hex. 54 (Memorizing the I Ching)

[rosada]

THE LINES

Nine at the beginning means:
The marrying maiden as a concubine.
A lame man who is able to tread.
Undertakings bring good fortune.

The princes of ancient China maintained a fixed order of rank among the court ladies, who were subordinated to the queen as are younger sisters to the eldest. Frequently they came from the family of the queen, who herself led them to her husband.

The meaning is that a girl entering a family with the consent of the wife will not rank outwardly as the equal of the latter but will withdraw modestly into the background. However, if she understands how to fit herself into the pattern of things, her position will be entirely satisfactory, and she will feel sheltered in the love of the husband to whom she bears children.

The same meaning is brought out in the relationship between officials. A man may enjoy the personal friendship of a prince and be taken into his confidence. Outwardly this man must keep tactfully in the background behind the official ministers of state, but, although he is hampered by this status, as if he were lame, he can nevertheless accomplish something through the kindliness of his nature.
-Wilhelm

 

[my_key]

54.1 - Nigel Richmond's take on this line is - She marries but not fully, he walks but not fully. It is better to have this partial movement than none. It is better to participate in what is on offer than to live in our images of what ought to be on offer.

So something like - we may not like what it is going on around us, but let's look to get the best out of the situation that we can. We sort of see what is going on around us but can't yet shape it to be exactly how we would like. Being positive about what we have rather than wishing for something that we have yet to get. It's about noticing what is the big picture and seeing the silver lining in every cloud.

Mike

 

[rosada]

54.1 changes to 40. Deliverance

Perhaps this has something to do with seeing and accepting the reality of one's situation, and not being trapped in false hope.

I think of the Bob Dylan lyric,
"I see my life come shinning,
From the west down to the east.*
Any day now, any day now,
I shall be released."

* "The eternity of the end is suggested by the trigram Chen, which comes forth in the east (spring) and reaches the end of activity in the west (autumn), in accordance with fixed laws. At that moment the death-dealing power of autumn, which destroys all transient beings, becomes active. Through knowledge of these laws, one reaches those regions which are beyond beginning and end, birth and death." Wilhelm.

 

[rosada]

54.1
"The marrying maiden as a concubine," because that gives duration.
"A lame man who is able to tread. Good fortune," because they receive each other.

This line is at the bottom, in an inferior position.

Furthermore, it is in the trigram Tui, the youngest daughter; hence the idea of a concubine.

Tui, the youngest daughter, is weak in relation to the eldest son (just as Tui is weak in relation to Ch'ien in hexagram 10, Lu, TREADING, in which the image of a lame, one-eyed man also occurs).

The lowest line stands for the foot, hence the idea of a lame man, because there is no relation to the fourth line.

"Receive each other" means that the first line is in the relationship of receiving to the second, serving the latter line as well as the fifth; therefore it is able to accomplish something indirectly at least, and advance.
-Wilhelm

 

[charly]

... In any case, 54 bodes "misfortune". Being secondary. One can't do anything. Not a good answer, no matter how much one can try to gloss over it.

Hi, Diamanda:

I don't trust in fixed meanings and, in this case, I believe that H.54 is maybe advicing by warning, see:

歸 gui1: to go back / to return / marrying
妹 mei4: younger sister / maiden / girl / loved
征 zheng1: to attack / to exit in war / to proceed
凶 xiong1: fierce / terrible / ominous / unfortunate

无 wu2: without / not / no
攸 you1: distant / far / very
利 li4: advantage / benefit / profit
​

an almost literal translation:

MARRYING LOVED-GIRL
When the loved girl is marrying

TO ATTACK (IS) OMINOUS
To exit in war is unfortunate

NOT VERY PROFITABLE
by far it would be of no profit
​

The ominous isn't the general omen, but to exit in war when it's time of love, the omen of a bride is always possitive.

Then, DO NOT MAKE WAR, and things will go smooth!
​

A totally gorgeous film!

And 54, no matter what way one looks at it:
one is not, and can never become, the "only one" for the other person.
... No matter how important the concubine, or the empress, there will always be others.

As you say, always, always, always there is somebody better or stronger than us, somebody that do things better or that has a taller brother than us.

About what is the YI speaking? First of all about US. WE are that sort of little concubines always exposed to the strenght and wish of other, there is no difference between genres, all we are the same.

(to be continued)

All the best.

