Yi Jing, Oracle of the Moon

Xùn-Zhèn, Wind-Thunder

    

象曰:風雷,益;君子以見善則遷,有過則改。
The great image says: Wind and Thunder (tempest) increase. When the noble one sees good, his rule is to improve, when there are transgressions, his rule is to reform.

  What are the potential and qualities of this situation?
   Xùn, 'Choosing', the character xun is a table with tokens or seals and a pair of hands. Her attribute is Wind. She is the master of inspiration. She is good at communicating and spreading rumors, news, ideas, orders or goods. The officer who spreads the wishes of the sovereign. 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.
  'Xùn' means counting, choosing or being chosen. It is giving or having a direction, a purpose, a 'seal' or mandate. It can be in the way fate does, a path that can hardly be avoided: "your number is up". Being chosen is stronger than the freedom of choosing. It also works in physical ways, defining 'what you are' and the urge to grow into it and live and multiply it.
  Like water always follows gravity, the wind follows air pressure, answering the 'atmosphere', 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. Wind follows the voice of the Earth, the voice of life.

  What is the subject, intention or hope of your question? And what is your power in this?
  Zhèn, the Plow. His image is Thunder or Earthquake. He refreshens fields or minds, he brings wrong actions or decay to the surface and dissolves fears and doubts. He is the power of generating and growing, waking up seeds and cleaning the air with his electricity. He is impulsive and can be insensitive and destructive, but those qualities also help to loosen suffocating ties or views. Zhèn cuts away the old and opens the space for the new.
  Zhèn focuses on the short term and sets things in motion. It is the most energetic trigram, it knows no limits and knows no detours. It has difficulty in reaching a conclusion, it is the trigram of the beginning, the first action, the first spark and quick results – for better or for worse, lightning with insight - or with a raging forest fire. Or an earthquake: destroying, or plowing up new space or seeds.

  What do you want or need to do, what can you truly do, or what will fate unfold in this situation?
  Xùn with Zhèn is a particularly favorable combination. One knows how to secure one's place in society to glory and splendor. Every action is without opposition. Thunder renews things but always from below, from the Earth, where the seeds and spirits reside. Thunder wakes up what is viable and has life force, plows under what is not, or is past.
  Xùn makes your Dao strong and focused, giving Zhen a clear direction for its energy. Imagine your goal and it will pull you along: with Xun and Zhen you renew and improve yourself and your environment.

  Xùn and Zhèn are the 'origin' of hexagram 42. First trigram is the upper trigram (called '悔 huǐ, regret' or 'consult': the problem that makes you consult the oracle). Second trigram is the lower or inner trigram (called '真 zhēn, true': the answer of the oracle for this situation: the advice how to deal with it).

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.
变上爻为坎, 风入水面, 为浪为波, 漂泊劳碌,
小 人尤畏, 亦为混浊之乖, 少全清节,
有 岸覆舟之虞。
When the upper line changes, Wind activates Water. The wind penetrates the surface of the water, making waves and swells. Busy activity but drifting aimlessly.
Little people are very fearful and there is also the shrewdness of corruption, few are completely honest.
There is worry, like when a boat is in danger of crashing on the shore.

    When Wind meets Water, you will surpass your personal goals and instead create or help without intentions for yourself. It is also a time when law and order are one-sided and people like you are needed for restoring the balance. Wind entering Water brings danger and risk, so be very careful. When the wind whips the water into high waves, it can cause dams to burst, flooding the wetlands and creating devastation.
  Listen carefully to the first signs, both opportunities and problems give tiny signs before they grow. Kan can make Xun aimless, but also makes it possible to penetrate to the root of things or to unravel overly sensitive or other impenetrable issues. Use the Way of Water! Water and wind bring rain: blessings.
  General: yin initiative in yang times will need perseverance. Everything around seems too bright, too overbearing, too strict. Don't try to compete, but make use of what presents itself to you. When the time is yang, it offers many opportunities and resources, brilliant ideas, but few concrete results. Yin's power is to absorb and then to create from what she gathered.
  You are a good organizer, you oversee the work and inspire others while working hard yourself. You can turn visionary ideas into viable plans.
  Yin at the top line brings rain: blessings, results, pride and joy.

