And the “Following” hexagram? Well, it kind of hit me that maybe I need to be less rigid in my approach and more open to adapting to the different working styles of each department.
I’m not saying the I Ching gave me all the answers, but it definitely gave me some new perspectives to chew on. It’s like holding up a mirror to the situation and seeing it from a slightly different angle. I’m going to keep thinking about these hexagrams and see how I can apply their insights to my work project. Maybe it’ll help us all “gather together” a little more smoothly.
