May 11 21
The Emperor
56. The Wanderer
30. The Clinging, Fire
Petite Reading
A flame and its fuel must be caring and loving partners. This should not be a flashy or ostentatious interdependence, but strive for a powerful and unassuming rhythm.
Complete Reading
This week we pulled the Emperor. This card symbolizes dominion, pointing to aspects like strength, power and reinforcement. It might be a good time to consider the tactical aspects of an endeavor — to make a plan and then forcefully put it into action.
Our first hexagram this week is #56, The Wanderer. Here the subject is of the outsider, aka: the pilgrim, the drifter, the rambler… For most, this is an aspect of personality, a single character in the troupe of a persona. For others, this is who one is entirely. But whether outsiderness is just a searching/reconnaissance aspect or it is one’s character to the core, there is clear wisdom here for either: “When a person is a wanderer and stranger, they should not be gruff nor overbearing. They have no large circle of acquaintances, therefore they should not give themself airs. They must be cautious and reserved; in this way they protect themself from evil.”
Our second hexagram, the one that suggests how best to meet the challenges (or the changes) is #30, The Clinging, Fire. The image here, the analogue, is that of a candle, or lantern flame. Light giving is a scenario of dependence; a bright flame cannot exist (accept as a flash) without fuel and a site to burn. Since extended illumination is what is wanted in life, fuel and flame must be partners. Willful interdependence is a constant theme of the I Ching — as in hexagram 19 where it states “To rule truly is to serve”.
A flame and its fuel must be caring and loving partners. This should not be a flashy or ostentatious interdependence, but strive for a powerful and unassuming rhythm.
Complete Reading
This week we pulled the Emperor. This card symbolizes dominion, pointing to aspects like strength, power and reinforcement. It might be a good time to consider the tactical aspects of an endeavor — to make a plan and then forcefully put it into action.
Our first hexagram this week is #56, The Wanderer. Here the subject is of the outsider, aka: the pilgrim, the drifter, the rambler… For most, this is an aspect of personality, a single character in the troupe of a persona. For others, this is who one is entirely. But whether outsiderness is just a searching/reconnaissance aspect or it is one’s character to the core, there is clear wisdom here for either: “When a person is a wanderer and stranger, they should not be gruff nor overbearing. They have no large circle of acquaintances, therefore they should not give themself airs. They must be cautious and reserved; in this way they protect themself from evil.”
Our second hexagram, the one that suggests how best to meet the challenges (or the changes) is #30, The Clinging, Fire. The image here, the analogue, is that of a candle, or lantern flame. Light giving is a scenario of dependence; a bright flame cannot exist (accept as a flash) without fuel and a site to burn. Since extended illumination is what is wanted in life, fuel and flame must be partners. Willful interdependence is a constant theme of the I Ching — as in hexagram 19 where it states “To rule truly is to serve”.