this is a line I have been carrying around in my mind's back pocket for a couple of months now, looking at ti from different point's of view and trying to figure out how it materializes in my case. The matter-at-hand is still a long way from being resolved but I thought I'd post here the meanings I have gathered around it to invite conversation and your experiences of the line

The obvious meaning of the line, ie that of 'lose a battle to win the war' has been a strong point of focus all this time . . one of the phrases I have come to resort to when things get tough lately reads 'let go or get dragged' . . it feels very pertinent to the line as well what with hx40 being the associated hexagram here.

Of course I also absolutely had to (don't tell me you didn't see how excited that makes me! ) consider hx40 in its archery connotations while looking into this . I still have a lot of way to go here as I can only barely fathom the implications of an archer instead of any other kind of soldiers - aside, that is, from the obvious advantage of archers in that they can attack while being stationed at a distance rather than needing to be physically in the midst of the battlefield . . I have a feeling that also the technicalities and arts of archery hide more meaning that can be used to elucidate the line but I shy away from drawing such conclusions as I have minimum personal experience of literal archery practices (much more of them as metaphorical ways of conduct but I don't think it helps much with the specifics needed here, heh)


Another meaning that I have been pondering on for a much longer time considers the 'left-side' as the side of the heart . . now this has turned out to be more complicated than simply the sentimental ('heartfelt') side of things. Keeping in mind that this is the Yi we're talking about, I have found the heart meaning useful as in showing me a more compassionate approach to the battlefield, not only counting on the strong 'soldiers' marching along, but also caring for those 'fallen', injured parts that need to be rescued and looked after


This meaning is also linked to yet another one I'm strongly considering about 7.4 and that is related to intuition-based decisions, in distinction to the ones reached with more linear, objective modes of thought. In trying to express this I have often the expression 'left-path' come into my mind although when I read up on the expression I find it does not express what I actually want to communicate . . I mostly see this left-side way as linked to divination too, to a more, say, 'unorthodox'(?) way of approaching decision making processes . . I hope I'm making this clear enough as I find it a bit tough to talk clearly about this yet I'm hoping it gets clearer if you see it as part of the cluster of meanings I have already mentioned . .


This is pretty much it up to now - feel free to share your thoughts and experiences, I have a feeling I'll be be revisiting this line for a long time to come and would appreciate more points of view

7.4 → 40 (Liberation), Richmond: The army withdraws. No blame.
Crowley: Retreat is not an error if need be.
Daniels: Keep away from the conflict.

I've had this line when trying to replace a brand new baking sheet that had a defective teflon coating, which only showed up after a month of use. (production moved to china ... cheaply made, consumerism, oh well).

First I tried to return it to the shop - technical expertise - rejection (like I made the hole in the coating, right).
Called the producer/maker directly (it says 5 years warranty for teflon coating on the package) - agreed to exchange for a new one (sent them a photo of the defect and filled a request form).
The new one did arrive - but it had small defects (points) that would later produce the same effect, the coating will peel off in a month.

Ask one more time? 7.4 said Yi.
Asked another - same story.
Asked for a silicon form instead - that one was good (thank God, still made in EU).
The lady in the office was kind and even let me hold onto the 2nd sheet. (will go into garbage anyways).

So the battle was pointless (new sheet will be prone to defects), but I did get an additional silicone form out of it.


There were some other questions where I received that line, and for me it means not losing a battle, but rather not starting it at all. The general surveys the land, looks at the opponent and decides not to tempt fate. Kinda like 33.4 and 24.4 along with 6.4, where the decision is made voluntary.

a) In my experience, I read that line as "protect your flank". You do need to form your army, and keep it ready. But not in an offesive position but a defensive one. Then, if you lead well, you can even won the war before it starts (by means of truce, treaty, procrastination, peace, or any other way); but if a peaceful solution can't be achieved, then you won't be defeated with an attack by surprise.

b) I think it can be misleading to translate "an army camping at the left" as "an army in retreat"; an army camping at the left is not retreating but standing by in a protective line, protecting the flank and ready to enter into the battle if/when needed.

I have a feeling I'll be be revisiting this line for a long time to come and would appreciate more points of view

Click to expand...

