Hexagram 25 Unchanging (uc)
Or: Everyone's Face Is On The Fool Card
Father John Misty's "I Guess Time Just Makes Fools of Us All" is the kind of art that will last as long as saved copies of a song will last. Being wrong is a universal occurrence.
Naivete is as widespread and varied as pronunciations of naivete.
And when you're seeking out subtle signs of success through something like divination, you're more at risk of looking dumb.
I have a rich experience of this kind of thing, so let's discuss *that*, and also, how we might be able to be a little less stupid, and a little less wrong.
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Three Times Divination Has Made Me Look Silly
There's a lot of smart, and talented people 'reading the signs', but that doesn't make them (or myself) immune to incorrect interpretations.
I once consulted with an astrologer whose ability I greatly respect, that said based on what they were looking at, I'd be making a living from writing by x date.
I didn't circle that month on the calendar in anticipation, fortunately. I let things unfold, and when they unfolded, I was in the same job where writing is only done by cutting wires to avoid an explosion in an email chain.
In fact, the closest I came to making money from writing in any consistent way was in the years before the reading.
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But let's talk about my own mistakes of belief:
I once asked if I'd have a publishing opportunity many years ago, and received Hexagram 63 (uc) Unchanging.
63 is "Completion." It seems like it would be an obvious yes, and yet, that also never happened.
The unfortunate truth is that even something that should seemingly be a certainty can be interpreted in countless ways.
How do I explain this one? Well, after spending time analyzing thousands of I Ching readings for all 64 Hexagrams, I saw that Hexagram 63 can sometimes mean that the subject matter is finished, rather than the subject asked about being a success.
And sometimes 63 depends on what you put into it.
I certainly didn't put much effort into seeking a publishing opportunity, so the outcome seemed to be a stick of dynamite whose wick fizzled out before the fire could activate it.
It reminds me of how sometimes The World card of the Tarot (whose I Ching interpretation is also 63 (uc) Unchanging) comes up for things where I simply checked off a box.
Those are unsatisfying insights when you want the taste of success, but it's a reminder to not put all of your hopes and dreams in the same egg basket, especially when the outcome is dependent on the toil you put into receiving it.
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I've been a fool in other ways, though.
One was thinking that because of my excessive divination fueled by anxiety, a family member would be imminently passing away, and that I'd have to attend a funeral.
It was a manic exercise, and the only muscle being worked was that of delusion.
One lesson you can learn from my foolishness is that you shouldn't use your creativity to find new ways to ask the same question, over and over again.
I don't believe in doing one reading and being done with it, but there are ways to be strategic about it, which I'll get into below.
How To Be Less Foolish With Divination
Divination is a poor excuse for emotional regulation.
I've worked through emotions by excessive questioning and interpreting, and it's not an efficient way to ease the mind.
Pulling the slot machine arm until your hunches get corroborated by symbols is a game where losing is the only possibility.
I've written about my interpretation techniques before, but here's a little more guidance, which has helped me:
1) Limit Your Questions
If you plan on asking more than one question about the same topic, identify the boundaries.
That means, the questions you will ask, and the questions you won't.
By letting your anxieties make that decision for you, you'll end up with a long list of 'signs', overwhelming your working memory.
And when you overwhelm your working memory (that can only handle 3-5 things), your critical thinking and rationality get strongarmed into foolishness.
So, if you want to look at a situation from multiple angles, try my list:
- What do I need to know about x
- What should I expect to happen with x
- What should I not expect to happen with x
- What's the reward with x
- What's the worst thing that will happen with x
2) Interpret Wisely
And when you interpret a reading:
- Ask what the reading is *not* saying
If you don't have experience with an oracle (which is always recommended), you'll have to rely on the interpretations of others, whether that's the Internet I Ching series, or the Tarot According To The I Ching post.
But when you look at what the meaning of those symbols, cards, or hexagrams are, ask yourself, in the context of your question, what the answer is not saying.
Ex: If you get Hexagram 14 (uc) Unchanging (Great Amount or Great Possession) for a question about whether you'll have more than a little of something, I'd say the reading is giving a strong 'yes'.
3) Ask A Follow-Up
And if you're still unsure about some of the answers to those questions:
- Ask a singular, 'what am I not understanding about x answer."
That's a much better decision than choosing more angles of the situation to ask about, as if you're going to outsmart an oracle that will actively resist your attempt to outsmart it.
4) Remember That You Have To Take Action
There's a belief by some in the occult community that the act of divination influences the outcome.
I don't subscribe to that belief, looking back on all of the unfulfilled windfalls that I did marathon questioning sessions about.
Consulting the I Ching, or Tarot, cannot be a substitute for *doing*.
Huddling yourself over three coins as your anxiety interprets readings about the Grim Reaper roaming around your relationship is not a recommended activity.
By believing your agency is floating out of the nearest window, you won't work to wrestle with the harder task of fortifying what you have.
If you think the readings are saying it's meaningless to send that job application, you'll lose your initiative to find a legitimate opportunity, like it's an evolutionarily unfit limb.
This last one is something I've tried. Instead of wading through Workday windows, you want to use your tool of choice to make a more informed decision about what job to even apply to.
Final Thoughts
In our world of sympatheia, a heavy but corrupt thumb on the scale can affect a lowly strand of hair.
Whether it's coincidences manufactured to spite the coincident-ee, a manic self spiting the depressed self, or a divinatory deck taunting us into dumb decisions, when you play with the fire of the Gods, that knowledge can leave a lasting scar.
But I hope that what I've offered here can keep you from looking as stupid as I have. And that your rational capacity helps you see through the seductive idea that a reading is telling you only what you want to hear.