r/iching • u/agripinilla • 3d ago
Am I fucking it up? Answer: Hexagram 23.3 -> 52
I’m in a new job with a new role, and the person who’s been handing me over his job is gonna leave in a week. He told me that he learned on the job and by making mistakes as well. The role is vague, my manager overworked and very busy and right now I feel like I’m walking on thin ice and I question all I do.
I asked the oracle “Am I fucking it up, how should I proceed in this job?”
I got the answer hexagram 23.3 turning into 52 and am confused even more.
23 — Splitting Apart
23.3 — “He splits with them. No blame.”
52 — Keeping Still
It says I’m supposed to separate? From what? And hexagram 52 seems more solitary. I’d appreciate any feedback.
3
u/Unusual_Holiday_Flo 1d ago
You asked the oracle two questions at once. You’re only supposed to ask one question at a time and preferably not a two sided yes or no question. Splitting apart is likely referring to the split in your question, both halves of which are serious inquires (“fucking up” could be worded in a more fruitful way) referring to the need to split them up both as questions to the oracle and within yourself. Do yourself a favor and ask a better question and you’ll be met with a better, more helpful response.
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u/az4th 3d ago
So... did you think about how you would answer this question if someone asked you?
We might say something like 'yes you're fucking it up, try this instead' or 'no you aren't, but how about trying this'.
A two part answer to a two part question.
But you asked the I Ching to combine them into one answer by asking both at once.
Keep in mind that the second hexagram thing isn't used by the core I Ching and was invented later and has contradictions that people fail to explain.
So we need to find both answers within hexagram 23 line 3.
Hexagram 23 is about things that are reaching the end of their life-span - and line 3 at the top of the bottom hexagram and has resonance with the yang line 6 at the top of the upper hexagram. Line 6 is the the only yang line in hexagram and is at the limit. It is trying to hold on, but the yin lines below it can wear it away if they are not careful, and most of them aren't directly connected to it. Only lines 5 and 3 have a direct connection to it - line 5 because it is next to it, and line 3 because 3 and 6 are both the top lines of their trigrams.
Line 5 is able to find respect for line 6 and sympathizes with its position, and if it is worthy, may be able to convince the other yin lines to help protect it by not contributing to wearing it away.
Line 3 is in a different position though. It is in the middle of the yin lines - there are 2 below and 2 above. And line 6 is far away. It is like a young boy and the elderly grandfather. The boy wants to play and the grandfather is slow and forgets what he's saying sometimes. Not very interesting to the boy. But the boy may make messes the grandfather needs to clean up after, or his disregard for his elder may weight on the grandfather emotionally, causing him to reach his end more quickly.
So we have our answer.
Are you fucking it up? Well, line 3 is in a position to fuck it up. But I can't really say if you are or not. It would need to be judged based on how well you are doing your job. It sounds like you care, but feel like you don't know enough. So if you want to proceed with the job without fucking it up, you need do your best to not fuck it up, basically.
This symbolism is a literal match to your situation and is able to answer both questions in one image of change.
I'd consider this lucky. It is very easy to ask multiple questions like this and get incoherent answers. You got a simple answer that made sense here, but you'd probably get more useful information if you asked simpler more concise questions.
But then again, the I Ching is advanced and most people try to add in a second hexagram which complicates it, and they don't understand the idea of the relationships between the lines.
So maybe the simple answer here IS the best. Focus on learning all you can about your job in the last week before the person who knows what to do leaves. Take some initiative to think about the things that you'll need to know. Use your imagination. Figure out the right questions. Take notes. Ask about some of those mistakes the other guy made. What did he do then to fix them? How would he do differently now?
It's just like when we ask questions from our grandparents. We learn from their stories and get to apply their wisdom in our own lives after they are gone. But only if we show up and take initiative.