Charly

 

[diamanda]

an almost literal translation:

MARRYING LOVED-GIRL
When the loved girl is marrying

TO ATTACK (IS) OMINOUS
To exit in war is unfortunate

NOT VERY PROFITABLE
by far it would be of no profit
​

The ominous isn't the general omen, but to exit in war when it's time of love, the omen of a bride is always possitive.

Then, DO NOT MAKE WAR, and things will go smooth!
​

As you say, always, always, always there is somebody better or stronger than us, somebody that do things better or that has a taller brother than us.

About what is the YI speaking? First of all about US. WE are that sort of little concubines always exposed to the strenght and wish of other, there is no difference between genres, all we are the same.

(to be continued)

All the best.

Charly

Hi Charly,
I agree, there's always someone better or stronger etc, and that's not a problem.
Perhaps my phrasing was too generalised.
I was thinking more of 54 as a relationship hexagram, as a 'couple's' hexagram.
And in my experience and opinion, i have not, so far, witnessed 54 to be about 'love'
('love' as in the 'traditional love' between two - only! - equally devoted partners).
Then again, there's a time for 'traditional love', and there's a time for compromises.
All depending on situation and circumstances.

(to be continued)

Please do, awaiting further comments

 

[rosada]

Are the marrying maiden and the lame man in line one the girl and her older brother? Is this the older brother leading his younger to the man she is going to marry? I know line one is about what happens BEFORE we get into the drama of the hexagram so is this line depicting the scene before she becomes a member of the new household?
r.

 

[my_key]

Are the marrying maiden and the lame man in line one the girl and her older brother? Is this the older brother leading his younger to the man she is going to marry? I know line one is about what happens BEFORE we get into the drama of the hexagram so is this line depicting the scene before she becomes a member of the new household?
r.

Hi Rosada
My feeling is that this is much more symbolic and he is not the older brother.
A lame man is one who cannot walk without limping. He is fettered by his own limitations, the limitations of the physical. He is the yang who is not yet able to take the lead. In line one I see it as it's not just the BEFORE, it's the what is waiting in the wings to step onto centre stage. The loved young girl is in transition from maiden to wife, currently as a concubine. Concubines are neither fish nor fowl. The pure essence of the situation, the full manifestation into the role of wife, (a mature position) is not ready to happen. She needs to be helped, but the help to do this is fettered. She is unable to step forth yet...... so making the most of what she has is the best option. To exit in war is unfortunate.... Why fight a battle when there is no need to?.

Mike


Mike

 

[charly]

Hi Rosada
My feeling is that this is much more symbolic and he is not the older brother.
A lame man is one who cannot walk without limping. He is fettered by his own limitations, the limitations of the physical. He is the yang who is not yet able to take the lead. In line one I see it as it's not just the BEFORE, it's the what is waiting in the wings to step onto centre stage. The loved young girl is in transition from maiden to wife, currently as a concubine. Concubines are neither fish nor fowl. The pure essence of the situation, the full manifestation into the role of wife, (a mature position) is not ready to happen. She needs to be helped, but the help to do this is fettered. She is unable to step forth yet...... so making the most of what she has is the best option. To exit in war is unfortunate.... Why fight a battle when there is no need to?.

Mike

Mike:

I believe that sometimes things are not what they seem. A lame or a blind are of course persons with physical limitations but they are also persons with a special mark in the body. Folk wisdom thinks that this people have in turn some special powers, say magic powers. Among greeks, lames used to be healers. Shamans have all sort of marks in the body. Blind people is believed that have more sharp ear or even that they are clairvoyant.

Here I believe that LAME has the sense of CONSULTANT, the person that doesn't know what path to follow.

The word 娣di4 usually translated as CONCUBINE means YOUNGER SISTER / SISTER IN LAW, by Legge was translated as VIRGIN (in the Odes, not in the Changes).


I, like you, think that GUI MEI needs support and that's why she ought to do the first steps looking for advice and support. She must do as any son of neighbor and ask for help, as a lame. ASK THE ORACLE.

And that's why the Yi adds:
征zheng1: to attack / to proceed / to go boldy
吉ji2: lucky / fortunate

And of course, the BLIND THAT CAN SEE is a DIVINER, or the ORACLE itself.

I believe.

Yours.

Charly

 

[my_key]

Mike:

I believe that sometimes things are not what they seem. A lame or a blind are of course persons with physical limitations but they are also persons with a special mark in the body. Folk wisdom thinks that this people have in turn some special powers, say magic powers. Among greeks, lames used to be healers. Shamans have all sort of marks in the body. Blind people is believed that have more sharp ear or even that they are clairvoyant.

