00:00 Episode Preview

00:23 Opening

00:58 Introduction

02:15 Interview Begins with Catherine Pilfrey!

02:45 Creative Vision Behind the I Ching Oracle Deck

04:32 Making This Deck Accessible to Everyone

06:38 What Exactly is I Ching?

07:46 What Makes Someone a Good Person?

08:32 Bridging the Gap Between Group and Individual Consciousness

10:17 What Led You to Discover Buddhism?

12:22 Facing Family Backlash After Converting to a New Religion

12:45 The Life-Altering Effects of Meditation

14:28 The Evolution of Your Meditation Practice Over the Years

16:08 Advice for Beginners Starting Their Meditation Journey

17:07 AD – Join the Create Your Deck Club https://cydc.mysticmondays.com/

17:39 How I Ching Can Guide Your Decisions

19:44 The Inner Workings of the I Ching

21:34 Exploring the Symbolism of Each Card Color

22:41 The Journey of Deck Creation

24:24 Deciphering the Complex Metaphors of the I Ching

26:22 Integrating the I Ching Oracle with Other Decks

26:54 What’s Your Sun, Moon, and Rising Signs?

27:31 What Advice Would You Give to Your Younger Self?

28:58 How Would You Define Everyday Magic?

30:10 What Are Your Favorite Rituals?

32:02 What Are You Looking Forward to in the Near Future?

32:29 One Card Collective Reading

32:48 Biddy Tarot Episode Reference

35:04 Closing Statements

35:38 End of Episode – Make Sure to Leave a Podcast Review!

36:40 End Screen

Welcome to the GRACED Podcast! A space for everyday magic for your everyday life. We do this through rituals, aligning yourself to your soul’s purpose, and creating Alchemy to heal our mind, body, and spirits so that you can bring in more love and joy, manifest your desires, and believe in your dreams. Listen and watch over at grace.com/podcast and on YouTube, Apple Podcast, Spotify, Instagram, TikTok and all the places you can find me on social media. Now let’s dive into today’s episode.

💖 Introduction

Grace: Welcome to The GRACED Podcast, a space where we talk about everyday magic for your everyday life. Today’s guest is Catherine Pilfrey, an I Ching expert, meditation teacher, and corporate designer, who is also the creator behind the I Ching Oracle Deck, which we’ll talk about more in this episode.

I Ching is also known as the Book of Changes, and according to Catherine, We can also use the I Ching to help us make decisions in our everyday lives.

Before we get started, I do want to talk about the Mystic Mondays app. Have you downloaded it yet? If you don’t happen to have a physical deck with you, drawing your cards on the go is easy peasy with the Mystic Mondays app at your fingertips. Check it out on the Apple and Google Play Store and download it for free today.

And we are doing a giveaway of Catherine’s deck, the I Ching Oracle Deck, on Instagram. So if you want a deck to feature and learn the I Ching and how to apply the I Ching to your life, check it out on @grace.duong and @mysticmondays Instagrams for the details.

Now, let’s dive into this episode.

✨ Interview Begins with Catherine Pilfrey!

Grace: Hi, Catherine. Welcome to the GRACED Podcast.

Catherine: Hi, thanks so much for having me.

Grace: Yeah, so you’ve been a part of the Mystic Mondays community within the Coven, and I’d love to hear more about your inspiration behind creating the I Ching Oracle as both the author and artist of this deck and about the I Ching in general.

I actually don’t know too much about it, but people have mentioned it several times to me about learning more about it and how to use that in your everyday life.

✨ Creative Vision Behind the I Ching Oracle Deck

Grace: So let’s start off with what was your inspiration behind creating the I Ching Oracle Deck?

Catherine: Yeah, I have been using it myself for the last 20 plus years.

And it was at the start of the pandemic. I was seeing a friend who’s an acupuncturist and also a healer, and she uses cards in her healing practice. And she was using pulling cards each time I saw her. And I wasn’t so familiar with Tarot and Oracle cards before that, and as I saw her using them and how wonderful they were, I was thinking, Oh, it would be so great if there were I Ching cards.

