I Ching, Yijing or Zhou Yi
"Oracle of the moon": © 2000 LiSe

  Yi Jing, Oracle of the Moon

The image of hexagram 1
Qián, pure yang

Trigram Heaven

Trigram Heaven
  Hexagram 1 has trigram Qián, Heaven, below or inside, trigram Qián above or outside. Qián is the trigram of pure yang. Yang has no substance, it is 'idea' or law. The structure which keeps everything intact and working and lends all things and creatures balance, beauty and strength.

What does it mean, 'inner' and 'outer'?

When trigram Qián is below (popup)
When trigram Qián is above (popup)

  The trigrams: Qián both inside and outside. Qián is not about what you do, but about how you do it. This is a time of imagining and making plans and drawing the blueprint before you start building. It is also about finding the right timing. Don't start too early or too late. Don't let your motivation slide away though, the right time might come, or you might just need more time to improve your ideas.

    
two old ideograms of qián
  The old diviners gave this combination of trigrams a name: Qián. Qian is an image of sunrise. When repeated it symbolizes the cycle of time. Day after day, unrelenting, nothing can change it or fight it, not even slow it down a tiny bit. The symbol extends to the strong mind, the leader who pursues his purpose relentlessly. Qián indicates the command center or center of authority, in the heavens and on earth.

  The ideogram is an image of a tree trunk or pole. Later a banner, fluttering in the rising sun, was added. Below left is the sun above the horizon, on top and at right the banner. Probably an oxtail or something similar waving from the top of the pole or tree trunk in the center of the city or next to the tent of the general. The waving banner tells the soldiers their leader is present, and where to look for his commands. The 'trunk' indicates strength and the world-axis .
Bottom right in the left character is 乙, a small water stream, with the meaning 'swirling'. The older version of 乾, without 乙, is gàn, stem, trunk, to do, main body, hold the post of.Qian
     Qián is not a common character anymore in daily use. Its meaning is now only what it means in the Yijing. Pure yang, male, father, the first, heaven (sky is a different character).
  When pronounced gān it means 'dry'.

  The Image says: Qián moves: firmness. The noble one owing to his strength never ceases.

  Hex.1 is the contrast of hex.2, which is about practical reality. The laws of Heaven are 'behind' everything practical, they give life its structure. Heaven regulates the time.
  Listening to it gives you the right timing, so your life, your body, your mind and your surroundings will be in accord with Heaven's laws.
  Heaven's animal is the dragon. The dragon constellation moves around the North pole. It follows the huge clockhand of the Big Dipper, which indicates the seasons.

More about hex. 1 and 2


the banner in hex.1 (the command center) and a similar one in hex.56
without the ornament on top (itinerant troops)

  Story:
  In the early morning the rays of the sun touch the trees and plants, still wet from the night. They evaporate, as if they breathe. As if spirits with faint rainbow colors are dancing around the trunks of the trees.
  The mists travel down along the slopes, toward the valley, where they collect and cover everything. But not for long, when the sunlight reaches down, they disappear.
  Every morning the light wakes up the earth, brings it back to life. Every new day is a new creation. Heaven reaches down to the earth, and the earth responds, brings forth, makes life.

last update: 22.11.2022

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