Here I believe that LAME has the sense of CONSULTANT, the person that doesn't know what path to follow.

The word 娣di4 usually translated as CONCUBINE means YOUNGER SISTER / SISTER IN LAW, by Legge was translated as VIRGIN (in the Odes, not in the Changes).


I, like you, think that GUI MEI needs support and that's why she ought to do the first steps looking for advice and support. She must do as any son of neighbor and ask for help, as a lame. ASK THE ORACLE.

And that's why the Yi adds:
征zheng1: to attack / to proceed / to go boldy
吉ji2: lucky / fortunate

And of course, the BLIND THAT CAN SEE is a DIVINER, or the ORACLE itself.

I believe.

Yours.

Charly

Hi Charly

The lame man scenario makes good sense. People who are handicapped in one sense generally have increased ability in another sense - so the physical handicap is offset by a spiritual enhancement i.e clairvoyance.

So to put a slightly different slant on what I wrote previously. Here at 54.1 the virgin who has picked up the gradual knowledge in 53 is standing at the threshold of a new phase of her life. She is innocent, in the sense of her new ability / understanding / skill has not been used and has not had opportunity to be sullied. Equally she does not know what to do or how to behave. She needs help to see her through this difficult stage. Because she is bound physically that help can best come from her intuition or other consultations with the ORACLE. The lame man is a part of the new maiden, striving to find his feet.

If she follows his intuitive advice then she will be on the right path and will not need to fight other battles. The battles that she might have in the past, before her gradual development, chosen to enter into are not now appropriate and not necessary. Any actions taken based on her new divined insight are good ones to follow.

Thanks for help shaping things. Or is there more?

Mike

 

[maremaria]

Sometime ago I got that line. It was one of the times you want to “run” but due to circumstances you are not able to do it. In that reading, I was confused about who was the lame one, and I assumed that it was the girl. Maybe it not right, reading the post of Mike’s and Charly’s, but that time made sense to me. So, The way I saw it, its about don’t quitting because of the limitations, just remember that things can proceed maybe in a slower pace.

My mom had an accident some days before. Due to some implication, she can’t have a surgery yet. In the midtime, doctors trying something else. It may work, it may not, but for the time being there is not another alternative. That hexagram is in my mind all those days spending in the hospital for many reasons. Currently, she walks a bit, with crunches. Not big deal, maybe but at least she doesn’t feel trapped in a bed.

I like a lot that line and that hexagram too. I got it many times in the past, facing some challenges. Its not really a nice and comfort place to be but since circumstances take you there, You have to give your fight in a smart way. Bruce, in his “Images of Yi” says about that “Dignity is valuable. Living, more so”
Imo, is a great outline of what 54 talks about.

There are sort term difficulties, but there is a long term goal. To reach that long-term goal, Kuei Mei must be brave and act wisely.

Maria

 

[charly]

... about who was the lame one, and I assumed that it was the girl. Maybe it not right, reading the post of Mike’s and Charly’s, but that time made sense to me. ... There are sort term difficulties, but there is a long term goal. To reach that long-term goal, Kuei Mei must be brave and act wisely.
Maria

María:

I like too much the final, GUI MEI, not only PRETTY and LOVED, also BRAVE and WISE.

Do I know somebody like her?

About the LAME, I believe that always represent the consultant, sometimes a girl, sometimes a boy. For both, in using the possibilities that they still have, to proceed is always lucky.

Yours,

Charly

 

[rosada]

Random thoughts..
In astrology we say that the fifth house represents the Loved One but the seventh house represents the Marriage Partner. Therefore it doesn't matter who you marry because no matter who the Loved One is, they will be someone totally different when you wake up in the morning. I think this is an idea that holds true for 54.1 The Marrying Maiden with her oracle. It doesn't matter what she thought was true or who she thought she was following, she will discover that nothing in the outer world connects with her inner beliefs, expectations or values and thus she must keep her head down and listen very closely to her intuitive guidance as that is the only thing that makes sense just now.

In other words, after flying with the angels and being carried off with a flutter or wings and feathers in 53.6, eventually we plop down on El Camino Real. Fantasy over, the maiden is now going to live in this whole new reality. Like hexagram 3 only more so.

If her guide is telling her anything i would expect the advice would be something like,
"As this line shifts to 40, the Forgiveness hexagram, be as non-judgemental as possible."