Harmen's translation notes may be of interest if you haven't seen them. Here they are for 7.4

http://www.yjcn.nl/wp/hexagram-7-line-4/

7.4, Harmen:
The army is stationed at the left (the assisting/protecting side).
No curse from the ancestors.

Interesting! It does change the meaning quite a bit.

Looked up Takashima's version, it supports Harmen's words:
Negative IV. An army encamps on a retired position ; it is free from evils.
Interpretation. An army is free from evils, when it encamps on a retired position,
because it does not overstep the limits of propriety.

I received 7.4 / 40 a lot of times before my brokeup. The answer was clear. Retreat of the army.. release..don't fight..

I hadn't seen Harmen's notes, thanks!

rodaki said:

... I mostly see this left-side way as linked to divination too, to a more, say, 'unorthodox'(?) way of approaching decision making processes ...

Click to expand...

Hi, Dora:

With all the respect that Harmen deserves, I like more your unorthodox point of view.

An almost literal translation of 4.7:
(1) See also annotation at the foot, each character is polysemic.

7.4
7.5 ends so:

長子帥師。弟子輿尸。貞凶。
zhang3 zi3 shuai4 shi1. di4 zi3 yu2 shi1. zhen1 xiong1
ELDER SONS COMMAND EXPERTS, YOUNGER BROTHERS CARRY CORPSES. OMEN HORIBLE!

Some Very Important Persons command troops of financial experts for picking up very expensive credits.
Troops of less important people pick up the dead bodies, which is horible

Much people dies as consequence of foolish decisions adopted at high levels.
To «pick up the deads» also means to pay to financial vultures the high costs of the good, right, orthodox decisions.

This line is also interesting in relation with the GAMELESS FIELD, but that's another story ...

All the best,

Charly

______________________________
(1) Annotation:

師 shī teacher / master / expert / model / army division / (old) troops / to dispatch troops.

左 zuǒ left / the Left (politics) / east / unorthodox / queer / wrong / differing / opposite / variant of 佐[zuǒ].

次 cì: next in sequence / second / the second (day, time etc) / secondary / vice- / sub- / infra- / inferior quality / substandard / order / sequence / hypo- (chemistry) / classifier for enumerated events: time.

无 wú: not to have / no / none / not / to lack / un- / -less.
咎 jiù: fault / to blame / to punish / calamity / misfortune.

(Annotated with Mandarin Spot: https://mandarinspot.com/annotate)

Ch.

Charly! great feedback, thanks! The part about carrying the financial weight made my hair stand. No time to look at it deeper right now but I'll do so later today - the 7.4 reading might actually be linked to the 32.4, but in a rather roundabout way, I'd love to read how you see them related though

rodaki said:

Keeping in mind that this is the Yi we're talking about, I have found the heart meaning useful as in showing me a more compassionate approach to the battlefield, not only counting on the strong 'soldiers' marching along, but also caring for those 'fallen', injured parts that need to be rescued and looked after

Click to expand...

I just got this line after asking Yi
"What do I need to do to heal my spirit (heart)?"
and my therapist's recent admonition came to mind:
"the only way to stop this reactivity is to be with those parts of yourself that are reacting, without judgment"

she has been encouraging me to remember I don't have to respond to people who try to get my attention for arguments, problems, etc.

I have been struggling with letting others 'troll' me, getting distracted and pulled off course by the insecurities and problems of my partner, my family's expectations, all sorts of external pulls. It feels like a war to be myself, as if they have 'hooks' in me. This was an unexpected line from Yi but this insight makes sense, especially with the connotation of archers (fighting at a distance). I have also pulled 7 in various formations as core advice in the past few months, and found Hilary's commentary about this hex helpful - that it can be about a need for a unifying inner force (general) to lead and discipline aspects of the self.

The Daniels tranlation would back this up: "Keep away from the conflict."

I am taking this as advice that disengaging in individual battles may lead to longer term success. To tend to these 'fallen' inner parts, protective distance may be the best strategy. Rather than full retreat (exiting relationships completely) or offensives that will only lead to a casualties on both sides situation (think 5 of Swords in the tarot).

A mythic interpretation for Line 7.4:

There once was an army called 'Plowed-fields-above-deep-waters” (the trigrams for Hex. 7 are Earth above, Water below). Their general asked the diviner if they were camped in the most opportune place. The diviner consulted the Yi and replied: