Yi Jing, Oracle of the Moon

049 One shock

   Many people have something which clings to them. Fickle ideas, unfounded convictions, a wrong love, or misunderstandings between their mind and body. One single shock can pull them out of it. As if a heavy curtain suddenly gets drawn aside and a new landscape appears in front of them.

050 Follow your nature

   To have money and possessions is great, but before you try to reach those, ask yourself first what your nature tells you. Go in the direction which agrees with your heart, look at more than just safe profits. Because when money and possessions include happiness, only then they are right for you.

051 The peach of immortality*

   Playing children play life or live what they play. There is no past or future, no true or false, they immerse themselves in the moment itself. They never lost immortality, because for them every second is as big as eternity. Lose yourself, lose your thoughts, and you will be like them.

052 The autumn moon

   Relax and enjoy this time. You did what you had to do or what you wanted to finish, now you need to give your body and mind a time of leisure in which you can enjoy your accomplishments. Your surroundings will react to it and come and share with you. Everyone needs times like this.

053 The moon-toad * (see story 073)

  Do not neglect what is close by, even if all seems to be fine. The other may seem content, but even so, you should reach deeper, find out if there is anything more you can give. Duties and ambitions can often overrule the emotional side of life, so focus your attention again and again on love.

054 A boat in the desert

   For whatever you do, you need the right goal, the right tools, the right place and the right time. If you skip one of those, you will get nowhere. It is not a matter of adapting to others but of listening to reality. She is the ultimate master of movement, she sets the boundaries and lets you succeed or fail.

055 When the right wind blows *

   Pick your battles in such a way that you will win. It includes not just the adversary and his strength, but also the place, the time, the weather, the prevailing mood. Did you prepare for what you need, or prevent your enemy to do so? A battle is more than a fight and you may lose more than the fight.

056 Seeking love *

   It is not really natural for humans to be alone. Not in their life and not in what they do. Hence the legends about fated love, soul mates and helpers which appear from above or below or out of nowhere. Look around and be nice to boys, girls, beggars, animals, pixies, cops and old people. Who knows...

057 Inside the flower

   When the petals or the show fall off, the integrity inside will show. In ancient China, integrity meant most of all to stay in the Golden Mean. Not to go to extremes, beyond your abilities or your place in life. Live in accordance with your surroundings, your station, the time and your conscience.

058 The Horse and Ox people of Chu

   Live in an ethical way but don’t get into battles for it if possible. Choose the sturdy steady way based on hands-on experience to accomplish what you aim for. If you need to fight, then find helpers who can and who are trained. Take care that your decisions are solid and well thought through.

059 My lamp my partner

   If you want tomorrow to be better, you have to let go of all shadows of yesterday. Focus on light and lightness, find friends, explore your surroundings, talk with people. Seriousness is very valuable, but as the base of your life, not its face. It should be the inner fuel which feeds the outward light.

060 Passing beauty

   Hankering after the unattainable makes a mess of your life. Unrealistic wishes will chase away the realistic ones. Like spending a day in the casino instead of spending a day looking for a job. Dreaming about Wonder Woman who drives past instead of being nice to the lady next door. Find better dreams.

061 Accident day

   There are those days when everything goes right. But the opposite seems to happen more often. Whatever you do, something goes wrong. Try to dedicate that day to stuff which has no risk at all. Postpone the rest to a better time. Maybe a good astrologer can be of help? Or the Yijing or Shenshu?

062 A quiet message

   Without imagination and dreams, nothing would come into being. Don’t believe them as they are, but cherish their beauty and inspiration. They can turn into something real through your hands and efforts. Add reality to the dream, make the images become tangible and alive. Create.

063 Dragon, horse, and rabbit

   Very often fame has not really much to do with hard work, but rather with following what you like, and with being at the right place at the right time. Doing what you love to do has its own magic. Things will happen which nobody can foresee. Love and luck like each other and tend to join.

064 Broken bridges

   Rules and laws are indispensable to keep things in order among people. But the way people behave towards each other is just as important. It cannot really be caught in rules, it is a way of living and connecting, it has to do with culture and the heart, and the only way to teach it, is to be an example.

