Yi Jing, Oracle of the Moon

  Kăn-Xùn, Water-Wind

    

  What are the potential and qualities of this situation? Kan. It is the dark place where things are born, the roots of a tree, the seeds of inspiration, but also of death, ends and hiding. It is the basis, the bottom of a well or pit, a depression or sunken place, a covered trap in the ground. Kan cannot rise up but has great endurance and depth. Kan represents the Earth.
  Kan follows his own road, even though he is easily influenced for a short time. He is uncertain and doubts himself yet takes risks and does not shy away from danger. His endurance makes him extraordinarily strong, but his insecurity can cause fears, depression or instability.
  Harness Kăn's strength in a fluent and easy way, circumventing opposition rather than fighting it. Kan is streetwise, knowing nothing and yet knowing all one needs to survive. The way of water is the way to overcome obstacles and relentlessly follow one's Dao.

  What is the subject, intent or hope of your question?
  Xùn. Wind is good at communicating and spreading rumors, news, ideas, orders or goods. She is patient and precise, good at detailed work. She can penetrate and influence physically and mentally. Wind can bring a mood or atmosphere which is clearly felt. Wind can also spread disease, but her absence can cause decay.
  One of Xùn's meanings is choosing or being chosen. It is giving or having a direction, a purpose. It can be in the way fate does, a path which can hardly be avoided. Being chosen is stronger than the freedom of choosing. But it also works in physical ways, in creatures the urge to live and multiply. Like water always follows gravity, the wind follows air pressure, which makes her stronger and more persistent than moving toward a goal.
  Your intuition will have a stronger influence on your road than your mind, even though Wind also relates to thoughts. Thoughts follow the decisions of the heart.
  "Oppose-the-Wind" is rebellious energy, which prevents communication.

  What do you want or need to do, or what will fate cause to happen in this situation?
  Water and Wind have both an unrelenting movement, both extremely strong and devastating - and extremely gentle and caressing. When Water enters Wind or Wood, Water will evaporate and spread, cooling down nature and slaking its thirst.
  Wind and water together are part of the earth's reality and energy. They can have a lot of impact and humans have very little say in them. But when the mind thinks like water, it can find ways to bring the water where it is needed. This is how the heart talks in dreams.

General info about the trigram oracle: the lines, the origin, and more

The initiative

    
The top line (Heaven-line) shows the change of the focus or initiative.
变上为巽,水气乘风,飘逸高远,类多润泽。
When the top line changes, trigram Water activates Wind.
The Qi of water penetrates the high blowing wind and makes it moist.

  When the yin top line of Water activates yang, it activates Xun, the Wind or Wood. The trees spread their roots down to the water, and move it up through their trunks. They spread it towards their leaves where it evaporates after feeding them.
  Work like Water and Wind. Bring a bucket and get down to the roots, bring it up and spread the water over your field or drink it and don't forget to share.
  When work is done the way nature does, it loses its heaviness and becomes the foundation of living your life with pride and love.
  General: when a yang initiative joins the yin potential of surroundings or a time, its clear and strong ideas will stand out by their own merit. Yang can initiate the change that ensures that ideas and the work which has been done so far gain clarity and structure. This is a good time to develop visions and plans with creativity and enthusiasm. To put energy into your projects and to show them. Now you have the power to ward off evil or insecurity, a power that is part of yang.
  Yang brings inspiration and joy, but yang also means that you have to put in effort or money in what you aim for, it can drain your resources, but decisions can be made; progress or new ideas can be shown.

    The timing of this change of the initiative:
   秋为湛露. 凋零万物. 施毒害人, 而人多怨谤；
  冬为霜露, 主人艰辛劳苦者也。
  In spring and summer this means dew, nourishing and nurturing.
  In autumn the dew is thick, everything alive diminishes in strength. There will be defiance and reproach.
  In winter, the dew is frozen. There will be hardship and hard labor.

The subject

    
The bottom line (Earth-line) shows the change of the field or subject.

