Modesty / Moderation,   Line 5:

“No boasting of wealth before one's neighbor.

It is favorable to attack with force.

Nothing that would not further."

   "Modesty is not to be confused with weak good nature that lets things take their own course."  [Wilhelm]

      You  will be called upon to take decisive action. There will be nothing immodest in doing this. The only requirement is that you do it without a self-righteous or boastful display of power. 

     What action do you need to take in this Modest, but forceful, manner?

     We'll see what the Yi has to tell us about the future of this situation tomorrow.

Modesty / Moderation, Line 4:

"Nothing that would not further modesty
In movement."

     Simply being Modest, or taking the middle ground, will not be enough to create success. Your Modesty must be expressed in actions.

     Wilhelm uses the example of someone in what we would call middle management: "There are officials who indeed do not strive for prominence; they hide behind the letter of the ordinances, decline all responsibility, accept pay without giving the equivalent in work, and bear empty titles." ( How many of these people have you worked for?)

     This is not the sort of Modesty the Yi will reward. As the main message said, "The superior man carries things through."
 

     What do you need to "carry through?"

     Moderation is not to be confused with weakness. The Yi will set us straight on that tomorrow, in Line 5.

“Modesty creates success.

The superior man carries things through."

      Have you been "Looking Out for No. 1?"   Have you unconsciously accepted the winner-take-all philosophy of life that saturates Western, and especially American, culture?

     Well, the Yi has come to tell you:  It is Modesty that creates success. The Image says, "Thus the superior man reduces that which is too much, and augments that which is too little.  He weighs things makes them equal." 

     In the situation that concerns you most, how can you "reduce that which is too much" and "augment that which is too little?"  An example might be your Christmas gift-giving.  Consider giving less extravagant gifts to those who probably have too much already, and give more to those who have very little.*

     Changing Lines 4 and 5 give us some guidance on how to act with Modesty. We'll look at Line 4 tomorrow.

....................................

 *  It is a little known fact that receiving this hexagram in his daily I Ching practice is what inspired Charles Dickens to write A Christmas Carol.  :-)

      In the status structure of the situation that concerns you, you are at the bottom.
 

    You are not entirely powerless, but you are definitely limited in some way that is not within your control.
 

     Even under these conditions, you are able to make some progress. The key will be understanding and accepting this limitation. You will be rewarded for making the effort.

      What is your limitation?

     More specific advice comes to us in Line 2, which we'll look at tomorrow.

No. 54, The Marrying Maiden / Subordinate / An Untenable Situation:

"The Marrying Maiden.
Undertakings bring misfortune.
Nothing that would further."

    You are headed into a situation that will not be right for you.  And it could be very difficult to get out.

    We received this hexagram not long ago, on Nov. 4. Getting the same main message again, so soon, is the Yi's way of saying, "Pay attention!"

     Last time, we analyzed this as a close personal relationship.  Perhaps we should broaden the scope to include public, business or work-related relationships.   Are you thinking of taking a new job?  Merging your company with another?  Running for public office?

         The Yi advises you to step back and think this all the way through. As The Image says of this message, "Thus the superior man understands the transitory in the light of the eternity at the end."  

      This message came with three changing lines, Lines 1, 2 and 5, to help us do that.  We'll look at it Line 1 tomorrow.

No. 58,  The Joyous:

“The joyous. Success.
Perseverance is favorable.”

     The Image:

“Lakes resting one on the other:
The image of The Joyous.
Thus the superior man joins with his friends
For discussion and practice.”

     This future message signals a true end to the Standstill:  a Joyous and fulfilling time of discussing - and practicing - with others the truly important things in life.

   The Joyous one of eight hexagrams that is formed by the doubling of a trigram; in this case, Lake.  Lake symbolizes Joy because "still water represent[s] the conditions that bring about true joy and 'stagnant water,' the conditions that pervert it." [Anthony & Moog]  Stagnation, as you will recall, is what the main message and changing lines advised you to separate yourself from.

     Success will come to you by encouraging others to find and pursue their individual goals.  This joining with others will be, not "fun" in a self-indulgent, frivolous sense, but Joyous in a deeply sustaining way.

Standstill / Stagnation,  Line 2:

"They bear and endure;
This means good fortune for inferior people.
The standstill serves to help the great man to attain success."

       You were advised in Line 1 to separate yourself from the situation that is at a Standstill.  This is easier said than done. Take, for instance, a dead-end job. It may not be taking you anywhere, but  . . . can you risk leaving?

    Bearing and enduring where you are may seem like the best option  -  for the "inferior" person.

    But the "great man" looks at the Stagnation and says, "How did I get stuck in the first place?  What should I do so it doesn't happen again?"

       Don't just "hang in there."  Be open to the lesson the Universe is trying to teach you.

       We'll look at the final bit of specific advice, Line 6, tomorrow.

     The Yi advises you to pull out - and get all the way out.  And do it now, at the beginning (symbolized by its position - Line 1), while it is still easy, and you can leave with your roots and some support intact.
 

     Replanting yourself in a different spot will get you out of the Standstill and allow you to grow. Can you do it?

      More advice on how to proceed comes to us in Line 2. We'll look at that tomorrow.

No. 12,  Stagnation / Standstill:

"Standstill. Evil people do not further
The perseverance of the superior man.
The great departs; the small approaches."

    What goes up, must come down.  And unfortunately, down, into Stagnation, is where things are headed now.

     This is probably the result of influences that are beyond your control.  As Brian Browne Walker says, "It is an inescapable fact of life that inferior influences sometimes prevail."

    It could also be your own inner refusal to face facts that is bringing you to a Standstill.  If you won't acknowledge and accept the realities of the time, you will remain stuck.

