petrosianii
November 15th, 2007, 08:19 PM
Family - Hexagram #37
I've been thinking lately about family dynamics. My sister and I have grown more distant since my Father's passing last month. As a result, I've been wondering whether there is something I can or should do to restore amends.
However, I have wondered whether my family relationships were "right" all my life. My relationships with my blood relatives has suffered, for various reasons, my entire life; and, while I realize that at least some of this is due to my own selfishness, I'm still not sure of what to do about it...or whether I should do anything at all except - wait.
Pondering my family situation leads me to think about I Ching Hexagram #37 - The Family.
I've received Hexagram 37 not infrequently during personal I Ching meditations. On the face of it, the meaning of the Hexagram is clear; however, I struggle with this hexagram (as well as #45 Assembling) perhaps more than any other. The reason is that I've never had the ideal family system of which it speaks in this hexagram. Nor have I had the opportunity to create the sort of family harmony the I Ching as a whole promotes. It goes without saying, but I have real difficulty following the I Ching's counsel in family matters because I feel that my own biological family was and is quite dysfunctional.
Hexagram #64 & Jung's Archetype of Self
As I was reading this hexagram again today, I also looked at its nuclear hexagram: #64 Before the End. This nuclear hexagram is at once an atomic hexagram. Elsewhere I have given the definition and discussed the significance of the I Ching's four atomic hexagrams. (For more information on atomic hexagrams, click here. (http://ichingonline.blogspot.com/2007/09/atomic-i-ching-hexagrams-atomic-jungian.html))
In the discussion on atomic hexagrams, I explained that hexagram #64 corresponds roughly to the Jungian Self. (Read more on Jung's archetype of Self (http://psychognosis.blogspot.com/2007/08/archetype-of-self.html).) However, now as I think about it, I'm starting to agree with Hilary's suggestion (http://onlineclarity.co.uk/answers/2007/10/04/nuclear-hexagrams-as-archetypes/) that #64 seems to correspond more to Jung's Shadow archetype, while #63 more accurately corresponds to Jung's Self archetype.
Well, who knows...? I told Hilary that on any given day - depending upon my mood - I can flip flop on this. Today, I guess I'm flip flopping!
One of the things Hexagram 64 speaks of is a sort of primal fear. I describe this as a sort of nameless dread. Well, that nameless dread does sound like Shadow-language, doesn't it? And it's that "nameless dread" that keeps me at a distance from my family members.
Why? Because of the dysfunction I experienced growing up; and, because of the dysfunction that I still notice today. I suppose one of my fears is that I have to give up my self - my truth, my beliefs, my personality to a degree - in order to gain their approval and/or acceptance. So, there really is a kind of fear of death associated with my family: a fear that the new, contented,dignified self that I now am will somehow be abused, neglected, invalidated yet again...that is, if I get too close to them.
I've been thinking lately about family dynamics. My sister and I have grown more distant since my Father's passing last month. As a result, I've been wondering whether there is something I can or should do to restore amends.
However, I have wondered whether my family relationships were "right" all my life. My relationships with my blood relatives has suffered, for various reasons, my entire life; and, while I realize that at least some of this is due to my own selfishness, I'm still not sure of what to do about it...or whether I should do anything at all except - wait.
Pondering my family situation leads me to think about I Ching Hexagram #37 - The Family.
I've received Hexagram 37 not infrequently during personal I Ching meditations. On the face of it, the meaning of the Hexagram is clear; however, I struggle with this hexagram (as well as #45 Assembling) perhaps more than any other. The reason is that I've never had the ideal family system of which it speaks in this hexagram. Nor have I had the opportunity to create the sort of family harmony the I Ching as a whole promotes. It goes without saying, but I have real difficulty following the I Ching's counsel in family matters because I feel that my own biological family was and is quite dysfunctional.
Hexagram #64 & Jung's Archetype of Self
As I was reading this hexagram again today, I also looked at its nuclear hexagram: #64 Before the End. This nuclear hexagram is at once an atomic hexagram. Elsewhere I have given the definition and discussed the significance of the I Ching's four atomic hexagrams. (For more information on atomic hexagrams, click here. (http://ichingonline.blogspot.com/2007/09/atomic-i-ching-hexagrams-atomic-jungian.html))
In the discussion on atomic hexagrams, I explained that hexagram #64 corresponds roughly to the Jungian Self. (Read more on Jung's archetype of Self (http://psychognosis.blogspot.com/2007/08/archetype-of-self.html).) However, now as I think about it, I'm starting to agree with Hilary's suggestion (http://onlineclarity.co.uk/answers/2007/10/04/nuclear-hexagrams-as-archetypes/) that #64 seems to correspond more to Jung's Shadow archetype, while #63 more accurately corresponds to Jung's Self archetype.
Well, who knows...? I told Hilary that on any given day - depending upon my mood - I can flip flop on this. Today, I guess I'm flip flopping!
One of the things Hexagram 64 speaks of is a sort of primal fear. I describe this as a sort of nameless dread. Well, that nameless dread does sound like Shadow-language, doesn't it? And it's that "nameless dread" that keeps me at a distance from my family members.
Why? Because of the dysfunction I experienced growing up; and, because of the dysfunction that I still notice today. I suppose one of my fears is that I have to give up my self - my truth, my beliefs, my personality to a degree - in order to gain their approval and/or acceptance. So, there really is a kind of fear of death associated with my family: a fear that the new, contented,dignified self that I now am will somehow be abused, neglected, invalidated yet again...that is, if I get too close to them.