I Ching Basics

 

These are single topic focused articles explaining the basics of the way we work with the Yijing (I Ching). We hope to cover a wide variety of topics to aid users. If you want to suggest a topic or comment on an article, click here and select the ‘feedback’ topic.

Change Operators

 

The Change Operators are a powerful modern technique for determining and differentiating the specific transformative action of the Two Powers in a given situation. They can give us a sense of effective inner and outer strategies and a much clearer understanding of the dynamic of Change. These Change Operators work from the positions of the Transforming Lines in the Primary Figure, no matter whether they are yin or yang. I developed these as Boolian Algebra functions that describe how things are changed from one form to another in conjunction with Andreas Schoter.

 

How the Change Operators Work

The Inner Yang or Inspiration Operator describes the inner transformative aspects of a situation. It offers an effective stance or strategy to take towards the Inner World and the sources of inspiration it offers and is related to the Inspiring Force of the Dragon of Figure 1. To find the Inner or Inspiration Operator, you place a yang or strong line in each place where change is occurring in the Primary Figure, and a yin or supple line in each stable place. This is independent of the particular quality of the changing and stable lines in the Primary Figure.

The Outer Yin or Realization Operator describes the places where change occurs and its possibilities of realization. It offers an effective stance or strategy towards the Outer World and the possibility of realizing your desires and is related to the Realizing Power of the Field and the Dark Animal Goddess of Figure 2. To find the Outer or Realization Operator, you place a yin or supple line in each place where change is occurring in the Primary Figure, and a yang or strong line in each stable place, independent of the particular quality of the changing and stable lines.

 

The Change Operators in a Reading

Here is an example of how the Change Operators can work in an actual Reading. We asked a question to Change about how we can best read the answers it gives us. 

 

Question: What would you (Change) like to say to us about reading your answers to our questions?
The Answer was Hexagram 3 Sprouting as Primary Figure, with a Transforming Line in the first position, producing the Relating Figure 8 Grouping. The Answer is notated like this: 
Answer: 3.1 > 8 Grouping.
I used Change Operators to explore how our reading of Change could influence our Inner and Outer lives.
The Inner Inspiration Operator in our reading is 24 Returning, the Pair to our Core Theme (23). This pairing or doubling shows that Stripping the Corpse of out old ways of thought will manifest particularly as an inner inspiration that brings a Return of love and spirit. 

 

24 Returning Fu

Love and spirit return after a difficult time; renewal, rebirth, re-establish relationship; go back to the beginning, leave the complicated and return to the simple; death as a return to the source; a new soul enters the world; site of creative transformation. A Realizing Figure, approach to centers of power in this stage of life and central theme of Change. Season: Spring, rousing new growth. Core theme: 2 Field, primal power of realization. Trigrams: Thunder below Earth. Accepting the shock of inner enlightenment now brings a deep faith in the overall processes of life. Bar the passages and do not travel. Stimulus: 16 Preparing for the real call to action.

 

This speaks of a great return in the inner world that re-establishes our relation to something that as been lost or repressed in the development of our identity and our culture. We should see whatever emerges as we strip away our cognitive patterns, all the little intuitions and insights carried by the psycho-active images, as truly significant and nurture them carefully. Bar the passages, it says. Leave the complicated and return to the simple. Rouse the new growth. As our inner inspiration, this can bring a great faith in the realm of the feminine (2) and the overall processes of life. It will let us respond fully, joyously and spontaneously when the real meaning emerges rather than engaging in more logic-chopping and premature analysis. The Outer Realization Operator in our Reading is 44 Coupling or the entrance of the Royal Bride.

44 Coupling/Royal Bride Gou

Meet, welcome, open yourself to; act through the yielding and the feminine; strange and lucky encounters; intense contact, gripped, overcome by passion, all forms of sexual intercourse; the Royal Bride  arrives at the borders of awareness, carrying a new destiny; site of creative transformation. A Realizing Figure and central theme of Change, the approach to centers of power in this stage of life. Season: Fall, harvesting the crops and gathering the insights. Core theme: 1 Inspiring Force of the Dragon. Trigrams: Wind below Heaven. Inner self-cultivation now lets you connect action with the spirit. Spread the new mandate to all the hidden lands. Stimulus: 9 Accumulating the Small and Gathering in your Ghosts.

 

This tells us about the effects of the inner return on the outer world, the connection between the inner images and the events of a reading that old diviners called this dang or “matching” the images to the situation at hand.

Here this “matching” will come through “strange encounters,” synchronicities that occur as the new feminine power works its way into our relation with outer events. Things will “grip” us with a power outside of logic. In the words of Dazhuan, “spontaneously the Way will arise.” This kind of self-cultivation, the cultivation of the real and surprising power of the images or symbols to work in and on the soul can spontaneously change the way we perceive ourselves and our world and let us be of real help to others.