  The Earth-line is unchanging yin. This line is the subject, or the ‘field’ where you pour in or find both the cause and the means for your initiative: space, material, helpers or other people, resources and realization, even food for thought. It is a 'receiving' line, the earth needs input and resources to make things grow and bring concrete results.
  Your subject or project will stay attractive, but it will continue to absorb and process and use it to continue the work. It will not shine on its own or show increase to the outside, the work of building up happens in the background.

Beauty comes from the space within.

The outcome

    
The middle line (Man-line) shows the outcome.

  The middle line shows the result. It is stationary yang, there will not be any increase or decrease, but still action and output. Yang is inspiring, but it is too early to expect concrete results. The middle line is the 'man' line, it can also be about you yourself, not only what you do.
  If this project does not need a concrete solution, yang can be very positive. It will continue to inspire and bring joy and brightness. Even if it stays unsubstantial in a material sense, it can improve the lives of people, like movies, holidays, love or a guiding star. But stay within limits, yang brings increase, but without yin it is prone to deplete itself, it is relentless and tends to be too cold or to strive too much. Plans may be too theoretical or even illusionary. If you are aware of this and rein it in, yang brings the joy of inspiration, plans, and visions.

Inspire yourself and your surroundings.

Overview of the lines.
Activating (when the second is different) or stationary (when they are similar)

  An activated Yang line is generally bright and giving.Yang is great for enthusiasm and spreading joy or success, but don’t expect solid results.
  An activated Yin line generally does the work. Yin absorbs and converts resources into tangible results. It brings peace and a sense of security.

  The initiative (top line or Heaven line) is the intention or focus. Your ideas, plans, or what you want, or something that happens and you want to influence it or use its possibilities.
  In this answer the line is activated Yang: the initiative is clear and strong, this is a good time to develop visions and plans, pouring in creativity, efforts and enthusiasm. The Wind turns the surface of the water into clouds, your ideas will bring rain, but maybe far away.

  The subject (bottom line or Earth line) is the 'reality' of your question or the ‘field’ of action. A situation or person, resources, materials, facts.
   In this answer the line is stationary Yin: it is too early for clear results; more work is needed. This line is the most difficult to influence, she is careful and follows her own decisions, but she is the one who turns resources into concrete results.

  The outcome (middle line or Man Line) is what you or others or fate cause to happen 'between Heaven and Earth'. It is the outcome of this question. It can be physical or mental or both. If this is a yes/no question, then yang means yes, yin means no. Both can be good or bad, depending on the question.
   In this answer the line is stationary Yang: if you need increase, this is a great line. Your efforts will show results. Occasionally not of the concrete kind, but joy and satisfaction are valuable as well.

  The three helpers
  Each line, active or at rest, summons one of the 8 trigrams as a Helper.

  For an activated line: telling you what you need - or about a problem area or something to avoid.
  For a stationary line: this is what you already have or do or what you don't need. Often we just need a reminder of our abilities. Or it could be what you wish or fear - but will not happen.
  Active lines are the helpers to change things, they listen to intentions, which can come from you, surroundings, or fate. Stationary helpers are part of the core meaning, they are your soul talking, but they also see the impossibilities. They reinforce the overall power of a reading.

  Advice or help for the initiative: Xun, Wind, with her power to choose and influence.
  Advice or help for the subject: Dui, Lake, with her ability to resonate and persuade, is lacking here or not needed. Yin remains Yin.
  Advice or help for the outcome: Kun, Earth, with her ability to nurture and concretize
  But when things are not satisfying, it might be that one or more helpers don't help enough - or try too hard. Or maybe you don't listen carefully enough.

  This oracle is NOT according to the Neigua Chuwaili, a chapter of the Heluo Lishu, which is meant to be read and used in Chinese astrology. I found beautiful texts about the trigrams in the Neigua Chuwaili and borrowed them for this trigram oracle. For those who are interested in the Heluo Lishu see the course by Harmen Mesker.
  Many translations from "Yijing astrologie" by Harmen Mesker (Dutch).
  For divining with trigrams, see the video by Tin Yat Dragon