Crowley: Follow thy fortune, careless where it lead thee. The axle moveth not : attain thou that. Change of fortune. (This generally means good fortune because the fact of consultation implies anxiety or discontent.)

Crowley: (I Ching kua 2 "Earth and Company") Great, originating, right and fair, piercing and helpful, firm as the mare. If the true man should move, his feet will stray; for him to follow is his proper way. ... Correct and firm the conduct, thou shalt spy good fortune from the sky.

Kua 2, The judgement: THE RECEPTIVE BRINGS ABOUT SUBLIME SUCCESS, FURTHERING THROUGH THE PERSEVERANCE OF A MARE. IF THE SUPERIOR MAN UNDERTAKES SOMETHING AND TRIES TO LEAD, HE GOES ASTRAY; BUT IF HE FOLLOWS , HE FINDS GUIDANCE. ... QUIET PERSEVERANCE BRINGS GOOD FORTUNE . (p. 11)

Wilhelm: (kua 2) If he (the superior man) knows how to meet fate with an attitude of acceptance, he is sure to find the right guidance. ... The earth is still . It does not act of itself but is constantly receptive to the influence of heaven. (p. 12)

The advice given by Crowley in both his trump and in his interpretation of kua 2 is identical to that of Wilhelm and the authors of the I Ching: i.e. do not attempt, at this time, to initiate any action; move not but rather be receptive to the temper of the times and follow the will of fate. In this way good fortune will come as a natural consequence of the forces now pertaining.

Crowley: This card thus represents the Universe in its aspect as a continual change of state. Above, the firmament (heaven) of stars. These appear distorted in shape, although they are balanced, some being brilliant and some dark. From them, through the firmament (heaven), issue lightnings (heaven's influence); ... In the midst of all this is suspended a wheel of ten spokes, ... the sphere of Malkuth (earth), indicating governance of physical affairs. (BT p. 90)

"Sped by it energies triune, the wheel of fortune spins: its axle's immobile." (BT p. 219)

The central symbol of this trump is a wheel which represents the sphere of Malkuth, which in turn represents Earth. Kua 2 is the ultimate symbol of Earth in the I Ching system. The trigram K'UN is the symbol of Earth and in this kua it is doubled. The primary characteristic illustrated by this symbol is receptivity.

The three energies that move the wheel are described by many different symbolic trinities. In the Western alchemical school they are; sulphur, mercury and salt. In the Hindu tradition they are the three gunas; sattvas, rajas, and tamas. For the ancient Greeks, three female figures of mythology determined the course of fortune for humanity by spinning the thread of life on a great wheel. They were known as the three Fates; Clotho, Lachesis and Atropos. In the philosophy of the I Ching, the fundamental trinity of powers are; heaven, earth, and man. The fate and fortune of the universe is determined by the actions of the agencies and entities subsumed within these symbolic categories.

Heaven, as the creative principle, is the source of all the initiating impulses. In heaven are the archetypes; the primary but immaterial forms of all things. As the receptive principle, earth brings all of these forms to actuality and completion. Man, by virtue of his intelligence and his tool making abilities, partakes of the other two powers. The human condition is thus distinguished by being subjected to the influences of both the spiritual and the material powers. We are constrained by the laws and limitations of the physical realm no less than the inert matter of earth; but we are also capable of perceiving the limitless potential of heaven. We are held in the grip of gravity while our minds freely traverse the heavens. We succumb to the process of entropic decay while the mind seeks the keys to physical immortality. We also suffer the consequences of our folly while contemplating the way to greater intelligence.

Wilhelm: (kua 2) Applied to human affairs, therefore, what the hexagram indicates is action in conformity with the situation. The person in question is not in an independent position, but is acting as an assistant. ... The superior man lets himself be guided; he does not go ahead blindly, but learns from the situation what is demanded of him and then follows this intimation from fate. (p. 12)

Having received this intimation from fate, the superior man is then confronted by the need to perform. He may not as yet have sufficient knowledge to achieve what is demanded of him and so he inquires of the fates one more time, in hopes of clarifying the situation. For the sage of ancient China this meant consulting the oracle of the I Ching. He may receive the following advice.

Kua 8, The judgement: ... INQUIRE OF THE ORACLE ONCE AGAIN WHETHER YOU POSSESS SUBLIMITY, CONSTANCY, AND PERSEVERANCE; THEN THERE IS NO BLAME. (p. 36)

A sort of infinite regress is implied in this constant seeking of help. This illustrates another aspect of the human condition. Heaven may contain all the images of all the things in the universe - past, present, and future. Earth may possess all the processes and laws and means to bring the heavenly images to birth. But man, individually and collectively, is not yet in possession of the full knowledge necessary to act the role of fully competent assistant. Much of what seems necessary to fulfill our function remains a mystery to us.

No one of us has all the knowledge and all the tools needed to accomplish all the tasks the universe requires for the fulfillment of its purpose. The wisdom of the universe is to give all things their chance to be. Each of us is given only two hands to accomplish the tasks fate has ordained as ours. It seems reasonable to use one of them to reach out in or for assistance when the situation demands. No one of us is stronger than all of us; and no one of us is smarter than all of us. When one person creates something; we all possess it. We approach the mystery and reclaim the residual of ignorance collectively.

Wilhelm: (kua 8) The waters on the surface of the earth flow together wherever they can, as for example in the ocean, where all the rivers come together. Symbolically this connotes holding together and the laws that regulate it. ... The yielding lines hold together because they are influenced by a man of strong will in the leading position, a man who is their center of union. Moreover, this strong and guiding personality in turn holds together with the others, finding in them the complement of his own nature. (p. 35-36)

The great genetic pool which is humanity is also an ocean of knowledge fed by the independent streams of thought that characterize our individual existence. It is only by holding together, physically in small groups, spiritually with all of humanity, that we can ride the wheel of fortune which spins our collective fate as one rides a ferris wheel - in joy of the wider view thus offered.