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Tuanzhuan (Commentary on the Oracle)

Lightning strike at night

Hexagram 51, Shock

Thunderbolt and earthquake The name of Hexagram 51, zhen 震, means Shock, Quake, and encompasses both thunder and earthquake. (Nowadays there is a specific word for earthquake made of the components ‘earth’ and ‘zhen’.) The old character has two components: rain, and chen, the name of the fifth Earthly Branch in… Read more »Hexagram 51, Shock

ancient character jie

Borders and boundaries

What is Jie 介 ? The character jie 介 occurs three times in the Yi: 16.2 ‘Boundaries of stone,Not for a whole day.Constancy, good fortune.’ 35.2 ‘Now advancing, now apprehensive.Constancy, good fortune.Accepting this armour blessing from your ancestral mother.’ 58.4 ‘Negotiating opening, not yet at rest.Containing the affliction brings rejoicing.’ As… Read more »Borders and boundaries

Advantage in the Southwest

Not for the first time, someone’s written to ask me what it means that there’s ‘advantage in the southwest’ for her. So here’s a summary of one thing it means, at least – ‘The southwest’ in Yijing-language doesn’t usually mean literally the southwest. There can be the occasional exception, of… Read more »Advantage in the Southwest