I Ching, Yijing or Zhou Yi
"Oracle of the moon": © 2000 LiSe
Yi Jing, Oracle of the Moon
Kūn-Duì, Earth-Lake
Kūn, is the embracing mother and the place one calls home, one's territory. She is nurturing, receiving, and focused on results. One obtains good fortune. The Earth trigram is like a womb, rich in possibilities, she can nurture things into concrete existence, like a crop, creatures, money, tangible resources, return on investment.
Kūn just does what it takes. She accepts everything, organic or inorganic, and works with it. Proceeds it, nourishes it, arranges all creatures and objects around each other. Some will perish, some will thrive, but the earth goes on.
She has no empty spaces, no end or start, no goal or limit. She is strict and that way creates a balance which restores itself over and over. Things which strive to be perfect. Living creatures seeking health, water free to run, and sunshine free to enter. But even the darkest places she fills with organic and inorganic creations.
土命 Tǔ Mìng, earth name/destiny: born in an earth year or having a local
or popular name - a lasting link (affinity) to Earth.
Duì's image is the marsh, it is the source of the flow of water and of the flow of persuasive words. It is the trigram of gaining fame and fortune, but only when ambition has no hold. One needs balance between one’s own wishes and the rules of right conduct.
Dui means 'open' or 'to open'. Dui is the space in which things happen, where creatures or objects or opinions meet each other and interact. Persuasion is an essential part of that, winning the other person over, or instilling fear.
Dui is the spirit of pure autumn, which is a good time for results but not for the start of something new. Like the autumn harvest time, Dui is contained within borders. It has no beginning but a definite end.
When Kūn changes to Duì, the nurturing care of the compliant earth meets the social exchange of the lake with its ranks. It is the connection with yore and death, with the ancestors and your own past. It is the instinct to belong together and to take responsibility for people and for actions. The overseer who selflessly serves others, the servant who admires his employer, the actor who identifies with his role.
Also the caretaker of the rituals. Redress wrongs before it is too late, they will return and haunt you in the dark.
The trigrams and their three lines
The meaning of each line: top line Heaven, bottom line Earth and center line Man (wandering between heaven and earth). (popup)
The meaning of each line VERY SHORT (popup)
The meaning of 'Timing' (web-page popup)
What is the meaning of each separate line-change?
The initiative
The top line (Heaven-line) shows the initiative now and its outcome.
The top line is unchanging yin.
The top line is generally where the initiative comes from, but this line is unchanging yin. It might be that you asked about a matter where the initiative or action doesn’t come from you. Yin is compliant and absorbing and occasionally accepts too easily, but it keeps the excess of dominance and lack of empathy of the Heaven-line in balance. A yin Heaven-line may bring rain – blessings.
Yin will reinforce you to process this change and to continue working on what it wants. It is not aiming for success but for a job well done. It is absorbing, nurturing and attractive, but there will be no output yet, your plans ask input (ideas, energy, maybe money) and keep doing so for the time being. Things go well, but more insight and decision-making power are needed for the concrete realization of what you aim for.
The subject
The bottom line (Earth-line) shows the subject now and its outcome.
变初六为震， 为雷， 雷出地中， 奋达疾速， 威声
三三远赫， 有寒木生春之意， 万汇咸亨， 品物流行， 发荣茂盛， 无适不宜。
When the bottom line changes, Kun becomes Zhèn, thunder comes from the earth. It comes energetically and quickly. Its prestige extends far and wide.
Earth with Thunder is a great tree that benefits others. It can grow by depleting the Earth, but by growing, everything else can benefit from it. It is like resistant trees, cold and bare in winter, but announcing spring early (metaphor for high moral integrity).
Everything on earth is effortless, all living beings spread out, fame abounds. There is nothing that would not be appropriate.
This line changes from Earth's yin to Thunder's yang. Yin absorbs material, efforts and resources to make things grow. With Thunder's energy and stimulation, everything will start to shine, to give back, but yang can also deplete itself, like the tree in autumn. You need to save your strength or refuel now and then.
Zhèn is the clock-hand of cycles, it renews the time again and again. Thunder and earth unite the movement of time and the reality of space. Every year all things start anew from their roots, new and clean and eager to 'be'. Everything has to be renewed regularly.