  The timing of this initiative: (Time can refer to the seasons of the year, the hours of a day, the progress of an undertaking, a state of mind - anything that has a beginning, a peak, a decline, and an end. See "Timing")
  春风入水, 水毂成纹, 人多奇巧, 繁鲜荣华
  夏风入水, 水渐日干, 人必悭贪悔吝。
  秋风入水, 水浪滔天, 岸摧舟覆, 有不戒之虞, 有不期之祸, 人当思患预防。
  冬风入水, 水竭流迟, 结水成冻, 物象寒苦, 艰辛贫乏, 隐伏阻滞者也。
  When in spring the wind enters the water it starts to spin and make patterns. This person is very ingenious, his life is opulent and knows glory and splendor.
  When in summer the wind penetrates the water, the sun evaporates the water and creates drought. One is stingy and has serious concerns.
  In autumn, when the wind enters the water, waves rise to a great height. Worries arise because no precautions were taken, and one has unexpected misfortune, like a boat overturned and crashing on the shore because it has not been checked for defects to prevent leakage.
  In winter, when the wind penetrates the water, the water dries up and the waterflow slows down. Eventually the water becomes ice, and the landscape is cold and desolate. One endures hardship and is destitute; lives isolated and cannot move on.
  *) Crashing boat: metaphor for being destroyed and defeated, but it also means checking a boat to discover defects.

The subject

    
The bottom line (Earth-line) shows the change of the field or subject.
巽卦。 变初爻为乾, 风收云静, 廖廓一清。
风恬浪静.人物繁华, 风尘不动, 日月昭明, 星辰荣耀, 尊卑永荫, 始终太平。
Xun gua. The change of the bottom line activates Heaven. The wind silently drifts the clouds together, making the far-reaching sky pure and clean.
The wind is a light and agile breeze; man and matter thrive. The wind doesn't stir the dust; sun and moon shine bright; the stars sparkle.
There is no distinction between high and low. From beginning to end there is peace and harmony.

  When Xun around you activates your Qián, Wind blows high in Heaven. One can follow one's conscience and dedicate oneself joyfully to one's duties.
  The wind carries with it your hopes and intentions and Heaven gives them power - this is your 'Heaven's Highway', your Dao (Tao), your mandate, your true destiny, whatever you call it. If you attune yourself to Heaven in the things you do or gather, by copying its persistence and obeying its rules, Heaven will sustain you and your life will be rewarding and true. Reaching goals is temporary, the meaning of life is to live it and make it worthwhile.
  General: The bottom line is the subject, the 'field' where you find the cause and in which you pour the resources for your initiative: space, material, problems or opportunities, helpers and other people or food for thought. But here you also meet your problems, fears, hopes and expectations.
  The subject is yang, but your question means you are entering a situation of yin potential. After collecting the material for concrete results, it is now the task or time to display them and then prosperity will gather. The subject will reveal itself, it will grow brighter and give joy.
  If things don't meet expectations, this is the right time to get new inspiration. Usually, yang at the bottom is positive, you find a balance between yang and yin that will help your efforts, or pave the way to finish your work, making it visible.

    The timing of this change of the subject. (Time can refer to the seasons of the year, the hours of a day, the progress of an undertaking, a state of mind - anything that has a beginning, a peak, a decline, and an end. See "Timing")
  春暖夏炎，
  三三 秋爽冬温，四时俱美，万物咸亨，吉无不利。
  风恬浪静.人物繁华，风尘不动，日月昭明，星辰荣耀，尊卑永荫，始终太平。
  In spring warm and in summer hot;
  Usually in autumn cool and bright; in winter mild; so it is good in all seasons. Everything goes smoothly for all beings; auspicious without exceptions.