 

[maremaria]

Charly : Yes , I see the lame-consultant association. My initial confusion , when I received that line was If the girl and the lame man was the same person or two different. To what I conclude was that there is someone who helps (inside us or out there).

Rosada, haven’t though 40 as forgiveness but makes sense. From my experience (limited though) I saw 40 as release . A sense of freedom ( free from confinement). It felt like , there was more fresh air to make breath easier. A 54 situation has a lots of imperfections, Things are not lie we want to be but its important to realize the limitations and feel ok, into this imperfections. Perfectionism has its setbacks. The lame man doesn’t tread at all.

Interesting that here (lines 53.1 and 3) the lame man and the one-eyed man is not that bad because it can result to some progress but in Hex 10.3 is a different situation.

Maria

 

[rosada]

Hi Maremaria - I was connecting hex. 40 with forgiveness because Wilhelm translates the image of 40 as thunder and rain, a thunderstorm that has the effect of clearing the air."The superior man has a similar effect when dealing with mistakes and sins of men that induce a feeling of tension. Through clarity he brings deliverance. When failings come to light, he does not dwell on them. He forgives misdeeds, just as water washes everything away."

Here's a 54.1 story...my husband's back is no fun and today we took a long drive to take my daughter to the airport. On our return trip he wanted to stop at the lumber store. Geez, after this drive he was limping and it was not hard to see him as the lame man barely able to tread! I of course was The Marrying Maiden as concubine, completely out of my element in the lumber store, but we found what we wanted - wood to build my soon to be here grand baby a cradle. I don't know how we can say this led to 40. Deliverance. Hmm, well, he did have total clarity about what he was looking for. In fact, he selected a piece of wood that had a small scratch. He forgave this "misdeed" because it wasn't going to effect the project. So the lame man who was able to tread connected with a not-perfect/lame piece of wood that will suit his purpose just fine. This gives me a new thought on how to approach the hexagrams. Perhaps the first one can represent one's inner attitude and the second one describes how this attitude will be mirrored or what this attitude will attract.
r.

 

[rosada]

54.2
Nine in the second place means:
A one-eyed man who is able to see.
The perseverance of a solitary man furthers.

Here the situation is that of a girl married to a man who has disappointed her. Man and wife ought to work together like a pair of eyes. here the girl is left behind in loneliness; the man of her choice either has become unfaithful or has died. But she does not lose the inner light of loyalty. Though the other eye is gone, she maintains her loyalty even in loneliness.
-Wilhelm

 

[my_key]

Richmond says of 54.2 - Feeling looks both inwards and outwards but here vision is ony on offer inwards so continuing in this is the way to proceed.

The one eyed man? Perhaps what he possess, what he has left, is the all seeing eye. The eye of clairvoyance, of intuition, of feelings to carry on Charly's theme. The solitary man feels the loneliness of what is going on around him in the physical. There is a sense of isolation because what he knew is changing (the man of her choice has become unfaithful or has died) however there is a sense of loyalty to the old habits or ways, because he knows nothing else. Until the help that he is looking for comes from "the consultant".

Maybe this is a period of looking within to see what was the motivations behind old ways and behaviours, a period of reflection allowing things to be seen differently, from a new perspective, so that the new perspective can be embraced internally before it is introduced into the new life.

Hex 54 I've seen expressed as 'Marrying the Maiden' and 'Converting the Maiden'. Maybe if we could establish what is she marrying or marrying into or what she is converting from and to it may help get a better picture around this hex. What thoughts do people have on this?

Mike

 

[sophie]

Hex 54 - Javary and Faure translates Gui Mei as Marriage of the Younger Sister (Mariage de la Cadette), so as to refer directly to the custom of "throwing in" the younger sister of an older girl who is getting married as an extra wife - a kind of "buy one, get one free" system. The younger sister had no power - she was subject to her elder sister, the senior wife. However - this hexagram has a twist in it (line 5) - the "sleeves" in question probably referring to the more fertile womb of the younger wife - which shows that even situations where one is powerless can work out in our favour. This could be the origin of the translating "converting". It almost certainly refers to the Zhou dynasty, which was started by a younger sister giving birth to three sons, whereas her elder sister, the senior wife, gave birth to a still-born child. By becoming the mother of sons, the younger sister completely changed her position and her power.


54.2 - I see this as someone who can see, but only partially, and not enough to be able to assess the situation in its entirety. In that case, it is better to draw back and keep to oneself, out of trouble but persevering. This would definitely be the case of someone in a disadvantageous position, who has no power. Such an attitude would eventually pay off.