The timing of this change:
春分以后， 夏至以前， 得之尤佳， 或为宰辅， 或为宪台， 名位禄寿之兼隆。
冬而得此，遇而不遇，举动必乖,恐成灾管，盖雷行失令违时，则不利矣。
Spring-summer: For those who get this after the vernal equinox (21/3) but before the Summer Solstice (21/6), this is especially good. He may become prime minister or imperial censor. His position and fame know luck, a doubly long and prosperous life.
Summer-autumn: after the solstice opportunities diminish steadily. Take care not to give up, small steps are still possible. Outside, there may not be much luck, inside it is important to stay true to your principles. Don’t allow others to use you against your own wellbeing.
Winter: In winter, when not getting the opportunities you need, your activities are in danger of being different from what is appropriate; fear leads to disasters. Retreat from action, because this is the movement of thunder that loses its power by going against the season, which is unfavorable.
The outcome
The middle line (Man-line) shows the situation now and its outcome.
变六二为坎， 为水， 夫坤为致役,变坎为劳， 是地本平宁， 而忽为崎岖险峻， 任重不堪， 安中伏危之象。
When the second six changes it becomes Kan, the water. It begins with Kun, which activates battle (strategy and fight), and it changes into Kan which activates labor (work and input). It is the earth, by nature flat, which suddenly becomes rough and steep, as if it carries a heavy load that it cannot hold. It is the image of danger, hidden in the midst of calm.
When Kun changes to Kan, Water imbues everything it encounters and applies its patterns to it, giving it the power of 'the way of water'. It makes sharp edges smooth, enters the cracks in rocks and splits them, it makes the earth moist and fertile or soaked and unreliable. Water shapes, it lends its patterns of movement to the shape of organs in living creatures and the structure of inorganic ones.
Kun builds and Kan shapes, they are the designers of life. Kun is also labor, Kan is battle, the designers of a country or a group. The result will be shining and giving joy, but the roots are showing, it is also a time of hidden danger.
This is not an easy line, rules are important but old rules will not apply, everything is focused on the present.
When a middle line changes from yin to yang, you will need your intuition, you will have to lead, to give direction while flowing along with opportunities. In risky situations, all depends on you. Others ask your advice or expect direction. The focus is now on moving forward, showing results, enjoying what has been accomplished.
The timing of this change:
下怀万邦， 上承天宠。
Down below he grants favors to all feudal states, up above he is granted the favor of heaven.
春夏之时， 土被阳气而内攻， 浮虚陷害而怨生， 恩中必有崩毁之乖。
秋得水而退， 土气不浮， 可谓少亨， 疑非大安， 尤防不测之咎， 惟不致伤耳。
冬得水干， 培植焦熬， 终多费力， 不若无之， 终为美也。
冬至以后， 是谓化工， 主劳役凋败之余， 有偶然横发之机。
Spring and Summer: At the time of spring and summer, the earth is attacked from within by Yang Qi, it is eroded into emptiness and slandered, and so injustice arises, goodness collapses.
Autumn: In autumn the water recedes, the Qi of the earth is no longer eroded, this can be called a small improvement. Probably no great peace, protect yourself above all from misfortune caused by unexpected events, only then will you remain free from injury.
In the Winter the water dries up and the drought grows; at the end much effort will have to be made, but if that effort is there, the end will definitely be beautiful.
After the winter solstice it is called Hua Gong. Water is at home in this season, the last vestiges of necessary labor disappear, and there is the spontaneity and freedom of nature.
Overview of the lines, changing and unchanging
The unchanging lines:
The initiative stays yin, your focus is on the work that needs to be done and the resources you need before you can or want to show what you have in mind. Yin at the Heaven line is beneficial, especially when the bottom line is yang. You are committed to your ideals. Without showing off you find recognition.
The changing lines:
Both subject and outcome change from yin to yang. Both respond and no work needs to be done for the time being, now it's time to clean up, end what needs to end and explore what comes next. Straight roads rarely lead to good results, don't miss the interesting side roads or the unexpected path through the weeds. And above all: don't lose your own path.