Consulting the Oracle
Originally written for my Taoism class, but it was revelatory enough that I wished to save it.
For several years, my hope in life has been to become a published author of fiction, and so when I had the chance to consult the Oracle in the Book of Changes, it seemed natural to ask it a question about my future in the field. My question to the Book is simple: will I find success in life as a writer?
I used the coin method to derive my hexagram, as I did not have the 50 yarrow sticks needed for that method and I did not feel as confident about using it as I did with coins. I flipped my set of three coins six times and ended up with the following hexagram:
_______
___ ___
_______
_______
___ ___
___ ___
“Lü, The Wanderer”
Lü, the Wanderer, is composed of the trigrams Li (the Clinging, Fire,) and Kên (Keeping still, mountain.) It is noted in the commentary that this hexagram is interesting in that its nature is to pull apart from itself; fire moves, while the mountain remains. Fire wishes to move up; the mountain wishes to move down. As such, the figure of the Wanderer is one of balance and to some degree contradiction; in any case, it is noted that the place of the Wanderer is “strange lands and places.”
The basic image of the hexagram has a fairly obvious synergy with the image of a writer; a writer is a wandering alone through strange lands, as only the writer truly experiences the worlds that his stories take place in. Writing is often describes as a very solitary profession; as such, writers are Wanderers. The image fits the situation at hand very well.
The Judgement of the Wanderer reads: “The Wanderer. Success through smallness. Perseverance brings good fortune to the wanderer.” I find this passage to be utterly fascinating as it applies to the question I have asked. To my eyes, this seems to say that the proper way to attain success as an author is to begin small and work slowly towards success; rather than anticipating a story being immediately hailed as a masterpiece and signed to a fifteen book contract, it is proper to begin with smaller expectations; perhaps I should endeavor to get a few short stories published, or in other ways focus on smaller projects that can eventually lead to a larger project’s success. In addition, the judgment specifically mentions the importance of perseverance to the goal. In essence, the Book’s response to my question seems to say that the proper course at this time is to begin slowly and diligently work towards larger success.
The Image reads: “Fire on the mountain: The image of the Wanderer. Thus the superior man is clear-minded and cautious in imposing penalties, and protracts no lawsuits.” This seems to relate to the notion of perseverance. In essence, I think this implies that the Wanderer/Writer has to take problems as short set-backs; as the fire on the mountain moves quickly and then passes, problems should not be allowed to throw the entire process of writing off.
There is a single moving line in the hexagram, which is the nine in the fourth place. The Duke of Chou’s commentary says “Nine in the fourth place means: The wanderer rests in a shelter. He obtains his property and an ax. My heart is not glad.” The commentary by Wilhelm and Confucius both explain that this line means the Wanderer has found a temporary shelter, but not his true place in the world; although he has some property, he must also defend it. His heart is not yet at ease. To me, this reflects my current situation; I have written some material that I think is good, and I am beginning to make some progress in attempting to get it published. I am also in a shelter of being in writing programs here at Truman; however, these are not my destination, and I must be vigilant and ready to defend my work against things that would prevent me from writing. I have found a good place to work and learn, but I cannot stay here forever; my goal lies further on.
Finally, I transform this hexagram into its transformed state. With the fourth place line changed, Lü, the Wanderer, becomes this hexagram:
_______
___ ___
___ ___
_______
___ ___
___ ___
“Kên, Keeping Still, the Mountain”
This transformed hexagram represents the future of the situation. The Judgment of Keeping Still reads: “Keeping still. Keeping his back still so that he no longer feels his body. He goes into his courtyard and does not see his people. No blame.” The Image reads: “Mountains standing close together: The image of Keeping Still. Thus the superior man does not permit his thoughts to go beyond his station.” The meaning here is not as clear as the Wanderer was; however, the basic theme of Keeping Still is the knowledge of when one should rest and when one should proceed. As such, it appears that the message of Keeping Still as regards to this situation is that eventually, I will be able to move beyond the state I am in now into one where I know how and when to act. I will leave the temporary shelter implied by the moving line in Lü the Wanderer and come to a point where I have mastery over my craft.
The appearance of Lü, the Wanderer as the response to my question has been revelatory. The Wanderer is perfectly connected to the image of myself as a writer; there is the correspondence between the Wanderer in strange places and the Writer whose mind is largely occupied with worlds that he travels in alone. Furthermore, the advice given for the situation is highly practical and applicable; the ideas of the Judgement, such as success through smallness and perseverance, make perfect sense in this context. The Book of Changes answered my question perfectly. Will I become a successful writer?, I asked the Book, and it responded: you are in a place where you can learn and develop as a writer, but you cannot stagnate there; this is not your destination. However, if you begin small and persevere, you will come to a place of mastery and understanding within your craft. It seems a wholly satisfactory answer to me.