Because the I Ching is typically, you just consult a big book. It turns out there aren’t very many card decks on the market. So when I started looking, I didn’t really see anything that I liked. And by chance, I was looking on Behance, Adobe’s portfolio site, and I saw Ambi Sun’s cards for her deck, which now it’s called the Orien’s Animal Tarot, I think.

And I thought her illustrations were so beautiful, and she had a link to Kickstarter. And so I saw she had done a Kickstarter, and then I found your deck, because you had also done a Kickstarter, and that was, I was like, Huh, this is really cool because these two women have done these beautiful decks and they funded them on Kickstarter.

That was the start of my inspiration and I reached out to Sun, and she told me how she made the sample decks, so I just started on my way. And because it was during the pandemic, I had lots of time, and I just dove into this process of making the deck.

✨ Making This Deck Accessible to Everyone

Grace: Yeah, and they’re beautiful. I actually did the deck unboxing video yesterday, so had a chance to look through all of the cards, and I feel like the way it’s organized is very easy to understand, so if you’re not familiar with the I Ching, I feel like with anything metaphysical, whether it’s the Tarot or I Ching or any modality, there’s like that learning curve when you’re embarking on this, but when I was drawing the cards yesterday, I was just like, this is so easy to understand.

Like for example, I just pulled Receptive Power, and it says,

“Be accommodating, be consistent, have a generous spirit, let yourself be guided, follow. Quiet perseverance brings good fortune.”

And I also feel like you were really intentional about pairing, like there are like little patterns on the cards with each, what do you call these sayings?

I want to say sayings, but I don’t think that’s correct.

Catherine: Oh, on the cards, I call them the, pith instructions on the card. And then there’s more detailed in the guidebook. I’m so glad you said that because that was definitely my intention was I wanted it so that unlike the Tarot where you really have to know what the Chariot means or the High Priestess, I wanted you to be able to just pick it up and get the gist of it right away, right from that card, and also to have it on the card so that you can have it on your desk during the day or accessible as guidance. And, it was interesting when I saw, your deck and Sun’s deck, you both are illustrators or illustrator designers, right?

And I am not an illustrator. And so that was part of my initial sort of question was, how do I do a deck when I’m not an illustrator? But I design patterns. So that’s where I was like, Oh, I already have a lot of patterns. And so the patterns are representative of the hexagrams. And then the color is also representative of the energy of the hexagram.

✨ What Exactly is I Ching?

Grace: Yeah. And before we dive deeper into the cards, let’s take a step back and how would you explain I Ching to somebody who has no idea what I Ching is?

Catherine: Yeah. So it’s a 3,000 year old text that dates back to the Bronze Age. It’s Totally revered and followed in China, or at least in parts of China now, I’m not sure how much, but it used to be that households would entirely follow the I Ching somewhat for, as it’s called the oracle for divination purposes, but then also just guidance on how to be a good person.

And so it has Taoist influences that go back to this idea of change, which so the I Ching translates to Yi Jing or Book of Changes. And so it’s really about how to manage change in your life, but then also how to do that in the best way possible so that you’re a good, noble person that’s being of benefit for the community, that’s openhearted and genuine.

And so it has both aspects that you’re trying to manage your life, but also be a good person.

✨ What Makes Someone a Good Person?

Grace: Yeah. And I feel like “good person” is so subjective, right? So what is the gauge of how you are viewed as a good person according to the I Ching? And what about when you’re not a “good person?”

Catherine: Yeah, it’s definitely the aspiration is towards first of all, doing what is right, and I guess that is subjective, but not causing harm, and there is a big theme of being community minded and thinking of what’s best for the group, and less so about a more sort of selfish or singular focused approach. We’re always working in tandem, that sort of what’s best for me, but also what’s best for the greater good.

Grace: Yeah, I find that, as an Asian woman, both of my parents are Buddhist and growing up, they were immigrants having immigrated to America and my family in general, I think it’s very much a group consciousness, like the whole entire family as a unit versus I think in Western culture, growing up as an American, it was just like this inner battle, so to speak, because you grow up with these values of group consciousness, perhaps even to the point of sacrificing parts of yourself.

