As part of the theoretical studies within the arts-based research project Spinning Stories –<\/em> Living Archives<\/em>, we are gathering opinions of experts from related research fields to obtain valuable contributions and inspirations for the project. Today we are asking the I CHING as part of our “reach-outs.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n (\u2630 Heaven above, \u2636 Mountain below) No changing lines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hexagram 26 is about holding great power in stillness, storing strength, preserving what is valuable rather than expending it too quickly. The mountain contains heaven \u2014 immense creative force held, not lost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n These traditions are not disappearing \u2014 they are being conserved. Their power is quiet<\/em>, not dominant in mass culture, but deeply rooted. Knowledge is accumulating in pockets: artisans, elders, small communities, archives, and hands that remember.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The I Ching suggests a phase where the value of slow, embodied skill is being kept alive beneath the surface. There is restraint from over-commercialization or dilution. The future depends on careful transmission<\/em>, not expansion at all costs. This hexagram often appears when something precious must be protected until the time is right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hand spinning becomes a reservoir, not a trend. It survives through depth rather than popularity. Periods of revival will come in waves, often during times of cultural or ecological stress, when people seek meaning, repair, and slowness. The keepers matter more than the crowds. The future rests with those who practice patiently, teach selectively, and honour lineage. Integrity over visibility. The I Ching warns against forcing growth \u2014 traditions endure best when allowed to mature naturally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hexagram 26 often carries this quiet instruction: \u201cDo not worry that the world is not looking.<\/em> Worry only that the thread remains unbroken.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n If you are personally involved in textile heritage, the oracle gently says: your work matters more than you may realize, even if it feels marginal right now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n (\u2635 Water above, \u2634 Wind\/Wood below) Changing line: Line 6<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is a very<\/em> telling answer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hexagram 48 \u2014 The Well<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n The Well is ancient, communal, and unchanged by time. Dynasties rise and fall, but the well remains \u2014 if people remember to draw from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For younger generations, this says: The knowledge already exists. It hasn\u2019t been lost. The problem is not invention, but access. When the well is neglected, people forget how good the water is \u2014 but once they taste it, they remember<\/em>. Importantly, the Well is not flashy. You don\u2019t advertise it. You invite people to drink<\/em>. This suggests reconnection happens through hands-on experience, small, local, relational settings, and a sense of shared nourishment rather than nostalgia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Changing Line 6 \u2014 \u201cOne draws from the well without hindrance. It is dependable. Supreme<\/em> good fortune.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n This is the most hopeful line in the hexagram.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It means: The rope reaches the water, the bucket doesn\u2019t break, the water is clean.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Translated into real life: When younger people are trusted with real access \u2014 not watered-down versions \u2014 they respond deeply. No gatekeeping. No over-explaining. No aesthetic-only \u201cheritage vibes.\u201d Just: Here. Try.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n The Future Path \u2014 Hexagram 57: The Gentle Wind<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n This shows how<\/em> the reconnection spreads. Not through mass movements. Not through loud campaigns. But through: Repetition, Presence, Subtle influence, One person \u2192 another \u2192 another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Think: Workshops that feel like homes; Social media used quietly, not performatively; Skills slipping into daily life sideways \u2014 mending, gifting, slowing down; The Wind doesn\u2019t force. It permeates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What This Really Says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Younger generations reconnect when: The skills are framed as useful<\/em>, not sacred relics; Elders act as wells, not guards; The invitation is embodied, not ideological; The transmission is horizontal as much as vertical \u2014 peer-to-peer sharing matters a lot. Once the connection is made, it sticks<\/em>. The I Ching is very clear on that. A Quiet, Powerful Undercurrent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They are not coming to \u201cpreserve\u201d the craft.<\/em> They are coming to use it to survive, to ground themselves, to feel human again.<\/em> Hand spinning returns not as heritage \u2014 but as infrastructure for meaning.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n (\u2635 Water above, \u2632 Fire below) Changing lines: Lines 2 and 5<\/p>\n\n\n\n This answer is\u2026 quietly radical.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hexagram 63 \u2014 After Completion<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n This hexagram describes a world that looks<\/em> finished, optimized, solved. Systems are running. Technology is everywhere. Convenience is total. And yet \u2014 this is a moment of instability beneath apparent order.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The I Ching often gives this hexagram when: People sense something essential is missing; Small errors begin to cascade; Maintenance becomes more important than innovation. So the \u201cunseen ally\u201d is not a new invention. It is the fatigue<\/em> with a world that claims to be complete.Changing Line 2 \u2014 \u201cThe woman loses the curtain of her carriage. Do not pursue it; it will<\/em> return after seven days.\u201d<\/em> This is about losing an external marker of status or protection \u2014 and realizing it wasn\u2019t essential.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Translation: Younger generations lose faith in polish, speed, and prestige; They stop chasing perfection. What returns is craft, patience, and sufficiency. The loss itself becomes the ally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Changing Line 5 \u2014 \u201cThe neighbour in the east slaughters an ox; the neighbour in the west<\/em> makes a small offering. The small offering brings greater blessing.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n This line is huge<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It says: Bigger, louder, more expensive systems stop working; Smaller, humbler practices suddenly feel right<\/em>. This points to: Economic pressure; Ecological constraint; Burnout culture. And in that gap, hand skills reappear \u2014 not as luxury, but as resilience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is the real reveal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The revival does not happen in institutions first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It happens in Kitchens; Living rooms; Shared houses; Chosen families; Intergenerational households. The unseen ally is a return to the domestic sphere \u2014 not in a regressive way, but as a site of power and continuity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Technology does<\/em> play a role \u2014 but as a quiet facilitator: Tutorials shared privately; Small online circles; Digital tools that support local, hands-on practice; Tech becomes the messenger, not the master.