Hi Sacrar,
This is an interesting case to think about. And it depends on one’s perspective about (going) swimming.
I tend to think your query question was a little open-ended. And then you stated “It is common to have several things in mind when you ask”.
I tend to think that type of question may give an open-ended answer or an ambivalent one.
They tell us to keep our query question concise and focused.
They said, I think if your query question was “Is the sea in a favorable condition for swimming today”, your hexagram might have given a more direct answer.
With regard to Kong Wang, I guess in general what is empty is not real. As the Subject is empty, I think that tends to indicate your query has no substance (as you noted).
Joseph Yu list some rules, that I
don’t use directly. He states if strong or moving, it is not void.
From The-Monk →
https://fivearts.org/index.php?topic=751.msg4876#msg4876It's because you missed out on some of the rules for Void/Empty. Which would have altered the reading.
1. Void cannot support others. Neither can it be supported others.
A. Unless it exists within the Month (as it is impossible for it to be Void and exist within the Day).
B. It is being Clashed by the Day whilst being supported by a third party (Month, Moving Line that can Support, etc)
Within your reading, whilst there is support within the day. It would have been the same as a Botanist trying to save a patient. The Botanist is trained and recosnises the concepts needed to save the patient. But in the end, it simply isn't viable.
Within the interactions, there was simply no support helping the animal. You had the animal (Focus) not able to receive help (Void). You had a moving line (Wu, 4th line) that attacked (and capable of doing harm, because it had the power of the Month behind it) the Focus. This is not a sign of fortune and safety for the Focus.
So, to phrase things in The-Monk’s way; the Subject (yourself and your query) receives no help.
Thus, you did the right thing and went outside and checked the condition of the sea.
Your query did answer your question, it gave you a course of action (you obviously wanted to go swimming that day). Your query possible gave you something to ponder the next time you write a query question.
Ren
@Sacrar