065 Difficult to get out

   Many things are easy to enter, but not so easy to get out of. A sect, the underworld, a bad marriage, a financial investment, a ravine, a lie, to name a few. You need a strong and clever mind to extract yourself, but it is more than worth the effort. Getting out means finding yourself back again.

066 The time of harvest

   Is it true that things are slow - or are you trying to push the river? But if they really are, then wait until the moment when they move easier, and maybe even very fast all by themselves. Increasing an existing momentum is easier than making something move from out a standstill.

067 The power of graciousness

   If you act swiftly and with purpose, and make friends wherever you are, very small possibilities can still turn into promising undertakings. Everyone needs luck, but most of it comes from one’s own attitude. So if you are searching for good fortune then start making it yourself.

068 Crossing over

   Sometimes there is no need to go on living the same life. Like the moon shines or hides and still stays itself, you can move on and still stay true to yourself. Your home is where you feel at home, and sometimes it can be necessary to leave a place and life behind and to move on to a different one.

069 A rude awakening *

   Sometimes you live a dream. Or a dream lives you. Reality has a habit to catch up with dreams, and the transition from false to real can be upsetting. A bad dream lingering on, or a nice one causing disappointment with real life. Don’t let dreams harm your life or upset your people.

070 Nothing is ‘just this’

   Nothing can exist without its counterpart. Day and night, good and bad. If you experience something awful, then look for the other side. When you succeed, your ego grows, when things are bad, your character grows. But only if you actually take this chance to grow and you don’t waste it.

071 A boat in the waves

   Organize all things depending on you as the only one to sustain them. Financially, mentally, socially. Then, if you find someone to stand by you, it will be a gift and not a necessity. The other one will find a worthy life to add to, instead of a gap to fill. Your life will be good, whatever happens.

072 Solid locks

   Close the doors which should be closed. Don’t let thieves in, or bad feelings, or words which hurt or secrets you’d rather not know. But don’t let all those things leak out either. Only confide in those who deserve it and who are discreet. Keep your house, your people, your body and your mind safe.

73 Six Áo turtles *

   Good fortune does not happen by luck alone. You have to search for it and be open to receive it. Look for it by following your destiny, but also by making friends, being nice and smart and realistic. Be open, enjoy beauty, fun, wisdom, opportunities, empathy and especially welcome love.

074 Uncertain

   A lack of courage and self-confidence throws actions off-balance. They become too weak or too strong. Forget your hesitations, the danger you fear does not exist. Think of what you want to happen and not about how difficult it is. It is you yourself and your irresolute brain which are in the way.

075 Dao

   You will not find your dao by being meek. You will have to make big efforts to live the life you feel as your destination, the one you were made for. You have to give it your all. If you don’t, your life will feel wasted. If you do, you will feel fulfilled, even if not all your dreams come true.

076 The right mindset

   Success and failure are not fixed and people should not fix them by holding on to them. After Bó, hex.23, comes Fù, hex.24. After the stripping, you can recover and start again. Don’t underestimate your own power. Optimism attracts helpers and succes, but pessimism problems and bad outcomes.

077 Song of the wind

   When there was not enough strength to defeat Cao Cao, Zhuge Liang used his wits and the spring breeze. You too have more assets than just strength, so use what you have and fill in the rest with intuition and fantasy. One hunch might be enough to inspire a complete and thorough solution.

078 Relaxing exercise

   In order to find peace, you don’t always need peace around you. Create it inside by giving your body peace. Concentrate on your breath and your stillness. Alternate the two, and your body will calm down your brain and heart. Your body can cause but also understand a lot more than you think.

079 Shadows on white jade *

   Throughout the ages, man has tried to find information beyond logic or linear time. One needs to find a resonance with the greater whole. To make small sounds or look at small signs and hope that universe will answer with its huge symphony from the spheres of eternity.

080 Firewood

   To waste or misjudge arbitrarily, even when done by a lack of knowledge or intuition, is a shame. Examine always everything you do or think, everyone you encounter, everything you see. There is always more than you expect, and this ‘more’ is what makes life worth living.

