Hexagram 8 as relating hexagram

Hexagram 8…

…is called bi 比, which means…

• association, neighbouring, being close together
• matching, joining, belonging with
• comparison, analogy, metaphor

You can see the core idea in the old Chinese character: two human figures walking together, one following the other, their outlines matching. (One dictionary even says these are not human figures, but spoons – spooning!)

In the context of the Sequence of Hexagrams. this comes as a contrast to Hexagram 7, the Army. Both show yin lines gathering together around a yang centre, but whereas the Army gathers its forces out of necessity, to redress a wrong, Seeking Union follows natural affinity and desire:

‘Seeking Union means delight; the Army means grieving.’

The Oracle says,

‘Seeking union, good fortune.
At the origin of oracle consultation,
From the source, ever-flowing constancy.
No mistake.
Not at rest, coming on all sides.
For the latecomer, pitfall.’

The second part, about those ‘coming on all sides’, is most probably a reference to Yu the Great, when he had finally conquered the floods after decades of labour, calling the lords and spirits to come together and found a new way of living. Fang (‘on-all-sides’) Feng came late, and was executed.

The connection between Yu’s assembly and ‘seeking union’ is clear enough. When you’re called, you need to opt in clearly and cleanly to this new world – to seek out the place where you belong.

The connection with ‘original consultation with yarrow stalks’ (which is quite literally what this means) is less clear – until you remember that bi means not only people belonging together, but also the matching patterns of comparison and metaphor. These two come together in the experience of divination with Yi: the oracle shows you the pattern of your experience, you recognise it, and this in itself shows that you belong here, in a universe where an oracle will speak with you. (Remember Desiderata? ‘You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars, you have a right to be here…’)

On one level, we divine because we have puzzles to solve and decisions to make; on another, we divine because we want to feel connected, aligned and in resonance – belonging. The same desire that drew the lords to gather around Yu the Great draws us to the yarrow stalks (or coins, or beads, or app…).

I’ve found Hexagram 8 means not only belonging and union, but seeking union – the deep desire for meaning and belonging, and the force it exerts, like the magnetic energy of that one yang line in the fifth place.

So how is this pull felt when 8 is the relating hexagram?

Line by line

(every individual line that changes to Hexagram 8)

3.1

‘Encircled by stones.
Fruitful to settle with constancy,
Fruitful to establish feudal lords.’

This is the very beginning of the beginning: the first line of Hexagram 3, Sprouting. Hexagram 3 is full of energy for exploration and growth, and here it joins with Hexagram 8 and seeks union. It wants to find its place, so it uses the solidity of the encircling stones, settles in and grows a network – channelling its growth into belonging, like the germinating seed putting out roots.

Those encircling rocks may feel less home-like, more beating-your-head-on-a-brick-wall to start with – I’ve seen them as obstacles, and just as inertia, a resistance to change. ‘Difficulty at the beginning’, as Wilhelm would say! But with the ‘pull’ of Hexagram 8 as guide, you can settle in and start making connections – turn this into a new centre and grow from here, turning ‘stuck’ into ‘at home’.

29.2

‘The chasm has sheer sides
Seek small gains.’

The scenario isn’t so different from 3.1, is it? Encircled by stones, or at the bottom of a sheer-sided chasm. But 29 will want to respond differently – ‘movement brings honour’ – by flowing through. Hexagram 8 in the background exerts its pull: this one wants to belong, to find its right place where life will be easier and flow more naturally. Yes, says Yi, but turn your desire towards one small gain at a time.

Interestingly, I’ve seen this line a couple of times with Hexagram 8 carrying its meaning of metaphor and pattern-matching: once when I asked about the significance of seeing lots of repeated numbers; once when I asked for advice on the problem of ‘not having time’ for readings. (I think the idea here is that someone might avoid readings when they’re afraid of getting a big, daunting answer to deal with on top of everything else – and the suggestion is to let oneself be drawn forward by asking for something small, like guidance for the day, or just the next step.)

