Caught on the Hop

Today's hexagram is Chen, which depicts two large rumbles of thunder. In the illustration, a woman is shown upside down, flailing in the air. For anyone who knows tarot, the imagery might sound familiar. The tarot houses a similar visual pattern for it's Tower card and it's meaning lays extremely close to the 51st card in this I-Ching deck. Chen represents sudden and unexpected change; the kind which knocks you off of your feet, as it has this young lady.

I don't know about you, but I am not very good at greeting the unexpected. As an example, I absolutely hate spontaneous visitors. If someone is coming to see me, I like to know ahead of time. There has been many occasions where I have left a friend standing on the doorstep, and have peered at them from above through a crack in the bedroom curtains. On a few occasions, I have actually asked them to go away and come back later. I hate being caught on the hop with an untidy house or dressed in slobby clothing. Not so long ago, a couple turned up to see me on a whim one evening. I hadn't shaved, my hair was a mess, and I was wearing a big baggy tracksuit. My dad called out to tell me they were at the door. I whispered down 'Make up an excuse and get rid of them'. Unbeknown to me, he had actually let them in by this point. They were standing at the bottom of the stairs and had heard everything I had said. Whoops.

I guess that the best way we can take advice from a card like this is by trying to be prepared. This is not just about having a shave and changing out of our funky bed clothes for the unexpected visitor. It could be that we simply need to centre and relax. Our responses to change can be a bigger enemy than change itself. Due to my lifestyle, I am never usually ready for anything. If I do not have any immediate plans, I will often leave it late in the day before I get into any kind of gear. Should anything come up by chance, I am left running around like a headless chicken, trying desperately to get up to speed. Knowing that someone might be chucking a curve ball in my direction, as Chen suggests, I can try to at least put myself one step ahead of it.

The sun from the beginning of the week has gone on vacation, and doesn't look as though it is coming back any time soon. Yesterday's grey day has turned cold and I needed to borrow a scarf from my boyfriend for my journey back here this morning. I have a few ideas about what today's curve ball could consist of, so once I am finished here, I intend to go and get myself ready for what might be about to hit.



Illustration from The Dead Moon I-Ching by Luis Rojo