Over the years, I’ve come to see that I often make resolutions that I don’t keep. So lately, I’ve decided to use this time of year to reflect on what’s important to me and set the tone for the new year. Of course, I’d like to lose a few pounds, get in better shape, increase my income and have more fun like most everybody else! (if you’d like some tips on how to keep those resolutions, check out these top 10 mind hacks for making your resolutions stick.) This I Ching technique helps me put all that in perspective.
The I Ching (translated as The Book of Change) is an ancient Chinese divination tool (or oracle) that is very simple and deceptively powerful. It has been used to explore and understand the meaning of universal laws and human experience for thousands of years. I discovered this book in my course on divination at Atlantic University, founded by Edgar Cayce’s Association for Research and Enlightenment.
The way I use it for my New Year’s Resolutions is to divine a focal point for the coming year. I throw three pennies in my variation of the I Ching.
Using all three pennies, I throw them out onto the table. Using the chart from the book, I record each set of six throws based on the random combinations of heads and tales on each coin. These combinations translate into an element in the hexagram that makes up each symbol in the I Ching.
So, for example, today I sat quietly and asked for guidance about the coming year. Then I threw the coins and determined the hexagram that will serve as my focal point for 2010. As sometimes happens, the symbol begins as one hexagram and then changes into another. I interpret this to mean that the year will start out in one way (probably due to a continuation of what was begun in the previous year) and end up in the second way.
For 2010, my guidance shows that the year will begin for me as a time of Developing (53). From Wing’s translations, “The time points to a careful and natural unfolding of events. . . slow cultivation of the situation is the path to success and good fortune.” Then, evolving into a state of Contemplating (20). “All matter in the cosmos is subject to the same cyclic laws, the fates of civilizations and individuals being no exception. Therefore, by contemplating the cosmic laws and their effects on both your life and the lives of others, you can gain an insight into the unfolding patterns of events. …Take this time of contemplating to move freely through society. Experience new ideas fully, then offer your advice. Others will now listen eagerly to what you have to say. In matters of business, your ideas will have true impact…Your personal relationships will develop smoothly because you can grasp what is needed and respond properly. Through unity and cooperation you can expand these relationships into new areas of personal and social importance…”
What does your 2010 have in store for you?! Leave me a comment on what The I Ching speaks to you for your life adventure this coming year! And we’ll check in along the way to see how it’s going!
There’s a great book that tells you all about the history and uses of the I Ching: The I Ching Workbook by R. L. Wing.
© 2010, Sally Anne. All rights reserved.
{ 1 trackback }
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
Some people have asked for more information about the I Ching and how to use it. Here’s a free online I Ching to try out that will give you an idea of what the hexagrams look like and how to read your results:
http://www.ichingonline.net/
Have fun!