I Ching Reading: Revolution

I often use the I Ching as a way find out where I'm at emotionally. Today I got Hexagram Number 49: Revolution. It implies that chaos rises out of order. The I Ching is based on Taoist philosophy, which teaches us how to find balance in a world that may seem out of balance. I'm not involved in a political revolution right now, but I believe we are all in a time when the COVID-19 global pandemic is forcing people to think in ways that were once considered revolutionary. Andrew Yang, the presidential candidate, was considered revolutionary for suggesting that every American should get $1,000 a month from the government. It seemed that our government would never try any policy that seemed so socialistic as too be impossible and yet Congress just passed a bill to give everyone at least $1,200 to help us get through the economic difficulty that social distancing has caused. But in what way am I supposed to find balance in this hexagram?

Ever since I graduated from a coding boot camp last December, I've been avoiding substitute teaching and staying home so I can apply to web development jobs and study whatever technologies I might need for a new job. Now that the world has turned upside-down, everyone else in California is living a lot like the way I've been living. For me, the main difference is that I can't study at Starbucks or go to the gym to workout. Everyone else is applying for unemployment like the way I've had to apply for unemployment when I can't get teaching jobs. In a strange way, everyone has been brought into my world. It's a little disorienting. What am I to make of it?

This hexagram came with what's called a "changing line," which means that there is an extra hexagram after this one, in this case Number 63: After Completion. I've seen this before. After a project is completed, there is always more to do. I knew it would take some time for me to find a job after I graduated from boot camp, but now that the economy is paralyzed, it's hard to tell if I can even hope to get a job.

Today, I had a phone interview with a lady who works for a company called 8th Light. They offer apprenticeships to junior coders. We talked about how much I would be paid and the company's philosophy of coding as a kind of craft. I told her about how I would prefer a front end job, which has to do with the way a web site works. She seemed nice and we had a good chat, but when we ended the call she said that there are many candidates and only one position available. That doesn't make me feel optimistic, but this is part of the process. I'll just have to keep applying and hope I can get more interviews.