Just as 'Heaven hangs symbols in the sky' to describe the movements of the Tao, we can use the I Ching as a weather report on the movements of our personal Tao, the many-levelled symphony of processes running through our lives.
Often these processes are obvious, and we can identify them without the help of the I Ching or any other oracle. When my friend Ellie, who designed this website, was first starting her website design business, she told me about the steep learning curve involved in learning to use the software. We didn't need to throw the coins to recognize this as the process described in Hexagram 3 "Sprouting", which speaks of the surge of energy required to overcome inertia and start a new project.
But it is not always so clear. More often, especially when we stand at crossroads in our lives - a career change, for example - we are beset with doubts. Entering new territory, over our edge, life can appear dreamlike. We may have the feeling life is sending us signals, but we're not sure how to interpret them. Or we may simply be aware that we have blind spots, and need help in looking past them, to possibilities we may not have considered due to old habits of thought.
"I was angry and upset about a family conflict. The I Ching helped me see another side to the situation, and helped me approach it with compassion rather than adding to the conflict." LD, student.
Several hexagrams and lines advise us to "ask the Da Ren", the 'great person'. i.e. someone who can see more than we can, whether due to greater experience or an innate wisdom. The I Ching is just such a 'person' - impartial and wise, sometimes directing us to look more broadly than the specific question we have asked.
There are also times when we have a genuine conflict of values: is it better to give to charity or to put the money away for our own children? Do we really want to invest in that company which is yielding great dividends but is not so environmentally friendly? At other times, a business deal may look fine on the surface, but we have niggling doubts. Or a relationship may be starting or ending, or even just evolving in a surprising direction, and we crave guidance.
The I Ching may be consulted at any point of life change. It is an ancient, tried and tested form of life coaching.