✨ Bridging the Gap Between Group and Individual Consciousness

Grace: Whereas in America or in Western society, I think it’s much more about this individual consciousness where you really want to have your own identity and what you stand for. So what is the bridge between those two worlds and is there one?

Catherine: Yeah, it’s interesting because I’m from Canada and I feel like Canada is much more community minded and not like we don’t, they don’t have, a bill of rights and it’s so much more aligned with what’s good for the country as a whole, the society as a whole.

And I also have been Buddhist since I was 17. So It totally resonated with me, the, this whole sort of notion of the view of the I Ching. And I think that’s the sort of striving for individual sort of excellence and freedom in the U. S. I feel like has a lot of problems to it. And so that’s part of my inspiration with bringing this card deck to life too is I, just felt this drive in me that the I Ching needed to be more accessible and available to people for a different perspective.

Grace: Yeah, definitely.

✨ What Led You to Discover Buddhism?

Grace: So you mentioned that you have been a Buddhist since age 17. I’m wondering what your background is, was it religious? And how did you find Buddhism? And when was that initiation or spark where you were like, I want to adopt Buddhism as my lifestyle? Or what was that first inclination?

Catherine: When I was 13, my uncle murdered my grandparents and then killed himself. And after that, my family really fell apart, and I really struggled with ideas of Christianity because I felt like, how on earth could God have let this happen to my family? My uncle was severely mentally ill. I was actually feeling quite angry and depressed as a teenager.

And a family friend noticed this in me and suggested that I read this book on meditation and Buddhism. And it was like this door opened up for me of more of a worldview that resonated with me. That because the Buddhist teachings on the truth of suffering, that human experience entails a lot of suffering with birth, old age, sickness, and death.

And then, but then joy and wakefulness and compassion come out of that. And so that just felt very liberating to me because I had been You know, I had very religious Christian grandparents who, would say things like, this is just God’s will. I just felt always so torn with how God’s will would be for my grandparents to be murdered.

Like it made no sense to me where, so the Buddhist teachings just felt like more resonant and truthful to me. So that was, yeah, that was when I was 17. So I started going to a Buddhist meditation center and doing daily meditation and just honestly, I felt like it saved me from who knows what else? Yeah.

✨ Facing Family Backlash After Converting to a New Religion

Grace: Did you feel any resistance from any family members when you chose to essentially adopt another religion?

Catherine: From my religious grandparents, definitely. They felt I was a heathen. That was really unfortunate, but my parents were very accepting of it. I think they just saw the benefit and how much happier I seemed as a result of it.

✨ The Life-Altering Effects of Meditation

Grace: Yeah. And I suppose that also speaks to you choosing your truth. Even though other people probably had an opinion on it or whatever, it’s I am noticing meditation is benefiting me in a positive way, and that’s what matters most, because those people are not in my body, they’re not experiencing my emotions, and I feel like in that way, you are choosing yourself, and after choosing Buddhism and incorporating meditation into your life, how would you say meditation has changed your life?

Catherine: I just can’t even imagine life without meditation. And especially when I see how many people suffer from anxiety, that’s the biggest thing is it makes me feel relaxed. And even if I do get anxious sometimes, I am able to relax relatively quickly and that has been enormous and that’s all from the meditation.

Learning how to manage my emotions better. I feel like when I was younger, I used to say things sometimes too quickly, putting my foot in my mouth all the time, sometimes being hurtful, and because there was no filter, so it helped me to slow that reaction, to be more contemplative when I was speaking and thinking about how I’m relating, how I’m expressing this emotion, or even being quiet with myself before I just fly into anger or lashing out or that sort of thing.

It also made a huge difference in my self confidence, even though there’s a long way to go in that department, but that was also a nice benefit.

✨ The Evolution of Your Meditation Practice Over the Years

Grace: Absolutely. So what does your meditation look like or how has it evolved over the years? Because I feel like sometimes when people start off with meditation, it might not be as consistent or maybe you might like to have a morning ritual where you meditate first thing in the morning or at night.

What does meditation look like for you and how has it evolved over the years?

