I Ching

Something is out of balance.  Some pressure is causing an imbalance and needs correcting.  But, if the dam is about to burst, moving out of the way is the first key to success.

When a person in a sagging mine shaft feels the earth begin to tremble, it is a time for quick, instinctive action and nimble footwork.  At a time like this, only extraordinary measures can bring success.  When the roof is collapsing, run first, choose your destination later.

Extraordinary times bring out the best and worst in people.  Natural disasters bring with them stories of great heroism – but also looting and rioting.  When great weight is on the world, powerful moments present opportunities to make great gains.  Everything is in a state of flux.  One can either move in the direction of positive change and improvement or towards stagnation.

This may be the moment you have been waiting for.  Although the current challenge may seem to be more than you can handle, remember that a flood reaches its highwater mark for only a few brief moments, and then begins to subside.  Action must be taken now to ensure opportunities for success later on.  You will never discover the true extent of your own abilities unless you, at least once in your life, dive into a crisis with complete abandon, dedicating every ounce of your energy, every fiber of your being, to the cause at hand.

Dare to win.

1. When embarking on an ambitious undertaking in turbulent times, the wise take great care in the beginning.  Proper planning, the laying of a good foundation, is often neglected in the excitement of the moment; such an oversight, if it cannot be avoided, will undoubtedly cause problems later.
2. Unusual partnerships are favored at this time.  The image is one of an old tree putting forth new shoots or an old man who marries a young woman.  Despite the unusualness of the situation, all goes well.  This is a time of renewed vitality and rejuvenation, a time of advancement.
3. Plunging willfully ahead during risky times, against the advice of your friends and intimates, invites trouble.  Action may be called for, but never obstinacy.  The support of friends and allies is necessary for any large undertaking; their advice can only be ignored at your own peril.
4. Friendly relations with all types of people can become critical in times of crisis.  But if you use the support of those of lower rank and status, you must keep their interests at heart as well as your own.  Otherwise, misfortune.
5. The person who aspires only to relationships with those of higher status, greater wealth, more power and so forth, creates an unstable situation in his or her life.  The tree which sinks its roots deepest into the earth is able to stretch its limbs highest into the sky.
6. Courageous determination often leads one into deep water.  Though it is careless to forge ahead regardless of the risk, sticking to one’s principles can become more important than mere survival.  There is no shame in this, as long as you remain aware that plunging ahead on your own is risky, and perhaps quite dangerous.