For several years, my hope in life has been to become a published author of fiction, and so when I had the chance to consult the Oracle in the Book of Changes, it seemed natural to ask it a question about my future in the field. My question to the Book is simple: will I find success in life as a writer?
I used the coin method to derive my hexagram, as I did not have the 50 yarrow sticks needed for that method and I did not feel as confident about using it as I did with coins. I flipped my set of three coins six times and ended up with the following hexagram:
_______
___ ___
_______
_______
___ ___
___ ___
“Lü, The Wanderer”
Lü, the Wanderer, is composed of the trigrams Li (the Clinging, Fire,) and Kên (Keeping still, mountain.) It is noted in the commentary that this hexagram is interesting in that its nature is to pull apart from itself; fire moves, while the mountain remains. Fire wishes to move up; the mountain wishes to move down. As such, the figure of the Wanderer is one of balance and to some degree contradiction; in any case, it is noted that the place of the Wanderer is “strange lands and places.”
The basic image of the hexagram has a fairly obvious synergy with the image of a writer; a writer is a wandering alone through strange lands, as only the writer truly experiences the worlds that his stories take place in. Writing is often describes as a very solitary profession; as such, writers are Wanderers. The image fits the situation at hand very well.
The Judgement of the Wanderer reads: “The Wanderer. Success through smallness. Perseverance brings good fortune to the wanderer.” I find this passage to be utterly fascinating as it applies to the question I have asked. To my eyes, this seems to say that the proper way to attain success as an author is to begin small and work slowly towards success; rather than anticipating a story being immediately hailed as a masterpiece and signed to a fifteen book contract, it is proper to begin with smaller expectations; perhaps I should endeavor to get a few short stories published, or in other ways focus on smaller projects that can eventually lead to a larger project’s success. In addition, the judgment specifically mentions the importance of perseverance to the goal. In essence, the Book’s response to my question seems to say that the proper course at this time is to begin slowly and diligently work towards larger success.
The Image reads: “Fire on the mountain: The image of the Wanderer. Thus the superior man is clear-minded and cautious in imposing penalties, and protracts no lawsuits.” This seems to relate to the notion of perseverance. In essence, I think this implies that the Wanderer/Writer has to take problems as short set-backs; as the fire on the mountain moves quickly and then passes, problems should not be allowed to throw the entire process of writing off.
There is a single moving line in the hexagram, which is the nine in the fourth place. The Duke of Chou’s commentary says “Nine in the fourth place means: The wanderer rests in a shelter. He obtains his property and an ax. My heart is not glad.” The commentary by Wilhelm and Confucius both explain that this line means the Wanderer has found a temporary shelter, but not his true place in the world; although he has some property, he must also defend it. His heart is not yet at ease. To me, this reflects my current situation; I have written some material that I think is good, and I am beginning to make some progress in attempting to get it published. I am also in a shelter of being in writing programs here at Truman; however, these are not my destination, and I must be vigilant and ready to defend my work against things that would prevent me from writing. I have found a good place to work and learn, but I cannot stay here forever; my goal lies further on.
Finally, I transform this hexagram into its transformed state. With the fourth place line changed, Lü, the Wanderer, becomes this hexagram:
_______
___ ___
___ ___
_______
___ ___
___ ___
“Kên, Keeping Still, the Mountain”
This transformed hexagram represents the future of the situation. The Judgment of Keeping Still reads: “Keeping still. Keeping his back still so that he no longer feels his body. He goes into his courtyard and does not see his people. No blame.” The Image reads: “Mountains standing close together: The image of Keeping Still. Thus the superior man does not permit his thoughts to go beyond his station.” The meaning here is not as clear as the Wanderer was; however, the basic theme of Keeping Still is the knowledge of when one should rest and when one should proceed. As such, it appears that the message of Keeping Still as regards to this situation is that eventually, I will be able to move beyond the state I am in now into one where I know how and when to act. I will leave the temporary shelter implied by the moving line in Lü the Wanderer and come to a point where I have mastery over my craft.
The appearance of Lü, the Wanderer as the response to my question has been revelatory. The Wanderer is perfectly connected to the image of myself as a writer; there is the correspondence between the Wanderer in strange places and the Writer whose mind is largely occupied with worlds that he travels in alone. Furthermore, the advice given for the situation is highly practical and applicable; the ideas of the Judgement, such as success through smallness and perseverance, make perfect sense in this context. The Book of Changes answered my question perfectly. Will I become a successful writer?, I asked the Book, and it responded: you are in a place where you can learn and develop as a writer, but you cannot stagnate there; this is not your destination. However, if you begin small and persevere, you will come to a place of mastery and understanding within your craft. It seems a wholly satisfactory answer to me.