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Connecting hexagrams

Speculations on relations between hexagrams: the Sequence, patterns of trigrams, nuclear hexagrams, etc

Oriole in flight

More birds

This entry is part 6 of 9 in the series Hidden gems

As I was saying in my last post, Hexagram 61, Inner Truth has a hatchling in its name, and a crane with her young in it second line. Its paired hexagram is Hexagram 62, Small Exceeding – is the pair and complement of – and this has its own calling… Read more »More birds

wine poured into glass

Ten pairs of tortoises

This entry is part 4 of 9 in the series Hidden gems

I’ve written all about this before, so now I’m simply going to repeat myself. In my defence, I will point out I’m in good company: ‘Maybe increased by ten paired tortoise shells,Nothing is capable of going against this.From the source, good fortune.’ Hexagram 41, line 5 ‘Maybe increased by ten… Read more »Ten pairs of tortoises

Lost property office

Lost and found

A set of three lines Something I learned from Scott Davis*: it’s worth taking a second look at anything that shows up in the Yijing in a set of three. *Though come to think of it, there are about eight reasons why I might’ve got a clue a little earlier…… Read more »Lost and found

arrows ready in quiver

Release the arrows

This entry is part 7 of 8 in the series Two-line relationships

Archery in Hexagram 40 Hexagram 40 is Release: its core theme, from the simple decision of the Oracle to the clear air after the storm of the Image, is the release of tension. That might remind you of archery, which is a special, intentional kind of tension-release: deliberately drawing the bow,… Read more »Release the arrows

2 hummingbird eggs in nest

Another Yijing Easter egg*

This entry is part 1 of 8 in the series Two-line relationships

Hexagram 12 – Blocked? ‘Blocking it, non-people. Noble one’s constancy bears no fruit. Great goes, small comes.’ Hexagram 12, the Oracle However clearly we understand that there are no ‘bad’ hexagrams, we’re probably not over the moon when we cast Hexagram 12. It’s at least nice to be able to… Read more »Another Yijing Easter egg*

The Yi barbarians

Hexagram 36 is called Ming Yi 明夷, Brightness Hiding or Brightness Wounded. The double meaning of ‘Yi’ here (a completely different word to the name of the book) allows the hexagram name to contain a whole story: when wounded, you hide; once bitten, twice shy. It also means something ordinary,… Read more »The Yi barbarians