Yi Jing, Oracle of the Moon

神數

“Shen Shu”, Spirit Numbers 145-192

Numbers
1-24
25-48
49-72
73-96
97-120
121-144
145-192
169-192
193-216
217-240
241-264
265-288
289-312
313-336
337-360
361-384

145 The power of nature

遇險不須憂
風波何足忌
若遇草頭人
咫尺青雲路

Running into danger does not need anxiety
Storms don’t need to be avoided
If you meet one of the Caotou people
You are very close to high official rank

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  You know a lot about life, but do you remember its basics? The way nature works, with storms and disasters, and yet she is
the one who nurtures all. Ask rural people, they know. If you learn and use her lessons, you will be stronger, and many will recognize your wisdom and power.
   風波 disturbance, storm; incidence, crisis; disputes, quarrels.
   草頭 Caotou, bandit chief; clover, trefoil; short for
   草字頭 caozìtóu: “grass” radical (in the surname)

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146 Many doubts

船棹中流急
花開春又逢
事寧心不靜
惹起許多疑

Rowing a boat midstream in a hurry
Early spring flowers appear again
Matters are calm but your heart is not quiet
Provoking many doubts

-

  If you want your life to be in balance, then bring yourself in balance. Before you do something, anything, calm down first and whatever comes from you or from outside will reflect that calmness. What you do, what you meet, what you see, your future and even your past and memories.

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147 Prepare

可蓄可儲
片玉寸珠
停停穩穩
前遇良圖

You can save and you can store
Slices of jade and little pearls
By and by a solid stock
Even before you have a good plan

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  If you make plans and only after that start to gather, you lose precious time and energy. Start right now with gathering what you love, find information, talk with people, make friends and money, learn what you would like to know. Every start profits from resources which are already present.

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148 Education *

小子早趨庭
青雲久問程
貴人來助力
花謝子還成

A boy receives his father’s teachings early
High in virtue for a long time
he is asking for rules
A respectable person arrives to assist
Flowers wither but the child
repays with maturity

-

  Some things just grow old, others mature. If you encounter something or someone you can help develop, then do so. You may or may not seek profit, but it will always enrich your mind and life. If you yourself can grow, then go for it. Never let anything go to waste, the entire universe itself is made for growing.

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149 In its own time

一心兩事
一事兩心
新花枯樹
直待交春

One mind two things
One thing two minds
Fresh flowers on a bare tree
Wait until you can join with spring

-

  When you cannot make things happen, cannot even get your own thoughts clear, then you will have to wait until the time is right and assists you. When there are life and energy around you, you go along on the ride. Sun, moon, season or trends can favor some undertakings and disfavor others.

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150 Withering flowers

大事恐難圖
殘花不再鮮

For important events
fearing the difficult plans
Whithered flowers are no more fresh

-

  For big plans or results, you have to put everything you got into it. The greatest results are achieved by those, who have great dedication embedded in their character. They don’t seek a result, they live the road towards it. If the effort scares you, you and anything you do will lack color and energy.

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151 Perfection

莫道事無訛
其中進退多
桂輪圓又缺
光彩更揩磨

Do not say a matter is free from errors
It involves a lot of advancing and retreating
The osmanthus has cycles
like full and new moon
More splendor with tear and wear

-

  Perfection is without life. Everything moves and changes and lives, it is part of its value. It gets damaged, it is used and shows what life and time did to it. A rock tumbles around in the sea and is polished, a hearth gets black and scratched but is the center of a family. Revere the beauty of living.
  莫道 litt: not dao: do not say.
   桂 false; error; fallacy; demon words, rumors.
   桂 Laurel or osmanthus grows on the moon.

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152 Stop talking start doing

莫歎事遲留
休言不到頭
長竿終入手
一釣上金釣

Don’t sigh about lingering matters
Stop talking without end
Finally put your hands to the long rod
After casting once the fish is on the hook

-

  It is useless to try to stop talking, worrying, or procrastinating if you don’t change the way you look at things. You see them as annoying. Try instead to welcome them as useful challenges, which make your life interesting. Without problems you’d be bored to death, losing your pride and joy.