 

[rosada]

"The perseverance of a solitary man furthers." The permanent law is not changed.

This line is in the lowest place of the nuclear trigram Li, which means eye. It stands for the relationship of correspondence to the fifth line, which is weak; hence the image of a one-eyed man.
Since the line is strong and central, it is not changed, although the line that belongs to it is weak and not good. It is true that this brings it into darkness and loneliness - it is under the nuclear trigram K'an, abyss, that is, a gloomy valley - but it does not change its attitude toward the law and remains faithful to its duty.
-Wilhelm

 

[rosada]

What do people think of Carol Anthony's ideas? I'm looking at her take on The Marrying Maiden and it is somewhat different from how we have been interpreting it. Interesting.

Few excerpts,
"the "marrying maiden" is used as a metaphor to describe the person who..believes that he must make deals in order to get what he needs in life."

54.1
"Here is pictured someone who has agreed to put herself in the place of a concubine through making a deal to marry a partner who does not wish to grow up (here called a "lame" man)."

54.2
"The 'one-eyed man' can be a metaphor for the person who has made a deal with Fate by accepting his suffering. His deal is based on the idea that if he accepts and endures suffering in his life on earth, he will not have to suffer in the afterlife. The person is described as on-eyed because he can only see the possibility of suffering."

54.3
"He gives himself, regardless of the circumstances, because he thinks it would be unkind to say No."

54.4
"The marrying maiden in this line is a metaphor for the self-image of a 'patient person'".

54.5
"this person has the self-image of being "dependent.'"

54.6
"Doing things for appearance's sake leads to results that are empty of their promise."

--
Well, I don't mean for us to jump ahead and be discussing all the lines at once. I was just wanting to give an overview of her take on The Marrying Maiden, which seems to be that the hexagram is covering all the ways in which we sacrifice our true selves for the sake outer appearances and how this inevitably leads to untenable situations. Specifically I was intrigued by her feeling that the "lame man" is not one's inner knowingness/oracle, but rather someone one might meet when we are ignoring our inner truth. Like when you are in a relationship with someone who is unnecessarily dependent, but to avoid the unpleasantness of confrontation and telling them to grow up or else, you tell yourself, "They need me," (54.1) or "I married 'for better or worse', so I'm a good person for staying even though this isn't working"(54.2)

 

[sophie]

Yes, Carol Anthony is interesting - though more especially when drawing the Yi for self-exploration, which tends to be her focus. However, I think she gets the "arc" of this hexagram wrong, neglecting to see how the situation evolves and how, what started off as describing a sell-out, becomes a more secure and powerful position, before flipping again. In particular, her interpretation of the 4th and 5th lines don't sit right with me.

It's her main weakness, that she sees in the Yi a manual that seems almost solely to chide: oftne, even the encouraging lines that have no caveat in the original she finds a way to turn into a warning! But that said, many of her interpretations are helpful, especially if you need a different perspective - or a kick in the arse .

I do like her interpretation of this line (54.2) and in general of lines 1-3 and 6, and of the general hexagram, but she is so sold to her view of the hexagram as describing a sell-out that she doesn't see where her theory doesn't fit.

 

[my_key]

That's an intersting post Rosada and Sophie.
It's so good that everyone is entitled to make of the hexagram what they will. Hex 54 lies snugly between a place of gradual development and abundance. What are we developing and what is becoming abundant?.
At the end of the gradual development we have grasped a new awareness and we have to go through a transition, a sort of throw out the old and bring in the new period. A conversion of old ways and habits to new and marrying them into our new way of being. I have not read the full Carol Anthony I Ching so can't comment too much here but I do find it difficult to see "sell out". The view of "the "marrying maiden" is used as a metaphor to describe the person who..believes that he must make deals in order to get what he needs in life." I like the idea of personal development in 54 and could certainly see this as stages of a negotiation with the 'shadow' which allow the virginal new self, or an underdeveloped aspect of the self, to become more acquainted with stepping into a lead role. The inner child becomes fuller more rounded allowing new things to be manifest in the world around us (55). But as for a sell out I'm not convinced on this. What are we selling out and to whom?
For me there is still a strong spiritual bent on 53 through to 55 with 54 being an inner focussed transition.
It's sort of the place we are at after a really good summer where the sun has been shining, rain has been falling making all the fruit on the tree grow. We know that there is going to be a good crop. All that can be done has been done and nothing else can change the outcome. This is the stage where we are just waiting to the skin to change colour to signify that the fruit is indeed ripe and we will have a wonderful harvest to pick. We are waiting and just watching the paint dry, feeling the pains of impatience as, already switched to autopilot, the sap and the sunlight are working the final steps of the colour-change dance together.
Is the harvest personal, physical, spiritual, emotional, professional or relationship based. It could be any of these or all of these. But it could equally be none of these. This is the beautiful magic of the IC , so many layers, so many possibilities.