081 No moon, no mirror

   Words need light and reflection. When one is absent, they can only convey plain remarks, maybe true, maybe false, or worse, plain stupidity. When both are absent, it is better to stay silent entirely. If you have the light to talk, then find one who has the reflection to make sense of it.

082 A big future

   A great future does not only need great deeds, but also the ability to deal with them. You have to stay fair and correct even when you have the power. Not carry on too far when success comes easy. To win a fight you have to be a good strategist, but even more so to make the victory itself a success.

083 Hoping for glory

   Many students are as poor as a church rat. Some study for a secure future, but others study because they love it, they follow their bliss and studying is following this chosen road. Only those will become famous masters in their field. Try to study and work like this and you may reach your heaven.

084 Possessions

   Possession is a trickster. Without it you have concerns. With it you have concerns. The golden mean is the solution. Try to get what you need, but not more than that. If you have nothing you don’t need, you don’t make others envious. Even more important is not to have a needy mind yourself.

085 Peace in a glass

   Sometimes you simply should relax. Don’t try to find a reason, just make yourself comfortable with a glass of wine or whatever you prefer. No need to think about anything at all. If you do this every once in a while, you will be amazed at the insight and the energy you have when you need it.

086 Demons in the dark

   The mind cannot fathom itself. There are dark places where we cannot shine any light. When one of those hidden emotions hits us, many others will rise as well, and the mood changes color. It can be dangerous, but it is also the only way to learn about those deepest feelings and drives.

087 Flying dragon

   Prosperous times are coming, but not just for you. It may only last one season, or maybe as long as a decade or even beyond. A new strong and beneficial leader, new capable and honest helpers, new possibilities. Make use of these new times and help to make them last.

088 No catch

   Sometimes nothing works out and nobody knows why. You will just have to accept it and return. You did your best, it is a waste of energy to feel guilty, stupid or angry. Keep trying, maybe next time will be better. The result of fishing is anyway difficult to predict. Who knows about tomorrow.

089 To borrow strength

   There comes a time when exploring or re-starting is no option anymore. You have to know what you want and never give up, even when things get very hard. Give it your all, and use the help of anyone who has the power or the means or the connections. Because you have to reach that goal.

090 Going with the flow

   An insight or inspiration or a bout of good luck can give you wings. Follow this flow immediately, it will make you move forward fast and far with hardly any effort. They say: “Find a job you love and you will never work a day in your life”. Now you know how it happens.

091 Capturing the bad

   Any job you are obliged to do or choose to do, no matter if you like it or not, do it well. It will yield fruits in the future. So prepare, organize, anticipate, implement, and everything else which is necessary, and do it perfectly. Even small insignificant jobs will make a difference if done well.

092 When the snakes are sleeping *

   For a difficult work or a far journey, or anything else which has to be accomplished, it pays to gain knowledge before and during the work. Many things are only known to a few people, but they can make a huge difference for you. Look around and ask and listen and be smart and think.

093 Fish-dragon (see story 374)

  Many boys and men fear the troubles a marriage and family will bring. Obligations, mortgage, diapers, loss of freedom. They are right. But one day they might meet a woman who turns their fish into a dragon and makes them forget all those fears. It happens like this with many things you shrink from.

094 A golden scale

   Don’t take it too hard when someone’s loss is your gain. A good thing comes usually on its own and it can only fall in one single lap. Enjoy your good fortune. If you can share it, great. If not, so be it. And if it goes the other way, and someone else is the lucky one, then don’t begrudge it.

095 When Dao is not firm

   When things start to be fake, when values get lost, then problems get a chance to hide below the surface. Could it be that the ancient vessel of wisdom is used as a trough because only ruminants are around? Find the real values back. Show others where the roots of culture can be found.

096 Three songs of Qin *

   Culture has many faces, but an important one is the distraction of everyday cores and worries. Big stories are turned into plays, books, music, movies, festivals. They bring relaxation and togetherness, beauty and joy, they are an important part of a healthy society.