{"id":25229,"date":"2022-02-01T01:10:47","date_gmt":"2022-02-01T05:10:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/?p=25229"},"modified":"2022-01-31T18:34:47","modified_gmt":"2022-01-31T22:34:47","slug":"book-review-the-small-world-i-ching-by-peggy-jones","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/2022\/02\/01\/book-review-the-small-world-i-ching-by-peggy-jones\/","title":{"rendered":"Book Review \u2013 The Small World I Ching by Peggy Jones"},"content":{"rendered":"

Book Review <\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h1>\n

The Small World I Ching <\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h1>\n

by Peggy Jones <\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h1>\n

Publisher: Tortoiseshell Publishing <\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h1>\n

90 Pages<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h1>\n

Publication Date: September 14, 2021<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h1>\n

<\/h1>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/b><\/b><\/h1>\n

 <\/p>\n

I have been a devotee of the I Ching since I found the classic <\/span><\/span>I Ching: The Book of Change<\/span><\/span><\/em> by John Blofeld at a library book sale way back in 1985 \u2013 a paperback which seemed small but was packed with a ponderous prose that was often almost impossible to understand.\u00a0 To this day, my handwritten notes are stuffed in between the pages because I so often felt like I was flying without manual instruments \u2013 just going on instinct.\u00a0 I would throw my pennies and try to figure it out as I went along, hoping that I didn\u2019t crash into some divinatory mountain along the way.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The Small World I Ching<\/span><\/em> by Peggy Jones (published by Tortoiseshell Publishing, in conjunction with WRITERSWORLD) is a much simpler read!\u00a0 It\u2019s the perfect book for a beginner \u2013 which I consider myself still to be \u2013 since Jones focuses on the basic meaning of each of the sixty-four hexagrams.\u00a0 Breaking them down into the four elements of air, fire, water and earth, she then expands these concepts into two forms each \u2013 for instance, water can be deep and flowing as in a \u201ccanyon\u201d or limited, like a \u201clake\u201d.\u00a0 (Jones, xiii).\u00a0 Each element has its alternative motions, which is reflected in the hexagrams.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Still in the introductory section, Jones sets out the \u201cMethod\u201d for consulting the I Ching.\u00a0 Like most books I have read about the I Ching, she advises using three pennies, but she also has a few other methods to offer.\u00a0 What I really liked is her <\/span><\/span>other <\/span><\/span><\/i>advice \u2013 which could apply to <\/span><\/span>any <\/span><\/span><\/i>divinatory method you\u2019re going to use \u2013 I <\/span><\/span>really <\/span><\/span><\/i>liked the method of imagining a \u201cstage, as in a theatre\u201d on which you \u201cplace your current concerns, crisis, hopes, dreams on it; gather the individuals who are currently actively engaged with you and part of the \u2018play\u2019 that is going on, even if they are in the wings, in the audience, backstage, doing the lighting\u2026\u201d She goes on, \u201cTheatre is an imaginal space where things are created and found, is you are open enough.\u00a0 If not, you won\u2019t find anything, although something may still find you\u2026\u201d (Jones, xvi-xvii)<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The next section of the book contains the images of the sixty-four hexagrams themselves.\u00a0 There is one per page, so the description of each is clear and concise. \u00a0 The title of the hexagram is at the top of the page and the image of the hexagram is at the bottom of the page, at the outer edge, with the explaining text in the middle.\u00a0 Each page looks as clean as a well-tended garden.\u00a0 Here is an example:<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Of course, you can read through a book like this \u2013 you can read <\/span><\/span>dozens <\/span><\/span><\/i>of books like this \u2013 but learning theories are meaningless unless you put them into practice \u2013 so I dug three shiny pennies out of the ceramic kitty in which I keep my copper change and I readied myself for divination.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

I thought seriously about the theatre aspect as I warmed the pennies in the palms of my hands before I threw them.\u00a0 My son is bringing home his new girlfriend for Thanksgiving weekend and it will be the time meeting her, although I have heard <\/span><\/span>lots <\/span><\/span><\/i>about her \u2013 she\u2019s a great cook, he says \u2013 and she collects tarot decks, like I do \u2013 and we\u2019re friends on Facebook, now \u2013 so I know what she looks like \u2013 of course, she\u2019s gorgeous.\u00a0 So I thought about a scene where my son comes home with his new girlfriend and Thanksgiving dinner with the family and how that would all play out.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

I started throwing the coins.\u00a0 I carefully took notes of what I threw.\u00a0 If you have never done this before, the Appendix A on page 66 tells you exactly how this is done:<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou are going to throw all three coins six times and create a six-lined figure, a hexagram, <\/span><\/span>from the bottom up \u2013 <\/span><\/span><\/i>it grows like a tree: <\/span><\/span>from the bottom up.\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/i>Throw the coins for the first time and total their value, which will be 6,7,8 or 9\u2026Write that number down, leaving space for the hexagram to grow <\/span><\/span>above <\/span><\/span><\/i>it.\u00a0 Throw all three coins five more times and make note of the numbers in a column, 1<\/span><\/span>st<\/span><\/span> throw at the bottom, 6<\/span><\/span>th<\/span><\/span> throw at the top.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