Catherine: Yeah, I struggled when I first started meditating to get into a daily practice. And yeah, so when I was first starting out, I had a hard time having any sort of regularity or consistency. And I had a teacher who basically said, it’s really better to just do some every single day and that made a huge difference for me.

So I started by just, meditating a few minutes to start with and then having it be every day so that there’s no choice, Instead of, oh, I meditate on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but then I meditate every day. Like I brush my teeth every day. That really helped with the consistency.

So then, depending on how my schedule has been over the years, it might just be half hour a day or there was a time when I did an hour a day and that’s honestly when I felt the happiest and the less unhappy with my life. Even though I was single and seemingly didn’t have everything going, I felt a lot of joy and happiness during that time.

✨ Advice for Beginners Starting Their Meditation Journey

Grace: And I understand you’re a meditation teacher along with the other things that you do. What would you say to somebody who is just starting their meditation journey and wanting to get started?

Catherine: I think one of the most helpful things, as I was saying about my practice, is just doing it every day. Even if it’s one minute, just getting in the habit of doing it every day.

And for me, it is helpful to do it first thing in the morning because it’s so easy to get distracted and consumed by whatever your thing is, if it’s your email or text messages or getting to work, those can take over so quickly. But if you just start with meditation first, like you. Brush your teeth and you meditate or you do part of your sort of morning ritual that becomes part of it. That makes a huge difference.

And then you can slowly build how much time you spend, whether it’s just five minutes or 10 minutes or a half hour is awesome, but making it so that it’s choiceless and every day. Yeah.

Grace: Yeah.

✨ How I Ching Can Guide Your Decisions

Grace: I found such a huge difference when I was incorporating meditation as my morning ritual, and I would do this meditation that I basically made up and created, but it was pulling in the energy of unconditional love every day. And just starting off with unconditional love and giving yourself what you need, I feel like that just made a huge energetic difference as well when I was just like walking around in the world.

It was just such a drastic difference. And it’s hard to explain, but maybe you’re attracting more attention or maybe just, and you’re not even doing anything different except meditating. So I would love to talk more about the I Ching because I know on the back of your deck it mentions that the I Ching can help you access your inner wisdom, thrive in the face of change, and make decisions with confidence.

And so how would you use the I Ching to help you make decisions?

Catherine: Yeah. So I think that for me, its primary use is making decisions. I feel it’s an amazing tool to access your inner wisdom around making decisions. And it’s also really important how you ask the question and being clear on your question. So I have a journal, so I write down the question that I’m thinking of.

And then really contemplate to make sure I’ve framed it properly and accurately of what is the real issue and not maybe some other emotional thing underneath that. I also will use it for any kind of decision. often it’s for bigger decisions, trying to figure out business issue.

I use it a lot for work related stuff about how to proceed with a meeting with a client or how to handle a relationship issue or how to feel about a conversation I had with my mother. It also can be smaller daily things, but that’s when I would often consult the I Ching.

✨ The Inner Workings of the I Ching

Grace: Yeah. And so tell us how the I Ching works, I noticed that you highlighted different symbols, on the back of the cards, and what is the system of I Ching, and how does that work?

Catherine: The I Ching is made up of 64 hexagrams, and that’s what’s on the back of the card, and, so a hexagram is comprised of six, Six lines stacked on top of each other, and the six lines are either straight or broken, and they represent yin and yang. So the straight line is yang, and the broken line is yin.

And there are 64 cards, because that is 2 to the power of 6, so that is the most possible combinations that you can have of Yin and Yang. And then that comprises basically all of our experiences as sentient beings, human beings.

Grace: Wow, that’s amazing. I noticed that within the guidebook, for example, so we have Heaven, Thunder, Water, Mountain, Earth, Wind, Fire, and is this similar to how Tarot uses suits or how does that work?

Catherine: Maybe a little bit, but they’re, so a hexagram is made up of two trigrams, so the three lines and three lines, and each trigram is connected to one of those hexagrams. elements of the earth, whether it’s lake, water, wind, like you were saying. So on the cards, the patterns are also connected. On the back of the card, you have this hexagram pattern symbolizes earth.