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153 Slow but steady

事前應有忌
未為恐先躓
欲往且遲遲
還須借勢力

Before starting it is okay to be apprehensive
But one should not stumble in advance because of fear
For now you desire to proceed very slowly
Yet you must also borrow strength

-

  The beginning of anything should be done carefully, but without giving anxiety any chance to rule. Search for the right actions and the right direction in a thorough way. Find the information you need and people who can be of help. You have to watch every step when the path is not yet paved.

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154 Two sides to everything

足不安
與不安
兩兩事相得
憂來卻又歡

On foot and not at ease
In a carriage and not at ease
Events get along well in twos
When worry comes then also happiness

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  Humanity is not a relaxed kind of creature. A smart mind always sees both sides. It can be a nuisance, but if handled well, it lays the base for a well-run and balanced life. Use this property to your advantage, give others the benefit of the doubt, at the same time never trusting anyone or anything blindly.

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155 People of value

鼎折足
車脫輻
有貴人
重整續

The vessel breaks a foot
The car loses spokes
There are valuable people
Who find it important to repair things continuously

-

  There are always things which go wrong. People deceive, things break down, disasters happen, mistakes abound. Groups, families or humanity as a whole survived despite all that, due to a relatively small number of people who make sure that things are being put back in order over and over again.

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156 A lot of talking

參詳言語
波濤揚沸
事久無傷
時間不利

Taking part in detailed debates
Great waves surge and boil
Affairs get opposed and are without effect
The time is not favorable

-

  It is very difficult to turn talking into clear plans. Everyone has a different view and some people let emotions overrule logic. You need one bright mind with vision and authority, who can inspire the whole. If there is no such person, then don’t expect anything to come from debating.

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157 The rising sun

貴客自相親
功名垂手成
獲金須積德
仰望太陽升

An honored guest and you are mutually close
Official rank comes within easy reach
For obtaining gold one must
accumulate merit
Looking up at the rising sun

-

  Often a little help can be the catalyst for a rise upwards, like the start of a career or a major achievement. Never forget that it needs your input not only to happen, but also to be durable. Often it has to do with others, so look for examples and emulate them, prove your worth, maintain relations.
  親 close, relation, relative, marriage, fond of.
  太陽升 great yang rise: the rising sun; a great man.

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158 Understanding

平步起波瀾
所求事日難
笑談終有忌
同心事覺歡

From level earth great waves rise up
You seek a job on a difficult day
A funny remark ends in hatred
Being of one heart makes matters feel joyous

-

  On some days, or even during a longer time, everything goes wrong. It makes one despair. But if there is someone who listens, someone you have a good connection with, then all these troubles don’t overwhelm you anymore. Joy comes back, life is alright again, you can deal with all of it.

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159 Stay alert

狂風吹起墨雲飛
月在天心遮不得
閒時無事暫相關
到底依然無剋剝

A gale-force wind blows and unexpected black clouds build up
They cannot keep the moon right overhead covered
Correlating with temporary times of leisure with nothing to do
In the end you can still not overcome
the peeling away

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  Don’t trust it when bad things suddenly turn around and look harmless again. There has to be a reason for them to happen, and if you don’t uncover it, they might return again and rage even worse. Sitting back and feeling relieved will not help, find the invisible cause and do something about it.

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160 The building

人倚樓
許多愁
澹然進步
事始無憂

A man leans against a building
With many worries
Advance in an unconcerned way
Then matters start to be free from worry

-

  Looking at the height of your task or goal, or whatever you want to achieve, will only scare you off. So don’t. Look at the next step to take, and then take it. You can look down and marvel at how much you did or look up and see your goal again, but don’t do it too often. Enjoy your work in the moment itself.

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161 A touch of spring

一點著陽春
枯枝朵朵新
志專方遇合
切忌二三心

Just a little touch of spring
And the bare branches are full
of fresh blossoms
Aspiration and focus get along well
By all means avoid a fickle heart

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  Inspiration is a precious gift. If it comes along, then make good use of it. Concentration helps, not letting yourself be distracted. Focus on what you want to achieve. It is easy to think you deserve a break now and then, but be aware of its danger. You may lose grip without noticing.
  陽春 ‘yang spring’, springtime, enlightened rule.
  二三心 'two three heart': a heart without focus.

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162 May the sun come out

道路迢遙
門庭閉塞
霧擁去兮
雲開見日

The road is far
The house fronts are closed off
Oh may the choking mist disappear!
May the clouds lift and the sun come out

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  Finding your way without any support or help from your surroundings is tough. Most of all mentally, being alone and without any exchange, without seeing where you are or where you are going. Strengthen yourself against despair, go on courageously and embrace the challenge.

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163 A fragile line

魚上釣
絲綸弱
收拾難
力再著

A fish on the hook
The silk fishing line is fragile
Hauling it in is difficult
The force should be just right

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  There are often possibilities or chances. It is grasping them which is the problem. Luck visits many people and even countries, but what happens next is telltale of their skills. Can you pick it up? Can the government convince the people? Some work miracles with one little lucky catch, others lose many.

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164 Partnership

相引更相牽
殷勤喜自然
施為無不利
愁事轉團圓

Pulling each other along
and also leading each other
Eagerly attentive and with genuine happiness
Actions are without exception favorable
Worry about things turns into completion

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  When two people can be equal and embrace each other’s strong and weak points, the connection can be exceptional. There is no fixed leader and follower, each fills in what the moment asks for. It is the most successful partnership possible, every talent and every skill can be put to use.

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165 Used and jilted

疑疑疑
一番笑罷一番悲
落紅滿地無人掃
獨對西風悵黛眉

Always be suspicious!
A laugh ceases - a sadness
Red falls on the floor
there is no-one to clean up
Alone facing the Western wind
with sad dark-painted brows

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  Everything new, every beginning, involves many unknowns and uncertainties. Don’t trust easily, and don’t tell anyone what they don’t need to know. Stay in control. The intentions of others may not be in your best interest, and your openness may give others the opportunity to abuse you.
  掃 sweep, paint the eyebrows.
  落紅 bleed during one's first sexual intercourse (of a virgin).,
  西風 Western wind, mood of the west: sunset when birds find their nests.
  黛眉 women's blackened eyebrows.

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166 Your own road

上下不和同
勞而未有功
出門通大道
從此保初終

Superior and inferior
are not getting along together
Hard work and yet no results
Go out and hit the wide road
Henceforth ensuring a beginning and end

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  It is better to take risks than to stay in a frustrating situation. Things can become very difficult on your own, but at least it will be your own life. You also have the chance to build up something worthwhile – and that too will be your own life. Gather your courage and go for it, get yourself that life.

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167 A man with a whip

大事可成功
有益還無咎
雲中執鞭人
報在三秋後

Important events can succeed
In a profitable way and without hindrance
In the clouds sits a man with a whip
He reports three years later

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  When you decide about what you use to reach your goals, do you ever think about afterwards? When the rush is over, when you did reach those goals, how do you feel about it. With pride – or with hesitation? Your conscience will always catch up with you. Except with those who have none.
  執鞭人 Man with a whip: a teacher.
  三秋 three/third year or period, autumn season or third month of autumn.

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168 Helpers

桑榆催暮景
缺月恐難圓
若遇刀錐客
方知喜自然

Sunset will soon become the scene of dusk
I fear the new moon has trouble
to grow round
But when I meet visitors with swords
I know for the first time genuine happiness

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  When you grow older, and your partner is either gone or also old, you need strong people. There are many situations which resemble this one. The end of a job, of a commitment, of your health, of motivation. It makes a big difference if there are physically or mentally strong people around.
 桑榆 Mulberry and elm: sunset or old age.
  暮景 scene of dusk, situation in old age.
  刀錐客 Knives and awls guests: merchants or robbers or people of the swords and chains class: strong people.

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