     Analyze the situation that is frustrating you right now.  Is there really anything you can do to change it?

     The Image advises, "Thus the superior man falls back upon his inner worth in order to escape the difficulties."   Focus on a purely personal interest, or perhaps a spiritual practice. This is a time to "hide [your] worth and withdraw into seclusion."  [Wilhelm]

No. 42,  Increase  /  Benefit:

"Increase. It furthers one
To undertake something.
It furthers one to cross the great water."


     The future holds great energy, Increase and Benefit, if you have followed the Yi's advice and have allowed the situation to Develop and Progress gradually.

     You will reach a point when "even difficult and dangerous enterprises will succeed."  [Wilhelm] 

     Your task in life then changes to understanding and accepting the fundamental principle behind the I Ching, the Book of Changes:  Nothing stays the same forever.  Life is always subject to natural cycles.  Winter follows summer.

     The time of Increase is a "summer."   Plan ahead. Make the best use of it you can, so you will have reserves stored up when the days grow shorter again, as they inevitably will.

       Do not argue or defend your position.  This will only drain your energy in a direction that does not propel you forward.

     Proceed "calmly, cheerfully, and with authority" and with "inner truth and resolve that do not know defeat."  [Wing]

     What will your Breakthrough be?

       We have three changing lines, Lines 2, 4 and 6.  We'll  see what advice Line 2 adds tomorrow.

No. 30,  The Clinging  /  Fire:* 

"The Clinging.  Perseverance furthers. 
It brings success. 
Care of the cow brings good fortune." 
 
     
      Some form of dependence will continue in the relationship that is of concern to you.    As the future of The Marrying Maiden / Subordinate, The Clinging / Fire says it will not be the Subordination that the changing lines warned against.  It will be more in the nature of a voluntarily undertaken duty.  
 
       "Human life on earth is conditioned and unfree, and when man recognizes this limitation and makes himself dependent upon the harmonious and beneficent forces of the cosmos, he achieves success.  . . . By cultivating an attitude of compliance and voluntary dependence, man acquires clarity without sharpness and finds his place in the world."  [Wilhelm]
 

     R.L. Wing calls this hexagram Synergy:  "When two elements approach each other in such a way that the scope of what they can achieve together far surpasses the total of what they could achieve separately, they are acting with Synergy."

      Synergy, not Subordination, is in your future.

...........
 
 
     * This is one of the eight double-sign hexagrams; Fire over Fire. While it symbolizes The Clinging - flames clinging to the wood that fuels it - this hexagram also embodies Clarity, as is explained in The Image:  "That which is bright rises twice: The image of Fire.  Thus the great man, by perpetuating this brightness, illumines the four quarters of the world." 

    You have decided to enter into this relationship, but your heart isn't in it.  That's not going to work.

     This line describes the actions taken by men and women in ancient Chinese ritual sacrifices to ancestors.  Women were to present the harvest; men sacrificed an animal.

      Here, the parties are only going through the motions.  There is no real offering or sacrifice involved, only the exterior form.

     If that's what you're doing, or contemplating doing, because it seems like the easiest way, be forewarned.  These insincere actions will benefit no one.  We'll look at the future of this reading tomorrow.

      This line suggests that the relationship you want - two "eyes" seeing the world the same way, and looking forward together - is just not going to happen. (Wilhelm says, "Here the girl is left behind in loneliness; the man of her choice has become unfaithful or had died.")

     You will probably have to go it alone. However, if you maintain "the inner light of loyalty," you can make progress.

     The Yi has more cheery advice for us in Line 3. We'll look at it tomorrow

No.48, The Well:

“The Well.  The town may be changed,

but the well cannot be changed.

It neither decreases nor increases.

They come and go and draw from the well.

If one gets down almost to the water

And the rope does not go all the way,

Or the jug breaks, it brings misfortune." 

         Receiving this hexagram as the future of Limitation signals a time in life when you will need to "dig deep."

       It is likely that you are not acting in accordance with your true nature. Adjusting to the Limitations of life may have taken you away from your path. 

       The Well is the Yi's reminder that surface circumstances may change, but the truth of each life is there, unchanging. However, you will have to seek it conscientiously. 
 

         In your search for answers, lower your bucket all the way down. Don't just skim the surface.  And take time and care drawing the wisdom out.  Grabbing for a quick-fix answer (e.g., The Secret) will bring misfortune.

Limitation,  Line 3:

"He who knows no limitation 
Will have cause to lament.

No blame."

    Have you been mentally fighting the main message - that it is not possible right now to do what you want do, the way you want to do it?  With Line 3, the Yi is saying:  "Listen up! There is no such thing as no limits."

    In Western cultures, we are reluctant to accept this.  In 1994, self-help and motivational author Dr. Dwayne Dyer wrote the hugely popular  How To Be A No-Limit Person.   But by 2007, he wrote Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life;  Living the Wisdom of the Tao Te Ching. 

     We'll look at the future of this Limitation tomorrow.

Limitation,  Line 1: 
 
"Not going out of the door and the courtyard 
Is without blame." 
 
     You want to "reach your goal" or at least "make some progress."  But, as the Yi informed us in yesterday's main message, it is a time of Limitation.

     At the beginning of such a time, there is no fault in staying in your current position of safety.  It will allow you to gather and store up energy.  As Confucius said in interpreting this line, "If germinating things are not handled with discretion, the perfecting of them is impeded."

     Whatever it is that you want, focus now on planning and preparing from the comfort of your own home. Save the action steps of the process until later.  This is not the time to venture out.

      The Yi offers more specific advice in Line 3, which we'll look at tomorrow.