So those patterns also symbolize those aspects of the earth that make up the trigrams that then make up the hexagrams.

✨ Exploring the Symbolism of Each Card Color

Grace: Yeah. And I think something I also noticed is that obviously you’re pairing the words against a bright color, but not all of the shades are the same. And so I was wondering what your design thinking was behind that?

There could be like two green cards, but they’re not the same green. They’re like almost the same, but not quite the same. So I was wondering what the intention was behind that?

Catherine: Yeah, so every card is a different color. So the green ones tend to be more energetic. Because of green and growth and springtime, so the green ones tend to go along with that.

Darker colors tend to have more what we might call negative or heavier energy. The oranges and reds are more energetic and dynamic. Yeah, so they all correspond. The blues are more peaceful and calming generally. Yeah.

Grace: Yeah. And so is that part of the I Ching or was that part of your design thinking that you brought into this deck?

Catherine: Yeah. No, that’s just my design.

✨ The Journey of Deck Creation

Grace: Nice. So what was the process like creating this deck? Because I know everybody approaches it differently. So what was it like for you?

Catherine: So I started with creating the patterns. And so I took the 64 hexagrams and then just started working on the patterns. And then I started working on, okay, what, and all the patterns were gold.

I knew right away I wanted a white and gold box. And I wanted the gold and white on the one side of the card. But so it was very much around more of the design and the colors and the patterns of it. Then I went to what colors represent the energies of each hexagram, and I had big spreadsheets on my wall of thinking about, all of these qualities for each of the hexagrams.

It was so much fun, but I really also just, I felt like the eaching was channeling through me in some way, that it was relatively effortless on some level, even though it was obviously a lot of work, it was a lot of fun. And then, I was working on the copy, so that was not my wheelhouse at all.

And also because the I Ching, because it’s a 3,000 year old text and it uses a lot of metaphorical language and it’s more patriarchal because it’s based on this ancient Chinese Zhao dynasty. And I wanted to move it away from some of that language, one, because it can be just confusing, just some of the metaphors as a Westerner and not understanding all the history of it for people.

So I wanted to make it as accessible and easy to understand as possible.

✨ Deciphering the Complex Metaphors of the I Ching

Grace: What would be an example of a confusing metaphor?

Catherine: in, in the traditional texts, they would often use things like,

“If the sage were to cross the great water, misfortune would arise.”

And so then it would be like, what is, what do they mean by, if the sage were to cross the great water? And so that kind of thing, it was like, okay, it’s more like moving. So taking action is problematic right now. And so that’s where I started to bring it into the modern. And also I have an amazing book that, that I, referenced a lot that was written by a Yale law professor who’s a real I Ching aficionado.

And so he uses more of that sort of more accessible everyday language. So that was my starting point. But then I think I made it more empowering and even less patriarchal in some of those aspects.

Grace: Yeah. Because obviously from the time period, I imagine there would be some patriarchal language, but what is that book called?

Catherine: So it’s called The Laws of Change. I have it here. The Laws of Change by Jack Balkin. It’s a wonderful book, but you can also see how big it is. And so that was the other issue with the I Ching is Just to even consult it would take, 20 minutes or half an hour because you’re reading six pages in this dense book.

And so that was the other challenge was how do I just get the essence of what this hexagram means in six lines.

Grace: Yeah, and actually, when I was pulling cards yesterday, I felt like it was very direct, like even reading the descriptions in the guidebook, I was like, oh, I know what this means, because it tells me exactly what it means.

✨ Integrating the I Ching Oracle with Other Decks

Grace: Yeah. let’s move into do you happen to use the I Ching with Tarot or any other card system like Oracle decks or, I suppose this is an Oracle deck, but do you use this with other cards or do you primarily just use I Ching with I Ching?

Catherine: I just use the I Ching with the I Ching, but since my deck has come out, I know a lot of people do mix them, and so that makes me totally happy that it’s evolving right into the, I still follow a more traditional approach, but a lot of people have started using both, yeah, which is very cool.

✨ What’s Your Sun, Moon, and Rising Signs?