She continues:<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNow, if the number is 6 or 8, enter a broken line next to that number: Yin = 6 or 8 (= broken line).\u00a0 If the total is 7 or 9, enter a solid line next to the number: Yang = 7 or 9 (= solid line).\u00a0 You will now have a six-line figure, a hexagram.\u201d\u00a0 (Jones, 66)<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

At this point, you will want to consult Appendix C to figure out what hexagram you have thrown.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Now, with all this in mind, I threw my coins and drew my hexagram \u2013 from the bottom up! \u2013 and this is the hexagram I divined:<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

I looked it up on the chart and it was Hexagram 37 \u2013 the Family or Clan.\u00a0 Considering what I had been thinking about as I threw the coins, I thought this was most auspicious!\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Jones writes, \u201cThe nature of communication within the family (past and present), and between the family and the wider world is reflected in the <\/span><\/span>Image<\/span><\/span><\/i>, where wind and fire speak of a mutuality of influence between the \u2018within\u2019 and the \u2018without\u2019.\u201d (Jones, 37)<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

I really love this little book.\u00a0 You can\u2019t go wrong with <\/span><\/span>The Small World I Ching<\/span><\/span>, by Peggy Jones, published by Tortoiseshell Publishing in conjunction with WRITERSWORLD, especially if you\u2019re new to the I Ching.\u00a0 I highly recommend it.\u00a0 I fully plan to look for and purchase Jones\u2019 other book about the I Ching, <\/span><\/span>The I Ching: Points of Balance and Cycles of Change<\/span><\/span>, as I am fully and completely impressed with her clear and concise writing style and her divinatory knowledge.\u00a0 Although she doesn\u2019t have a website or presence on social media, she proves that none of that is necessary to reach an open mind.\u00a0 Please \u2013 open your mind \u2013 find this book.\u00a0 You won\u2019t regret it!\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Peggy Jones is the author of <\/span><\/span>The Small World I Chin<\/span><\/span><\/i>g, <\/span><\/span><\/i>The I Ching: Points of Balance and Cycles of Change<\/span><\/span><\/i><\/a>,<\/span><\/span><\/i> and <\/span><\/span>Benches<\/span><\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/b><\/h1>\n

The Small World I Ching on Amazon<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

**<\/b><\/p>\n

About the Author:<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Polly MacDavid<\/b>\u00a0lives in Buffalo, New York at the moment but that could easily change, since she is a gypsy at heart. Like a gypsy, she is attracted to the divinatory arts, as well as camp fires and dancing barefoot. She has three cats who all help her with her magic.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Her philosophy about religion and magic is that it must be thoroughly based in<\/span><\/span> science and logic. She is Dianic Wiccan but she gets along with a few of the masculine deities.\u00a0 She loves to cook and she is a Bills fan.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