Perhaps........

54.2 - In the land of the blind the one-eyed man is king. His one eye is the source of his power. By keeping his boundary strong he retains his power.

Mike

 

[rosada]

Thanks for this, Sofia. Sometimes seeing someone else's ideas so firmly laid out as Anthony does hers, makes me forget there are other, totally valid ways to interpret the images!

Anyone have any thoughts on how 54.2 changes to 51. Upheaval? I was thinking it could be a warning the person in some sense does not see well and therefore could have an accident. On a spiritual level perhaps the person is ignoring or not seeing parts of his inner nature that will then jump up and shock him when he meets those qualities in the outer world.
r.

 

[rosada]

Just read your post Mike.

I'm thinking the marrying maiden addresses selling-out if you think of this hexagram as describing a situation where someone has gotten themselves into a something and it wasn't what they intended, but they stay with it rather than go through the trama of making changes:

53.6
At the end of 53.6 The seeker and soul mate marry and - supposedly - will now go on to live happily ever after.

54.1
But what happens the next morning after the feathers settle and the prince projection dissolves? We have an ordinary girl, probably not his first choice, marrying an ordinary boy, who himself is far from perfect. If they recognize and forgive their mutual lies, boasts and imperfections they can go straight to 40. Forgiveness and they will indeed create and live happily ever after.

54.2
But what if one pulls a 54.2, hangs on to a bummer, and sees "forgiveness" as a sell out and refuses to settle for less than they feel they are entitled to? Will being loyal to your original vision require ignoring others and thus lead to 51. Calamity/Divorce? Or does 54.2-51 teach how you can live with others as you must to survive while still maintaining your vision for the future?

stay tuned...

 

[rosada]

54.3
#Six in the third place means:
The marrying maiden as a slave.
She marries as a concubine.

A girl who is in a lowly position and finds no husband may, in some circumstances, still win shelter as a concubine.
This pictures the situation of a person who longs too much for joys that cannot be obtained in the usual way. He enters upon a situation not altogether compatible with self-esteem. Neither judgement or warning is added in this line; it merely lays bare the actual situation, so that everyone may draw a lesson from it.

"The marrying maiden as a slave": she is not yet in the appropriate place.

This is a weak line in a strong place, hence not in the appropriate position. Moreover, it stands at the high point of pleasure, hence throws itself away as the lowest type of slave, merely in order to achieve marriage at any cost. In following the nine in the second place, it finds shelter as a concubine.
-Wilhelm

 

[ravenstar]

54.2
Nine in the second place means:
A one-eyed man who is able to see.
The perseverance of a solitary man furthers.

Here the situation is that of a girl married to a man who has disappointed her. Man and wife ought to work together like a pair of eyes. here the girl is left behind in loneliness; the man of her choice either has become unfaithful or has died. But she does not lose the inner light of loyalty. Though the other eye is gone, she maintains her loyalty even in loneliness.
-Wilhelm

Hi Everyone,

It's been awhile! Soon things should calm down a bit and I'll be able to post more.

In regard to Hex. 54.2, I've read all of the posts and find them all quite interesting. In fact, it was difficult to find 1 to quote to, so decided to share my thoughts which may be off the wall.

First, from Caroline Myss…Why People Don’t Heal

"For some of us, our Victim surfaces whenever we are in an intimate relationship. For others our Victim begins to speak every time we are asked for our opinion on something. For still others, our Victim is forever telling us ahead of time what to expect when we get 'there', no matter where 'there' is."

The last part of her statement is quite interesting regarding the Victim telling us ahead of time what to expect. It almost seems to be saying that our emotional bodies arrive at the (future) scene/place before we physically do.....attempting to control that which cannot be controlled. So when we do arrive, physically rejoin with our emotional body, the conflict begins.

We all want to succeed, we all want to win....and if we believe that if we didn't win then w'ere losers.....especially if we didn't get exactly what we wanted, in the way that we wanted it. It can really hurt when we've set our 'eye' on something and we think we've lost the opportunity to be really happy. At this point we don't understand loss or failure and the gift it really is. This could be known as a crisis in consciousness.

