Month: August 2018

#3, line 2, #19

New ventures always pack along their inherent chaos.
Though this is an annoyance at best, and can even imperil or downright doom an endeavor, it is also the friction needed to polish your project to jewel brilliance.  Learn from these early obstacles.
Her horses rear in fright; but the highwayman means no harm.
He seeks only the hand of the maiden.  She must refuse him, for she fears a very long journey lies ahead before she can marry.
You are in a position to help another.  This is a temporary situation, because your power is cyclical, seasonal.  Knowing this, you must perform your good deed without hope of reward.  You are not furthering your own process, but another’s.  Though you may cherish this other, you will never possess.
Touch without grasping.  Take comfort in becoming a fond memory.  Nurture, then let go.

#34, line 2, #55

The Awesome Power available in this hexagram stems from what the Taoists call your Te, a term not perfectly translated into English.  Roughly, it is your Integrity — not in the Western sense of honor — but more in the  psychological definition of a full integration of Who You Are.
Such self-knowledge spawns a Mastery tempered with the humility necessary to rein in and harness this Awesome Power.
The premise here is that the gates to success are beginning to open. Resistance gives way and we forge ahead. This is the point at which, only too easily, we become the prey of exuberant self-confidence. This is why the oracle says that perseverance (i.e., perseverance in inner equilibrium, without excessive use of power) brings good fortune.
It is not given to every mortal to bring about a time of outstanding greatness and abundance. Only a born ruler of men is able to do it, because his will is directed to what is great. Such a time of abundance is usually brief. Therefore a sage might well feel sad in view of the decline that must follow. But such sadness does not befit him. Only a man who is inwardly free of sorrow and care can lead in a time of abundance. He must be like the sun at midday, illuminating and gladdening everything under heaven.

#44, line 5, #50

A Prince who shouts orders but will not walk among his people may as well try to command the four winds.  A strong, addictive temptation, much more dangerous than it seems.
You are ignoring a clear and present danger to your well-being.  If this threat emanated from a heavy-handed oppressor, you would see it coming.  But this danger comes to you in the form of a seduction, an amusement, a diversion, an indulgence that is eating away at the fiber of your secure little world.  You are too cocksure.  You underestimate the tribute this dalliance will demand.
The melon, like the fish, is a symbol of the principle of darkness. It is sweet but spoils easily and for this reason is protected with a cover of willow leaves. This is a situation in which a strong, superior, well-poised man tolerates and protects the inferiors in his charge. He has the firm lines of order and beauty within himself but he does not lay stress upon them. He does not bother his subordinates with outward show or tiresome admonitions but leaves them quite free, putting his trust in the transforming power of a strong and upright personality. And behold! Fate is favorable. His inferiors respond to his influence and fall to his disposition like ripe fruit.
he Superior Person positions himself correctly within the flow of Cosmic forces.  Supreme Accomplishment.
Your needs are coming into harmony with the requirements of the Cosmos.
Blending brilliantly with the Dance of Life, you are becoming an actual element of Cosmic Law.  Your goals will now be realized because you no longer cut against the Cosmic grain; you are no longer swimming against the flow of the Tao.  You are acquiring an intuitive sense of what can and cannot be, and aligning your efforts accordingly.

#18, line 5, #48

The Superior Person sweeps away corruption and stagnation by stirring up the people and strengthening their spirit.
You are blessed with an opportunity to resuscitate that which others have abandoned as beyond repair.
This ruin wasn’t caused by evil intention, but by indifference to decay.
Just by addressing yourself to the problem, you exhibit a new awareness, a fresh perspective.
This is a time of recovery, renewal, regeneration.
An individual is confronted with corruption originating from neglect in former times. He lacks the power to ward it off alone, but with able helpers he can at least bring about a thorough reform, if he cannot create a new beginning, and this also is praiseworthy.
Encampments, settlements, walled cities, whole empires may rise and fall, yet the Well at the center endures, never drying to dust, never overflowing.
It served those before and will serve those after.
Inside each of us are dreamlike symbols and archetypes, emotions and instincts that we share with every other human being.
When we feel a lonely separateness from others, it is not because this Well within has dried up, but because we have lost the means to reach its waters.
You need to reclaim the tools necessary to penetrate to the depths of your fellows.
Then the bonds you build will be as timeless and inexhaustible as the Well that nourishes them.

#14, line 4, #41

The Superior Person possesses great inner treasures — compassion, economy, and modesty.  These treasures allow the benevolent will of Heaven to flow through him outward to curb evil and to further good.
You have become an instrument of Heaven’s will, offering a balance in the world around you.  It is not swashbuckling prowess or uncanny talent that qualifies you for this office, but your simplest gifts — your modesty, your compassion, your economy.  Because you can see clearly who most needs a miracle, Heaven’s bounty is being put at your disposal.
He can make the distinction between his true treasures within and the material possessions others covet.
To be frugal and content is to possess immeasurable wealth within.  Nothing of value could be refused such a person.  Make a portion of each meal a share of your offering.
Simplicity and economy are strong defenses against the slings and arrows of Outrageous Fortune.  Whether this is a time of want or a time of plenty, it is an auspicious time to shed a dependency.

#55, line 5, #41

The leader reaches his peak and doesn’t lament the descent before him.  Be like the noonday sun at its zenith.  This is success.
He attracts the brilliant and able to his quest.  Good fortune.
To be frugal and content is to possess immeasurable wealth within.  Nothing of value could be refused such a person.  Make a portion of each meal a share of your offering.  
Simplicity and economy are strong defenses against the slings and arrows of Outrageous Fortune.  Whether this is a time of want or a time of plenty, it is an auspicious time to shed a dependency.

#59, line 3, #48

Wind carries the Mists aloft: Sage rulers dedicated their lives to serving a Higher Power and built temples that still endure.  The King approaches his temple.  Success if you stay on course.  You may cross to the far shore.
Walls meant to protect have instead separated and isolated.
Your defenses have kept you apart from those whom you most need to touch.
Whatever the reason for discord between you, it is time to lay down your arms.  Dispel the inflexible demands and fears of the Mind so that you may reunite in the Heart.  
If you have begrudged, forgive.  If you have torn down, repair.  If you have injured, heal.  If you have judged, pardon.  If you have grasped, let go.
His ego dissolves and the void is filled with his Self.
No more fear and frustration.
Inside each of us are dreamlike symbols and archetypes, emotions and instincts that we share with every other human being.
When we feel a lonely separateness from others, it is not because this Well within has dried up, but because we have lost the means to reach its waters.
You need to reclaim the tools necessary to penetrate to the depths of your fellows.
Then the bonds you build will be as timeless and inexhaustible as the Well that nourishes them.

#60, line 5, #19

The Superior Person examines the nature of virtue and makes himself a standard that can be followed.  Self-discipline brings success; but restraints too binding bring self-defeat.
Cultivating the proper disciplines and the proper degree of discipline are the concerns of this hexagram.  By limiting options, you may give more attention to priorities.  One who is all over the map is no less lost than one without a map.  Avoid asceticism, however.  Deprivation is not wise discipline.  The key here is regulation, not restriction.
He travels easily with economy and simplicity.  This brings merit.
The Superior Person is inexhaustible in his willingness to teach, and without limit in his tolerance and support of others.  Supreme Success if you keep to your course.
Joy and forbearance bring high and low nearer together. Success is certain. But we must work with determination and perseverance to make full use of the propitiousness of the time.