game kings

Monday, January 20, 2025

In the Year of the Snake

“You knew damn well I was a snake before you brought me in.”

The hexagrams of the I Ching, six-bit, eight sided, sixty four in all, serve as oracles of occasion. Although it is the Book of Changes it is outside of time, founded in an unchanging natural and social landscape. The signs of the Chinese zodiac, on the other hand, are bound to a calendar cycle; twelve signs matched with five elements for a complete cycle of 60 years. Although it repeats it is not the same. This Year of the Wood Snake, 4723, is not 4663 although that was also a Year of the Wood Snake, nor is it 4783, the next iteration in the cycle.

There are ways of assigning hexagrams to years but there is no enforced agreement on which hexagram goes with which year. I take that, on no authority whatsoever, as permission to wander afield in prophecies of political-economy for this most uncertain of snake years.

Ask Google Gemini which hexagram goes with this new year and it will tell you it's 5, Waiting; the trigram Water above and Heaven below.

When clouds rise in the sky, it is a sign that it will rain. There is nothing to do but to wait until the rain falls. It is the same in life when destiny is at work. We should not worry and seek to shape the future by interfering in things before the time is ripe. We should quietly fortify the body with food and drink and the mind with gladness and good cheer. Fate comes when it will, and thus we are ready.

Quietist advice. Seems the Democratic leadership is taking it to heart.

The danger is not yet close. One is still waiting on the open plain. Conditions are still simple, yet there is a feeling of something impending. One must continue to lead a regular life as long as possible. Only in this way does one guard against a premature waste of strength, keep free of blame and error that would become a source of weakness later on.

Ok, at least something is impending. Suddenly...

The situation is extremely dangerous. It is of utmost gravity now-a matter of life and death. Bloodshed seems imminent. There is no going forward or backward; we are cut off as if in a pit. Now we must simply stand fast and let fate take its course. This composure, which keeps us from aggravating the trouble by anything we might do, is the only way of getting out of the dangerous pit.

Dire auspices.

Even in the midst of danger there come intervals of peace when things go relatively well. If we possess enough inner strength, we shall take advantage of these intervals to fortify ourselves for renewed struggle. We must know how to enjoy the moment without being deflected from the goal, for perseverance is needed to remain victorious. This is true in public life as well; it is not possible to achieve everything all at once. The height of wisdom is to allow people enough recreation to quicken pleasure in their work until the task is completed.

But other sources take us to hexagram 38, Opposition; the trigram Fire above and Lake below. Now we're talking.

When people live in opposition and estrangement they cannot carry out a great undertaking in common; their points of view diverge too widely. In such circumstances one should above all not proceed brusquely, for that would only increase the existing opposition; instead, one should limit oneself to producing gradual effects in small matters. Here success can still be expected, because the situation is such that the opposition does not preclude all agreement.

Again, sounds almost like standing still. But, if we want to speak of the dangers of proceeding brusquely, it becomes pretty clear to which faction this applies.

The two elements, fire and water, never mingle but even when in contact retain their own natures. So the cultured person is never led into baseness or vulgarity through intercourse or community of interests with persons of another sort; regardless of all commingling, they will always preserve their individuality.

Baseness, vulgarity? We would never..

If you lose your horse do not run after it; it will come back of its own accord.
When you see evil people guard yourself against mistakes.

Well, all right.

A person misjudges their best friends, taking them to be as unclean as a dirty pig and as dangerous as a wagon full of devils. They adopt an attitude of defense. But in the end, realizing their mistake, they lay aside the bow, perceiving that the other is approaching with the best intentions for the purpose of close union. Thus the tension is relieved. The union resolves the tension, just as falling rain relieves the sultriness preceding a thunderstorm. All goes well, for just when opposition reaches its climax it changes over to its antithesis.

Scratch my head on that one. Divination is a tricky business. Not a good beginning, but a good end.