54.2 to 51.2 We cannot control the inspiration we receive from the unconscious....if we try to control its power, dissatisfaction will be unavoidable. Intuition, inspiration works best when unlooked for.....it is a hidden potential that when suddenly unleased provides a new way of seeing or appreciating.

Also water can be an element of illusion. So it's important when we get a flash, an insight to not bodly dash forward but to analyze the whole situation.

ravenstar

 

[my_key]

"For some of us, our Victim surfaces whenever we are in an intimate relationship. For others our Victim begins to speak every time we are asked for our opinion on something. For still others, our Victim is forever telling us ahead of time what to expect when we get 'there', no matter where 'there' is."

Hi Janice
Welcome back!! Interesting regarding the bold text that Nigel Richmond comments with respect to 54
"...we usually get into such a situation by having experienced frustration of action at some earlier time and that action still needs expression. At present the circumstances of that challange do not exist so if we act we are out of context."
So perhaps at 54.2 the voice of our victim is wanting to be heard. Staying with him/her in a solitary way looking inward to find the hurt, so that we can heal it when the right time comes.

Then at 54.3 he is saying something like there is too much going on in the outer world. We'd really like to join in with what is going on around us -"we'd like to share the outer activity but cannot (sometimes dare not ) give ourselves up to it." ( Echoes of the barriers erected by the victim speaking again). When the turmoil decreases we can enter into part of the outer activity, but not all of it and not all straight away. Little by little we become a participator in the world of others and our energies have some outlet.

54.3
#Six in the third place means:
The marrying maiden as a slave.
She marries as a concubine.

The maiden rather than being a servant takes the chance to become a concubine. This gives a better standing in the eyes of many but at a cost and she enters upon a situation not altogether compatible with self-esteem.
So the transformation requires a bit of one step forward two steps back or more likely two steps forward one step back.
Mike

 

[ravenstar]

Hi Janice
Welcome back!! Interesting regarding the bold text that Nigel Richmond comments with respect to 54
"...we usually get into such a situation by having experienced frustration of action at some earlier time and that action still needs expression. At present the circumstances of that challange do not exist so if we act we are out of context."
So perhaps at 54.2 the voice of our victim is wanting to be heard. Staying with him/her in a solitary way looking inward to find the hurt, so that we can heal it when the right time comes.

( Echoes of the barriers erected by the victim speaking again). When the turmoil decreases we can enter into part of the outer activity, but not all of it and not all straight away. Little by little we become a participator in the world of others and our energies have some outlet.
Mike

Aw Thanks Mike! It's feels good to be among friends.

Interesting what you wrote on boundaries. Caroline Myss in her book Sacred Contracts, shows the empowered Victim as 'the guardian of our self esteem'. She quotes

"The lessons associated with the Victim archetype demand that you evaluate your relationship to power, particularly in your interactions with people with whom you have control issues and need to construct personal boundaries."

Will share some thoughts of 54.3 later!

ravenstar

 

[ravenstar]

54.3
#Six in the third place means:
The marrying maiden as a slave.
She marries as a concubine.

A girl who is in a lowly position and finds no husband may, in some circumstances, still win shelter as a concubine.
This pictures the situation of a person who longs too much for joys that cannot be obtained in the usual way. He enters upon a situation not altogether compatible with self-esteem. Neither judgement or warning is added in this line; it merely lays bare the actual situation, so that everyone may draw a lesson from it.

"The marrying maiden as a slave": she is not yet in the appropriate place.

This is a weak line in a strong place, hence not in the appropriate position. Moreover, it stands at the high point of pleasure, hence throws itself away as the lowest type of slave, merely in order to achieve marriage at any cost. In following the nine in the second place, it finds shelter as a concubine.
-Wilhelm

I'm still thinking on this line, 54.3. I really believe this whole hexagram, or at least most of it has a huge influence with the 2nd house in astrology. What follows is a workshop offered by Astrologer Lyn Bell. I've attached the whole transcript which discusses ALL the houses but attached the one on the 2nd house for you to look at. It really changes one's outlook on the house! I've bolded some areas which I feel are very connected to the Marrying Maiden as well as Line 3.

http://www.myss.com/CMED/media/transcripts/Bell-Jan-07.asp

The 2nd House by Lyn Bell

Let's go back, the 2nd house has to do with the way that you come into the world and you say, "I like this! This gives me pleasure!" It's a very sensual house; it's a body-related house. It can be a place in which you dive into matter and sensuality. An archetype in this house will help you bring the world to you, it will help you accumulate, it will help you gather substance. Does that make sense?

