I Ching Cast

Yes:  I am an odd duck.  I always cast an 古文經 hexagram before doing anything that I feel might have excessive consequences.  I have always found it to be a useful tool for focusing my mind and it seems to provide good results more often than bad ones

I still detest China, but their culture has a lot more to offer us than ours has to offer them.

Here are the results:

The question was:

Silver or Food for preps?   

7
7
7
6
6   
8

2.   否    P'i / Standstill [Stagnation]



        above  CH'IEN  THE CREATIVE, HEAVEN
        below  K'UN  THE RECEPTIVE, EARTH

This hexagram is the opposite of the preceding one. Heaven is above, drawing farther and farther away, while the earth below sinks farther into the depths. The creative powers are not in relation. It is a time of standstill and decline. This hexagram is linked with the seventh month (August-September), when the year has passed its zenith and autumnal decay is setting in.

    THE JUDGMENT

    STANDSTILL. Evil people do not further
    The perseverance of the superior man.
    The great departs; the small approaches.

Heaven and earth are out of communion and all things are benumbed. What is above has no relation to what is below, and on earth confusion and disorder prevail. The dark power is within, the light power is without.  Weakness is within, harshness without. Within are the inferior, and  without are the superior. The way of inferior people is in ascent; the way of superior people is one the decline. But the superior people do not allow themselves to be turned from their principles. If the possibility of exerting influence is closed to them, they nevertheless remain faithful to their principles and withdraw into seclusion.

    THE IMAGE
   
    Heaven and earth do not unite:
    The image of STANDSTILL.
    Thus the superior man falls back upon his inner worth
    In order to escape the difficulties.
    He does not permit himself to be honored with revenue.

When, owing to the influence of inferior men, mutual mistrust prevails in public life, fruitful activity is rendered impossible, because the fundaments are wrong. Therefore the superior man knows what he must do under such circumstances; he does not allow himself to be tempted by dazzling offers to take part in public activities. This would only expose him to danger, since he cannot assent to the meanness of the others. He therefore hides his worth and withdraws into seclusion.

    THE LINES

    °Six in the second place means:
    They bear and endure;
    This means good fortune for inferior people.
    The standstill serves to help the great man to attain success.

Inferior people are ready to flatter their superiors in a servile way. They would also endure the superior man if he would put an end to their confusion. This is fortunate for them. But the great man calmly bears the consequences of the standstill. He does not mingle with the crowd of the inferior; that is not his place. By his willingness to suffer personally he insures the success of his fundamental principles.
       
    Six in the third place means:
    They bear shame.

Inferior people who have risen to power illegitimately do not feel equal to the responsibility they have taken upon themselves. In their hearts they begin to be ashamed, although at first they do not show it outwardly. This marks a turn for the better.