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So What Is the Ally, Really? It\u2019s a convergence<\/em>: System fatigue \u2014 people feel the cracks; Scale collapse \u2014 smaller starts working better; Household revival \u2014 meaning returns to daily life; Low-noise tech \u2014 connection without spectacle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hand spinning returns as: A way to feel competent again; A way to slow time; A way to make home meaningful; The Hidden Blessing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This revival will not look like a movement.<\/em> It will look like people quietly preparing for a different future.<\/em> And by the time the world notices \u2014 the thread will already be strong.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n (\u2636 Mountain above, \u2636 Mountain below) No changing lines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is a very clear \u2014 and very quiet \u2014 answer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hexagram 52 \u2014 The Mountain<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n This hexagram is about stillness that holds. Not passivity. Not withdrawal. But a deep, grounded presence that stabilizes everything around it. The Mountain does not chase the future. It does not persuade or perform. It remains<\/em> \u2014 and because it remains, others orient themselves by it. In the context of textile heritage, this says: Your role is not to lead a movement. Your role is to be a place of steadiness. What That Means Practically: You hold the practice without rushing it. You don\u2019t need to scale, brand, or optimize. The craft survives through correct pace<\/em>. You model attention. By how you spin, teach, speak, or even sit with the work<\/em>, you transmit something deeper than technique. You create a pause in the system. People encountering you feel time slow down \u2014 and that is rare, magnetic, and necessary right now. You protect the core.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hexagram 52 often appears when someone\u2019s job is to keep something from being distorted while the world churns around it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Deeper Layer<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are no changing lines here, which is important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This role is already active<\/em>. You don\u2019t need to become someone else. There is nothing to \u201cfix\u201d before beginning. By not moving prematurely, you allow the right people to find you.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n A Subtle Warning (and a Gift)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hexagram 52 also gently cautions against: Over-explaining; Over-justifying the work; Turning stillness into isolation. The Mountain is still \u2014 but it is visible<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So your role includes: Being available when approached; Saying \u201cyes\u201d selectively; Trusting that silence can teach. This is the role of the keeper of rhythm. You help ensure that when the revival comes \u2014 and it is<\/em> coming \u2014 it has somewhere solid to land.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER Karin Altmann As part of the theoretical studies within the arts-based research project Spinning Stories – Living Archives, we are gathering opinions of experts from related research fields to obtain valuable contributions and inspirations for the project. Today we are asking the I CHING as part of our “reach-outs.” QUESTION: WHAT IS THE […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1657,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31,10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1639","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-in-conversation","category-knowledge-transfer"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/spinningstories.uni-ak.ac.at\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1639","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/spinningstories.uni-ak.ac.at\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/spinningstories.uni-ak.ac.at\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spinningstories.uni-ak.ac.at\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spinningstories.uni-ak.ac.at\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1639"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"https:\/\/spinningstories.uni-ak.ac.at\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1639\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1656,"href":"https:\/\/spinningstories.uni-ak.ac.at\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1639\/revisions\/1656"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spinningstories.uni-ak.ac.at\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1657"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/spinningstories.uni-ak.ac.at\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1639"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spinningstories.uni-ak.ac.at\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1639"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spinningstories.uni-ak.ac.at\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1639"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}QUESTION: WHAT IS THE FUTURE OF TEXTILE HERITAGE PRACTICES SUCH AS HAND SPINNING?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
THE READING<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
HEXAGRAM 26 \u2013 \u5927\u755c (D\u00c0 CH\u00d9) \u201cTHE TAMING POWER OF THE GREAT\u201d<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
INTERPRETATION<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
Applied to hand spinning and textile heritage<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
What this says about the future<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
\n
QUESTION: \u201cHOW WILL YOUNGER GENERATIONS RECONNECT WITH TEXTILE HERITAGE SKILLS LIKE HAND SPINNING?\u201d<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
The Reading<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
HEXAGRAM 48 \u2013 \u4e95 (JING) \u201cTHE WELL\u201d<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\u2192 transforms into Hexagram 57 \u2013 \u5dfd (X\u00f9n) \u201cThe Gentle \/ The Penetrating Wind\u201d<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
Interpretation<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
\n
Question: \u201cWhat unseen ally will unexpectedly help revive textile heritage practices like hand spinning?\u201d<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
The Reading<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
Hexagram 63 \u2013 \u65e2\u6fdf (J\u00ec J\u00ec) \u201cAfter Completion\u201d<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\u2192 transforms into Hexagram 37 \u2013 \u5bb6\u4eba (Ji\u0101 R\u00e9n) \u201cThe Family \/ The Household\u201d<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
Interpretation<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
The Outcome \u2014 Hexagram 37: The Family \/ Household<\/em><\/h5>\n\n\n\n
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Question: \u201cWhat role am I meant to play in this moment, in the revival of textile heritage?\u201d<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
The Reading<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
Hexagram 52 \u2013 \u826e (G\u00e8n) \u201cKeeping Still \/ The Mountain\u201d<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Interpretation<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
\n