The outcome

    
The middle line (human or self-line) shows the outcome.

  变中爻为艮, 风势入山. 动摇山岳. 令命上行, 人多敬畏。
When Xùn's middle line changes it activates Gěn. The wind penetrates the mountains and agitates their lofty heights; the destiny of life goes up, this person gets a lot of awe.

   If you listen to your intuition, you will find your destiny. Fate can bring you luck or disaster, and often it's not your fault, but a part of it is what you do yourself.
  Heaven and Earth will not move from their place. You are the one who decides where you go. Flying up to heaven, higher than you ever imagined, or staying down on the earth, where the space is unending. Heaven beckons, but you will always end up on the earth, because that is where you live your life. Never forget about her, every voyage into space has to start and end in her arms. She gives it reality and meaning.
   If you keep finding your origin, you will go where you belong. Dare to conquer the world or be crushed by it, but deep in your heart is the peace of living the path that Earth opens for you.
  General: When yang meets yin, the shine will decrease, but now things will proceed in a more tangible way. Resources will be used to create concrete results. Things change from giving to absorbing, from ideas and inspiration to processing, from overviewing to being part of the work. And if there are problems, a decrease can be what you need.
  Maybe it is time to pass the reins to your guts and intuition instead of your head.

    The timing of this outcome: (Time can refer to the seasons of the year, the hours of a day, the progress of an undertaking, a state of mind - anything that has a beginning, a peak, a decline, and an end. See "Timing")
  春风入山. 草木荣茂, 人多贤豪, 人则可以把麾扬节。
  夏风入山, 巽木成林, 峰峦蓊郁, 贵显非常。
  秋风入山, 风藏山谷. 草木渐凋, 有始无终. 先达后穷. 人难久耐。
  冬风最冷, 果落枝枯. 萧索憔卷一・ 悴, 先困后达, 难中获易。
  When the spring wind enters the mountains, vegetation grows abundantly. The people are wise and unconstrained, and they can take on the command to raise the festival (take charge of important matters).
   When the summer wind enters the mountains, the pliant trees grow into a forest. From their very high position the mountain tops long for this dense vegetation.
  When the autumn wind enters the mountains, the wind conceals the mountain-valleys; the vegetation gradually withers, there is a beginning but no end. First understanding, later unreasonableness. One has to endure difficulties for a long time.
  The winter wind is the coldest; fruits fall and branches dry out. Despondent and barren. First obstruction, later passage. In the midst of difficulties one obtains ease.

Overview of the lines.
Activated (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, for structure, but don’t expect solid results.
  An activated Yin line generally does the work. Yin's creativity absorbs and converts resources into tangible results. It brings peace, beauty, 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 Yin: this is a good time to work on ideas. Usually, yin at the top is very positive and creative, there is balance between yang and yin, ideas and their possibilities can become reality.

  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 activated Yang: the subject is clear and generous and responds to the initiative. Usually yang at the bottom is positive, there is balance between yang and yin.

  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 or 'not yet'. Both can be good or bad, depending on the question.
In this answer the line is activated Yin: good for concrete results. More work is needed, but your dedication is not in vain. For now, it will reduce the 'shine' because it focuses on creating, on growing something of quality, not on how it will look.

    About the 3 lines of the trigrams and the spirit 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 or what is lacking at the moment. They reinforce the overall power of a reading.
  Helper for the initiative: Kan, Water, with his direction and focus, his courage to take risks and his talent to give things shape.
  Helper for the subject: Xun, Wind, with her power to choose and influence.
  Helper for the outcome: Gen, Mountain with his constancy, his ability to make things endure.
  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. But 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.
  See also "Yijing astrologie" by Harmen Mesker (Dutch). The guide to calculating your birth hexagram.
  For divining with trigrams, see the video by Tin Yat Dragon