Grace: Yeah, so let’s move into your Fast Five questions. What is your Sun, Moon, and Rising?

Catherine: So I have so much Taurus. Let’s see, I have Sun in Taurus, Moon in Gemini, Rising in Taurus. And I have four other planets in Taurus. Does that resonate with you? Yes, and the Gemini part is always this, It’s a challenge with all of my Taurus energy.

Grace: Yeah, I can feel that. I actually, yeah, now that you say Taurus, I can definitely see that in the deck because it’s very simple, beautiful, direct, grounded, I feel like.

✨ What Advice Would You Give to Your Younger Self?

Grace: What advice would you give to your younger self?

Catherine: It would all be around self confidence. Yeah. I was so shy and so unsure of myself on some level. I’m also, I don’t know if you’re into the Enneagram, but I’m an Enneagram four.

Grace: So am I.

Catherine: Oh, are you?

Grace: Yeah.

Catherine: Yeah. And so I always knew my worth and it was always this sort of feeling of like, why isn’t anyone else seeing my worth, but I don’t know how to quite show it or something like that.

Grace: Yeah. And then depending on your wing, I think it manifests differently if you’re a four wing three or four wing five. Do you know what wing you are?

Catherine: I’m a five. Yeah. So what are you then?

Grace: I’m a three.

Catherine: Yeah. I think that’s better. That’s better. Yeah. You would have less issues with confidence.

Grace: I think it depends on how I manifest, meaning like for me, I think it was constantly making something to prove myself or showing that I was worthy by working a lot or producing a lot, aka all these decks, but yeah, I think the five is a bit more of a free spirit, is that right?

Catherine: It also goes more towards the intellectual as well, I think, though. Yeah.

✨ How Would You Define Everyday Magic?

Grace: Yeah. Nice. So how would you define everyday magic?

Catherine: Oh, for me, it’s really just being present with the magic of the universe that’s right there, but Whether we notice it or not is another story. Just, I have these beautiful hyacinths flowers sitting beside me and just taking that moment to see the beauty in anything or even, something inconsequential, seemingly inconsequential, but…

Grace: Yeah, I feel like when I was younger, and it might just be, not everyone probably experiences this, but I think I was either living in the past or living in the future, and I was like rarely in the present, and it was until I read Eckhart Tolle’s book, The Power of Now, where I was just like, whoa, it was like a breaking point for me to just notice everything in the present, it was so cool, like I would be walking down the street and just noticing like the branches and the leaves and the sunlight, and I think that speaks to what you’re saying too and probably also what the I Ching is also about, right? being in the present moment because you can’t really make powerful choices and decisions without being in the present.

Catherine: Absolutely.

✨ What Are Your Favorite Rituals?

Grace: What are your favorite rituals?

Catherine: Definitely my meditation practice in the morning. And this is a funny one, but lately I’ve been making a ritual out of putting lotion on my body.

Because I realized that one, I wasn’t paying attention, but also it was like there was a lack of gentleness to it. It was just like, in the morning, getting ready, slapping lotion on, brushing your teeth. And now it’s this really interesting kind of self care for me to take the time to just gently put lotion on and care for myself. So that’s a new thing.

Grace: Yeah, I love that. I had a very similar ritual that I shared in an episode with Amanda Garcia’s podcast that I did where at the time I had made my own salt scrub. But while you’re scrubbing it on yourself in the shower or bath, you’re also saying an affirmation to yourself.

I felt cause the way you approach everyday rituals or routines may not be magical, but I think if you put the magic in it, then it becomes magical because of that intention. And what a world of a difference it is just caring for yourself by putting lotion on in a certain way, in a softer way.

Catherine: It sounds so small, but like you said, it, it has a powerful effect. Yeah.

Grace: And I feel like that’s so Taurusy. The Taurus ritual of feeling luxurious with the practical things because you’re going to put lotion on whether or not you have that intention of lathering yourself in luxury.

And luxury, it could be like the type of lotion you’re using, but I suppose it’s also like the quality of how you’re using the lotion too.

✨ What Are You Looking Forward to in the Near Future?

Grace: What are you looking forward to in the near future?