39.3

‘Going on, limping; coming back, turnaround.’

Most of Hexagram 39’s line texts follow this same pattern: to go on, following precedent, as expected, means limping; coming back brings a change for the better. This line highlights the moment of turnaround – and the Image authors (who you can often tell were reading the line texts) clearly thought it was the key to the hexagram:

‘Above the mountain, there is water. Limping.
Noble one turns himself around to renew his character (de).’

Hexagram 39, the Image

To ‘turn around’ is also to revolt, rebel or flip upside down. Hexagram 8 – with its pull towards natural affinity and flowing together – really is a radical turnaround of the 39-ish uphill, solo struggle. Going on, limping, is untenable; you need a complete reversal to end the struggle, so be guided by Hexagram 8 and rethink. Does it really need to be this hard? Sometimes this line means actively going against the norms.

45.4

‘Great good fortune, no mistake.’

A lovely, simple line, sometimes this one just means it will all be absolutely fine, don’t worry – especially when you’re imagining all the ways it could be a huge disaster.

What creates this ‘great good fortune’? Some combination of Hexagram 45’s dedication, the willingness to serve of line 4, and Hexagram 8’s pull towards harmony and belonging. Often this line comes with a desire to be of service, or to create harmony. I’ve also seen it a few times meaning trusting to an expert, or even trusting the system to work as it should – no call for individual strategising.

2.5

‘Yellow lower garments.
From the source, good fortune.’

How can you epitomise the responsive power of earth and still be – at line 5 – autonomous and choosing? By putting on earth-coloured garments, dressing yourself as earth.

These ‘yellow skirts’ were made by the woman for her husband-to-be, so this is also about partners choosing one another – a reminder of the character bi with its two human figures walking together.

So this line can be about freely choosing a service role (which is no indignity because it’s freely chosen), and it can be about becoming an ally and partner. (Coupled with 2.6, this can be advice for helpers who are a little too inclined to take charge of their ‘helpee’.)

Again – and much as in 45.4 – you can sense Hexagram 8 in the background, pulling towards co-operation and collaboration. The underlying desire to be part of something, to be aligned – and not opposing, not fighting – guides the choice.

20.6

‘Seeing their lives.
The noble one is without mistake.’

Back down at Hexagram 3, line 1, Seeking Union motivated building a world of relationships, the network of feudal lords. From up here I think it’s witnessing that same world – from the top of the mountain, Seeing the whole pattern of how the rivers flow together. Zooming out, and in the process shifting the focus away from your own experience, you can see the whole picture of relationship(s).

This line was Yi’s answer when I asked about offering free readings for the podcast specifically to people who signed up (as opposed to, for instance, picking a reading to feature from the I Ching Community). You can see Hexagram 8 at work in the background: getting two people, diviner and querent, walking together, well-matched – the origin of oracle consultation.

Overview of 8 as relating hexagram

This seems a good moment to mention that I could not possibly have written this article (or many others) without the Resonance Journal‘s cast history feature. I’ve used it to look up all my readings with Seeking Union as relating hexagram, and then each instance of the individual lines that point to Hexagram 8. (Also, ‘Insights’ tells me this has been my most frequently-occurring hexagram overall, primary or relating, through this past year I’ve spent not knowing where I live and longing for home. No great surprise there!)

A picture emerges from all those readings (both mine and other people’s): Seeking Union as relating hexagram is very much about a pull towards belonging – a strong need to join and find a good fit. Find it, and Seeking Union really will mean sheer delight.

In nine readings out of ten, I’ve found this is about wanting to be united with other people. For the most part, human beings don’t enjoy struggling and battling with one another – we want to be aligned and walk together without friction. In the tenth reading, it has to do with a quest for meaning, wanting things to fit and make sense; it’s shown up for me in several readings that were literally about ‘consulting with yarrow stalks’.

I Ching Community discussion

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