She blogs at\u00a0<\/span><\/span>silverapplequeen.wordpress.com<\/span><\/span><\/a>. She writes about general life, politics and poetry. She is writing a novel about sex, drugs and recovery.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Book Review The Small World I Ching by Peggy Jones Publisher: Tortoiseshell Publishing 90 Pages Publication Date: September 14, 2021     I have been a devotee of the I Ching since I found the classic I Ching: The Book of Change by John Blofeld at a library book sale way back in 1985 \u2013 a paperback which seemed small but was packed with a ponderous prose that was often almost impossible to understand.\u00a0 To this day, my handwritten notes are stuffed in between the pages because I so often felt like I was flying without manual instruments \u2013 just going on instinct.\u00a0 I would throw my pennies and try to figure it out as I went along, hoping that I didn\u2019t crash into some divinatory mountain along the way.\u00a0\u00a0 The Small World I Ching by Peggy Jones (published by Tortoiseshell Publishing, in conjunction with WRITERSWORLD) is a much simpler read!\u00a0 It\u2019s the perfect book for a beginner \u2013 which I consider myself still to be \u2013 since Jones focuses on the basic meaning of each of the sixty-four hexagrams.\u00a0 Breaking them down into the four elements of air, fire, water and earth, she then expands these concepts into two forms each \u2013 for instance, water can be deep and flowing as in a \u201ccanyon\u201d or limited, like a \u201clake\u201d.\u00a0 (Jones, xiii).\u00a0 Each element has its alternative motions, which is reflected in the hexagrams. Still in the introductory section, Jones sets out the \u201cMethod\u201d for consulting the I Ching.\u00a0 Like most books I have read about the I Ching, she advises using three pennies, but she also has a few other methods to offer.\u00a0 What I really liked is her other advice \u2013 which could apply to any divinatory method you\u2019re going to use \u2013 I really liked the method of imagining a \u201cstage, as in a theatre\u201d on which you \u201cplace your current concerns, crisis, hopes, dreams on it; gather the individuals who are currently actively engaged with you and part of the \u2018play\u2019 that is going on, even if they are in the wings, in the audience, backstage, doing the lighting\u2026\u201d She goes on, \u201cTheatre is an imaginal space where things are created and found, is you are open enough.\u00a0 If not, you won\u2019t find anything, although something may still find you\u2026\u201d (Jones, xvi-xvii) The next section of the book contains the images of the sixty-four hexagrams themselves.\u00a0 There is one per page, so the description of each is clear and concise. \u00a0 The title of the hexagram is at the top of the page and the image of the hexagram is at the bottom of the page, at the outer edge, with the explaining text in the middle.\u00a0 Each page looks as clean as a well-tended garden.\u00a0 Here is an example: Of course, you can read through a book like this \u2013 you can read dozens of books like this \u2013 but learning theories are meaningless unless you put them into practice \u2013 so I dug three shiny pennies out of the ceramic kitty in which I keep my copper change and I readied myself for divination. I thought seriously about the theatre aspect as I warmed the pennies in the palms of my hands before I threw them.\u00a0 My son is bringing home his new girlfriend for Thanksgiving weekend and it will be the time meeting her, although I have heard lots about her \u2013 she\u2019s a great cook, he says \u2013 and she collects tarot decks, like I do \u2013 and we\u2019re friends on Facebook, now \u2013 so I know what she looks like \u2013 of course, she\u2019s gorgeous.\u00a0 So I thought about a scene where my son comes home with his new girlfriend and Thanksgiving dinner with the family and how that would all play out.\u00a0\u00a0 I started throwing the coins.\u00a0 I carefully took notes of what I threw.\u00a0 If you have never done this before, the Appendix A on page 66 tells you exactly how this is done: \u201cYou are going to throw all three coins six times and create a six-lined figure, a hexagram, from the bottom up \u2013 it grows like a tree: from the bottom up.\u00a0 Throw the coins for the first time and total their value, which will be 6,7,8 or 9\u2026Write that number down, leaving space for the hexagram to grow above it.\u00a0 Throw all three coins five more times and make note of the numbers in a column, 1st throw at the bottom, 6th throw at the top.\u201d She continues: \u201cNow, if the number is 6 or 8, enter a broken line next to that number: Yin = 6 or 8 (= broken line).\u00a0 If the total is 7 or 9, enter a solid line next to the number: Yang = 7 or 9 (= solid line).\u00a0 You will now have a six-line figure, a hexagram.\u201d\u00a0 (Jones, 66) At this point, you will want to consult Appendix C to figure out what hexagram you have thrown. Now, with all this in mind, I threw my coins and drew my hexagram \u2013 from the bottom up! \u2013 and this is the hexagram I divined: I looked it up on the chart and it was Hexagram 37 \u2013 the Family or Clan.\u00a0 Considering what I had been thinking about as I threw the coins, I thought this was most auspicious!\u00a0\u00a0 Jones writes, \u201cThe nature of communication within the family (past and present), and between the family and the wider world is reflected in the Image, where wind and fire speak of a mutuality of influence between the \u2018within\u2019 and the \u2018without\u2019.\u201d (Jones, 37) I really love this little book.\u00a0 You can\u2019t go wrong with The Small World I Ching, by Peggy Jones, published by Tortoiseshell Publishing in conjunction with WRITERSWORLD, especially if you\u2019re new to the I Ching.\u00a0 I highly recommend it.\u00a0 I fully plan to look for and purchase Jones\u2019 other book about the I Ching, The I Ching: Points of Balance and Cycles of Change, as I am fully and completely impressed with her clear and concise writing style and her divinatory knowledge.\u00a0 Although she doesn\u2019t have a website or presence on social media, she proves that none of that is necessary to reach an open mind.\u00a0 Please \u2013 open your mind \u2013 find this book.\u00a0 You won\u2019t regret it!\u00a0 Peggy Jones is the author of The Small World I Ching, The I Ching: Points of Balance and Cycles of Change, and Benches.   The Small World I Ching on Amazon   ** About the Author: Polly MacDavid\u00a0lives in Buffalo, New York at the moment but that could easily change, since she is a gypsy at heart. Like a gypsy, she is attracted to the divinatory arts, as well as camp fires and dancing barefoot. She has three cats who all help her with her magic. Her philosophy about religion and magic is that it must be thoroughly based in science and logic. She is Dianic Wiccan but she gets along with a few of the masculine deities.\u00a0 She loves to cook and she is a Bills fan.\u00a0\u00a0 She blogs at\u00a0silverapplequeen.wordpress.com. She writes about general life, politics and poetry. She is writing a novel about sex, drugs and recovery.\u00a0\u00a0    <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":197,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"iawp_total_views":1,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10005],"tags":[10346,10095,10070,10633,13581,10075,13582],"class_list":["post-25229","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reviews","tag-author","tag-book","tag-divination","tag-i-ching","tag-peggy-jones","tag-review","tag-the-small-world-i-ching"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25229","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/197"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25229"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25229\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25498,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25229\/revisions\/25498"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25229"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25229"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25229"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}