Catherine: I’m really looking forward to more people getting exposed to the I Ching Oracle. That’s really exciting for me and getting feedback of how people have found it really helpful.

That’s been wonderful. On a more sort of personal level, we’re going to Provence in June. So I’m super excited about that I have never been.

Grace: That’s exciting.

Catherine: Yeah.

Grace: Yeah. Well, there are lots of deck lovers listening to this podcast, so I’m sure more people will find out about the I Ching Oracle.

✨ One Card Collective Reading

Grace: Let’s end the podcast interview with a collective reading with your deck from you. Are you ready?

Catherine: Yeah.

Grace: Okay. Awesome.

Catherine: I was listening to the podcast you did with Biddy Tarot the other day, and she did, she pulled a card, right? And she said something like, be good to me, Tarot. It always makes her nervous. And I was thinking, Oh, I can totally relate. That was really anxiety producing for me the first few times I did it.

Grace: Yeah, You never know what’s going to come out, but whatever come out is meant to come out, whether you like it or not.

I had someone ask me if their marriage was going to survive. And one of the cards that popped out was the Tower card.

Catherine: Oh, wow!

Grace: And I was like, don’t be scared. Don’t worry. If something unexpected is happening or might happen, and then she confirmed that her husband had lost his job.

So I was like don’t worry.

Catherine: Oh, interesting. So I pulled Hexagram Three is difficulty in the beginning. And that’s interesting for the spring too, because out of the chaos, a new day is taking shape. Be patient, seek help, proceed cautiously before you make a plan. There is a lot of potential.

Grace: Love that.

Catherine: Yeah.

Grace: Yeah. I also feel like that really resonates with what we were talking about within this episode of even starting a meditation practice. Like it might be hard in the beginning, but then you get used to it and it becomes a part of your ritual routine. And then you’re like, Hey, you’re a meditation teacher like you from here to here, you know, and…

Catherine: That’s true. Oh, just, I think difficulty in the beginning is something that’s really good to remember when we start all kinds of things, and just for that reason, yeah.

Grace: Yeah, and I also feel like energetically and cosmically with the collective, we had a solar eclipse, we have a lot of like cosmic things happening, and all of that aligns to the start of spring, which to me, I always think of spring as like the real start of the year because in the middle of winter on January 1st is not necessarily when I really want to make changes, it’s always around the springtime.

Yes, it can be difficult, to implement that change, but change is coming whether you like it or not.

✨ Closing Statements

Grace: Well, thank you so much, Catherine. This was such a pleasure. Thank you for sharing your I Ching wisdom and your gorgeous deck. I actually, I feel like I’m going to be using this more.

I feel like while you were talking about the I Ching, my third eye was and I think that’s a sign for me to also integrate this more into my life. So thank you so much for sharing with us today.

Catherine: Thanks so much for having me. It was really such a pleasure and an honor, honestly.

Grace: Likewise. All right, talk later, bye!

Catherine: Thanks so much.

✨ End of Episode – Make Sure to Leave a Podcast Review!

Grace: Thanks for tuning in to today’s episode with Katherine Pilfrey. Learning about the I Ching and how to apply that ancient wisdom to your everyday life is an amazing tool and modality. But also to incorporate community and conscious awareness into everyday life. our daily actions as well.

I’m curious, after listening to this conversation, do you want to incorporate more meditation into your life? Let me know where you are in your meditation journey and how meditation has or hasn’t affected your rituals.

And as a reminder, we will be doing a giveaway of the I Ching Oracle deck on Instagram and also check out the deck unboxing video on the Mystic Mondays YouTube channel.

Until next time, my dear mystics, unicorns, fairies. If you are facing change, you can surely weather the storm, especially with tools like the Book of Changes, aka the I Ching, at your hands, sending you grace today and every day.

Thanks for tuning in to this episode. Remember to subscribe and check out other Grace Podcast episodes for how to apply everyday magic to your everyday life.

See you next time!

Follow Mystic Mondays

Instagram

TikTok

YouTube

Facebook

X (formerly known as Twitter)

Pinterest

LinkedIn

Tumblr

Snapchat