“A Hole in the Bucket” — An I Ching-Inspired Tarot Spread
AUTHOR’S NOTE: In contemplating the nature of the “broken” (that is, interrupted) yin lines of an I Ching hexagram, it strikes me that the gap between to the two segments opens both upward and downward: one direction offers a channel through which insight can ascend to illumination if we pursue the “middle way,” and the other acts as a siphon through which enlightenment can drain away if we aren’t paying close attention to situational dynamics.
Although the interpretation isn’t entirely consistent in divinatory terms, yin is generally viewed as passive, feminine, receptive and “dark” in its expression as opposed to the active, masculine, assertive and “light” qualities of yang. In one sense, it yields to stimulus in an “accepting” manner, while in another it “fails open” and allows inspiration to evaporate; the first is conducive to advancement while the second is noncommittal and therefore untrustworthy. While yang lines can be obstructive in their rigor, yin lines tend more toward dissolution. (Note that these aren’t academic conclusions, they just reflect my own observations from careful study of the subject.)
Here I’ve created a tarot spread that treats positive, active Fire and Air cards as yang and negative, passive Water and Earth cards as yin. In its vertical array, six yin cards running bottom-to-top would suggest the free flow of influence that tolerates no constriction but that also has little structure; it happens naturally and can just as easily be sympathetic as unsympathetic to the querent’s intentions. All-yang cards can reflect “rungs on a ladder” that must be aggressively mounted one-by-one to gain the heights of wisdom in the matter. Yang cards above yin cards suggest “keeping a lid” on the latter’s unregulated expression, while yin cards above yang cards imply a release of yang’s inherent restriction going up and encountering a barrier to coalescence coming down.
Here is an example that I pulled randomly with no question or topic in mind:
This array appears to be obsessively top-heavy and standing on shaky ground. It gives the impression of being in control of the situation but may in fact have “feet of clay.” The 9 of Swords could be construed as puncturing the “bubble” of passive resistance signified by the two “yin” cards, the 3 of Cups and the 4 of Disks, letting their equanimity escape.
These six cards represent Hexagram #6 (Sung; Conflict; the Creative [Heaven] over the Abysmal [Water]). The Wilhelm-Baynes translation notes: “The upper trigram, whose image is heaven, has an upward movement; the lower trigram, water, in accordance with its nature, tends downward. Thus the two halves move away from each other, giving rise to the idea of conflict. The attribute of the Creative is strength, that of the Abysmal is danger, guile. Where cunning has force before it there is conflict.” In terms of human character, a quarrelsome nature is represented by “deep cunning within and a fixed determination outwardly. The image indicates that the causes of conflict are latent in the opposing tendencies of the two trigrams. Conflict within weakens the power to conquer danger without.”
In her I Ching, The Oracle: A Practical Guide to the Book of Changes, Benebell Wen add s: “Do not undertake hazardous enterprises. Conditions are ominous. Tensions beyond your control are giving rise to conflicts beyond your control, but you do not possess the power to mitigate harm. When you cannot make peace, move away from the conflict as expediently and quietly as you can.”
A good deal of conflict is evident in the Air and Fire cards of this spread; the 9 and 10 of Swords are hostile, the 10 of Wands is oppressive and the Princess of Wands is both restless and contentious. The 3 of Cups and the 4 of Disks don’t stand a chance of getting their way. They’re being stomped on with both (well, all four) feet. They are blocked from ascending and have a traitor in their midst that pushes them apart. Progress has stalled and they are pressed on all side; the only way out of the impasse is to migrate downward, back the way they came, and with its reversal the “bottom has fallen out” of the 4 of Disks, hastening the retreat. With Water and Earth linked by lubricious Air, the querent is sinking in quicksand and must stop struggling in order to emerge unscathed.
In keeping with the “Judgment” of this hexagram, “A cautious halt halfway brings good fortune. Going through to the end brings misfortune.” The majority of these cards are reversed, further discouraging upward movement of their energy. The assumption of the I Ching that risky endeavors should not be initiated under these circumstances is strongly echoed in the cards. It would be a good time to stay home, lock the door and draw the blinds; nothing but a migraine headache will be gained by venturing out.
Originally published at http://parsifalswheeldivination.wordpress.com on August 13, 2024.
