China seems to be presenting one spectacular show after another these days. Here is a terrific photo of the recent solar eclipse over the western part of the Great Wall. Enjoy!

It's no secret that the industrial Midwest has been hit particularly hard by the economic downturn that this country has experienced since President Bush's first term in office. Even before his presidency, the so-called rust belt had been in slow decline for decades with manufacturing jobs moving out of the region and out of the country at a steady pace. Michigan and Ohio, once places that workers migrated to for employment opportunities, have probably seen the greatest losses..

The mood is apprehensive. Spring has arrived and so we enjoy the warmer temperatures after a cold, dark winter, but the economy is sluggish. During my walks through the neighborhood I see for sale signs and foreclosed homes in greater numbers than ever before. People are moving out, heading south or west for better prospects just like the people of an earlier time in US history. My father grew up during the 20s and 30s and served in the armed forces during WWII like many young men of his generation. He remembers the Great Depression and although the situation isn't nearly as extreme now, he's pessimistic about the future.

Government officials try to reassure the public, still everyone seems to sense that a turnaround could be further away than we would like to think. And the war is constantly in the background--five years of blood and treasure for very ill-defined and dubious goals. A reading with the Yijing includes the following lines from Hexagram 46.

Ascending, (an) empty city.

Ascending, (an) empty city

Without place, doubt indeed
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At times the city does seem empty, especially in the downtown area, and there is doubt. And everyday more people are making the decision to leave.

More time for stargazing is at least some compensation for the winter's increased hours of darkness. Here is a link to an excellent night sky image taken from Pic du Midi Observatory. Our enduring fascination with the night sky is one of the links that we have with the people of the ancient world. Looking up at the stars we feel the same sense of wonder and ask some of the same questions, even though we have the advantage of modern technology to help us explore this amazing and mysterious universe.

Asking a question and receiving an answer is for the most part a simple and straightforward exchange, and one that people everywhere engage in everyday of their lives. However, moving from the ordinary to the extraordinary changes not only the character of the experience, but also the conditions that determine whether or not a successful result is achieved. In working with the Yijing, one encounters a unique situation which should prompt a closer examination of any prior expectations and a comparison with actual experience.

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The amount of emphasis to place on the question, or on formulating a question for the oracle is an issue that is frequently raised. It is widely acknowledged that the oracle will give a response whether a diviner poses a question or simply casts a hexagram without any preconceived idea. Even if a question is carefully chosen, most people will find that there are times when the Yi has responded in reference to an issue other than that which they initially inquired about. The way to approach this is to keep in mind that these responses are not necessarily based on the inquirer's desire to know, but rather they concern the things that the inquirer needs to know. In other words, the Yi is providing guidance instead of merely giving information. Once this is appreciated the inquirer will find that a different attitude towards the practice of consulting the Yi develops, and the diviner is free to consider the possibility that the oracle may have a message to deliver that supersedes any particular question that one might be focused on.

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Consulting without a preconceived idea of what the response refers to may appear to risk even more confusion, but just the opposite is true. This requires the diviner to consider carefully and to engage in some self-reflection before drawing any conclusions. By working in this way, the diviner follows the oracle's lead, instead of assuming the response always refers to the initial question. Of course, this involves allowing more time for contemplation than simply immediately applying the answer to the matter inquired about. Even so, it is an excellent way to sharpen one's perception and to attune oneself to the way the oracle provides guidance.

Finally, it's the New Year and it's time to get back into the flow of things. A recent reading has convinced me that updating this blog is more important than waiting until I have a completely finished article to post or until I feel inspired. There have been many changes over the past year and through it all I've been encouraged to become more involved, and yet I've hesitated. There are so many other things that require attention, why not wait and see how things develop? Often, this is perfectly good advice, but the disadvantage is that waiting and watching can continue for far too long, and developments can definitely take a wrong turn if one stays on the sidelines. And so, in order to get back into blogging after such a long hiatus I began to entertain the idea of creating another blog. This would enable me to have one blog for short articles and reviews which would be updated less regularly, and another blog for readings and brief observations which could be updated much more easily. With this in the back of my mind ( I did not formally ask a question) I received the following.

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(Please excuse the non-standard notation for a solid line changing to opened line)

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According to the text, the imagery associated with Hexagram 28 is that of a roof beam that is slightly weak at the ends so that the beam is bending or sagging under the weight of the roof. Since the name of this hexagram is Great Surpassing, it seems reasonable to think of the structure as being rather substantial. The changing line shows a variation on this theme. Here the roof beam is in much better condition--in fact, the beam is bearing the weight well and the commentary for line four indicates that the beam is not sagging.

Line four connects well with my situation since it answers the question that was on my mind--it indicates that this one blog (roof beam) is just fine and having another (blog) would not be favorable, and might even cause greater difficulty. It is a mild warning, but a warning just the same and it shouldn't be ignored. Overall, it's an encouraging message and it helps to motivate me to make a greater effort to continue blogging and sharing experiences and ideas.

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