It will help you feel as if you're a part of this world in a body on a planet. You know, some people are very detached - they might have in this house something like the Monk or Nun. They don't… they're value, what is important to them - what they are gathering is not of this world. That can be a real problem for those who want to get rich. (Laughs)

However, whatever archetype you get in the 2nd house is the one who will bring abundance into your life, and only when you know how to use it and activate it will you be able to feel that you are functioning in an abundant way. So, the 2nd house has this - asks this question - what is this worth to me? What is this worth, and what am I worth?

What do I have that is of worth? Very often, with the 2nd house, you have a first… you live it… all of these things, like the archetypes, as you've been seeing it - everything that's been said about these archetypes, you can live them on one level in the beginning, and on another level later on - like, there are people who collect books and never read them. Anybody here like that? (Laughs)

That really doesn't matter - because in a way, when you do that - you're saying, "This means something to me, this is important to me" you're gathering something to you. Later, again - you absorb this and you become - in the 2nd house - someone who walks on the ground and flowers spring from your footsteps when you live this house in the right way. That's an image of the goddess Aphrodite, by the way. (Repeats) When you walk through this house, and you're in the right relationship with it, flowers spring up from your footsteps. That's Aphrodite, because she has a natural relationship to the 2nd house, it's like being in the relationship with the material world, with your own sense of self and the material world in such a way that there's no resistance to abundance, and things coming into form.

However, if you have entered life in such a way that there are self-esteem issues - okay, this house is a biggie for you, and it will block that natural state of grace and emergence into your life until you use the archetype that falls in this house to find that self-esteem. Does that make sense?

Oh, on the Third Chakra Lynn Bell says.....

And so, the 2nd house is the place where you get that alignment. So, once you have that, then you can go out and start making connections with the world around you. The 3rd house has to do with how we connect, how the mind wakes up - how we communicate, how we exchange with other people, and how we form relationships about those people that we're just bumping into. It rules our brothers and sisters in astrology because our brothers and sisters are those - are the first people we bump into, literally.

Wow! What do ya think about this?

ravenstar

 

[ravenstar]

Something else I was thinking....sorry.....was the Archetypal energy of the Prostitute in comparison with the Marry Maiden.

Again, from another fascinating site http://www.hermeticresearch.org/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=76 it begins the talk of the Prostitute archetype with this...

Conclusion of my series of four original articles based on four archetypes which we can all identify strongly with at particular times in our lives. For further information, visit: www.ihvh.co.uk for articles, poetry, podcasts, interviews and much more.


__________________________________________________________________
In this last in my series of archetype articles I will be examining The Prostitute archetype. Like the other three, this archetype manifests itself in all of our lives at one point or another. In order to better understand the spiritual dimension of The Prostitute, we need to consider the topic in a broad sense and beware of limiting ourselves to the mundane, sexual connotations linked with this archetype.

To better explore how this archetype may manifest itself for you personally, carefully consider your answers to these questions:

Have you ever found yourself agreeing to something that went against your own ethical, moral or spiritual judgment in order to make yourself look better in another person’s eyes?

Have you ever laughed along with a joke that you really found offensive in some way just to “fit in” with the group?

Have you ever taken on a task at work that went against your personal morals for fear of losing your job or the chances of a promotion?

Have you ever taken part in sexual activities that you did not feel totally comfortable with in order to please another person?

All of these are typical examples of The Prostitute in action in our daily lives. Any action or decision which leads to you “selling out” on your own ethical or spiritual code is the work of The Prostitute.

The expressions “selling out” and “selling yourself short” sum up the negative energies that this archetype can bring into play in our lives. You may be surprised to discover just how often you prostitute your own energies in the course of a typical week. Try this exercise:

For the next seven days, be extra aware of any occasions in which you prostitute yourself in any way. Make notes at the end of each day concerning even the smallest incident in which you have sold out on yourself in order to look better, to please somebody, to make yourself feel better in the short term, etc. It probably won’t take long before you will begin to find it very easy to recognise the “flavour” of the energy that this archetype emits. At the end of the seven days, read over all of your journal entries and reflect on how you could have acted differently in those situations in order to better reflect the intentions of your True Self. Consider what your True Self would have done under those circumstances and why.

The Hermetic Research webpage has some wonderful articles! If you click on the link above, you'll get the whole page on the Prostitute Archetype and lots more!

ravenstar