Best,

Harmen.

If this yin line is not checked in time, then more yin lines could follow and eventually all the six yang lines will be replaced by yin lines consequently changing Qian into Kun. This would be in line with the Piqua (twelve monthly hexagrams) sequence. As the next hexagram after Gou will be 33 Tun / Retreat where the first two lines are yin lines and the remaining four yang lines are forced to beat a retreat.

In my earlier post, one has used the bold girl example to tie up the relationships between Hexagram 44 with line three (corrected) of Hexagram 4 which differs from the girl depicted in Hexagram 31. Under different circumstances, the image of the inferior element or an inferior man can be used too.

The hexagram also depicts the meeting between a strong and central assistant (second line) and a strong, central, and correct ruler (fifth line). A great flowering results, and the inferior element (first line) below can do no harm. Thus this is an important time, the time of the meeting of the light and the dark. (Book III [W/B])

The importance of the timing in the meeting between the light and the dark could allude to inner alchemy practice.

IOW 31 is a ‘pure bonding’ hexagram. expansive bonding in a contractive bonding context and as such more favouring of courtship (no consideration of time, all about sharing space) than intercourse (there IS a consideration about time).

31 thus reads ‘with/from self-restraint comes intensity in expression’. The 31/33 PAIR reflect a focus on enticement - cooperative, unconditional (31) or competitive, conditional (33).

The sharing of time with another allows for the break-up to be ‘clean’ - no carrying-on after the event. OTOH the sharing of space with another is hard to break-up without leaving some residue of some form. In mountain there is an association to sadness, grief (lower position) but to discernment in upper, where we exploit the grief, the loss, to use it for quality control (a lost love can be used to filter future events)

Note that the binding trigrams - wind and thunder - have a general association to a lack of trust, wind in ‘another’, thunder in ’self’ - just as, at the opposite ends of the yin-based and yang-based sequences we have absolute trust - 02 in another/others, 01 in self.

The two threads of yin and yang reflect issues of trust with 44 focusing on a lack of trust in another/others.

The categories from 02 to 44 show a path of increasing betrayal by others. the path from 01 to 24 is path of increasing betrayal by self.

For 31 the focus is on having experienced ’slight’ betrayals in the past, so some ‘wooing’ is needed to get-back the trust. As we move into water so the barriers go up, rejection is the issue, ‘us vs them’. Keep going into the realm of wind and cultivation is required to get trust (there is an initial anticipation of wrong doing that can be turned into anticipation of right doing - all reflected in the general qualities of wind-based trigrams).

SO we have:
Earth - total trust in another
Mountain - had some bad experiences so ‘wooing’ is needed.
Water - a ‘cut’ is made, the boundaries set - rejection is the issue.
Lake - no immediate trust at all. There is an anticipation of wrong-doing.

Thunder - no trust in self
Fire - a little trust develops (focus on acceptance)
Lake - confidence but a lot of ’showbiz’ - still not totally trusting of self.
Heaven - absolute faith in self.

All of these qualities are hard-coded in all members of the species. LOCAL context will then add ‘biases’, genderise etc.

Nelson

For a refreshing Daoist point of view on Hexagram 44, “A highly sexed female is to be avoided at all cost since the male’s sexual energy will be exhausted quickly and can lead to an early death.” That is according to my ‘coconut’ Daoist friend.

Hexagram 44 Gou comes immediately after Hexagram 1 Qian in the Piqua (twelve monthly hexagrams) sequence and it depicts the entrance of a yin line replacing the first yang line of Qian; therefore a warning in the judgment relating to this line.

The image of a bold girl who lightly surrenders herself does not speak well of her (similar to the second line of Hexagram 4) as compared to the girl depicted in Hexagram 31 Hsien / Influence where through mutual attraction the strong man takes a position inferior to that of the weak girl and shows consideration for her. Remember Gou talks about sexual intercourse whereas Hsien talks about courtship (and restrain on seduction). Therefore the favorable judgment in 31, ‘To take a maiden to wife brings good fortune’.

A further comment on Hexagram 4 line 2. The line also depicts the firm son taking over the household from the compliant master of the household (Book III). Therefore consideration has to be given to women in the household (Book I) just like his father did, as the Chinese like to have the whole family or extended family living under one roof then and now.