Meaning of 54.2 to 51 for me

[simkhan]

Hello,
I wanted an answer to my predicament as to whether to stay with my long time partner for 15 plus years or leave. We both feel let down greatly by each other and are unable to let go of our feelings and feel the harm caused is more by staying. But leaving could worsen health problems and mental stress in my partner as there is no other caretaker and this has always been a concern. The question I asked was "Could you please help me with knowing my future if I stay". I asked this to understand if it would cause me harm to stay or harm if I leave. I am in great dilemma as there are children involved as I don't want the family to break but I feel unable to express myself at all.

 

[Trojina]

I think it's quite a low key answer

'With one eye, can see.
Harvest in the constancy of shadow people.'

I think this is continuing on regardless. Times are hard, one can't see well, one can sometimes barely see the truth but there's one eye, enough to keep oneself continuing on.

Low key in the sense that sometimes it's okay to live in shadows, to be true to oneself at least even in the shadows.

You're in hexagram 54, you aren't much in control of how things go and shocks (51 relating hexagram) have put you at a disadvantage and yet it says there's 'harvest in the constancy of shadow people'. Shadow people, people without status or name or position, people working quietly, often people trying to get through life in hard times, especially people who just put one step in front of the other, do what they can even though they cannot see long term outcomes. There's 'harvest' there's some profit in being like that though it's not hugely happy it's a way through the times.

The question I asked was "Could you please help me with knowing my future if I stay". I asked this to understand if it would cause me harm to stay or harm if I leave. I am in great dilemma as there are children involved as I don't want the family to break but I feel unable to express myself at all.

My own sense of it is it's better to stay. You're in a state of shock (51) and you can't see how things will be yet and it seems better to just be like a shadow person, (most translations say 'widow' I think) and accept you can't see the whole picture (one eye) so just work on going forward with the bit of the picture you can see. Don't worry how about how obscure things seem right now. Also don't worry you cannot get a sense of perspective on your situation, you can't see, you have one eye and that's okay now.

If staying is intolerable to you it's another matter but you actually asked about the future if you stayed and that is what I see for that.

 

[rosada]

Hello Sinkhan and welcome to onlineclarity! Before going into your reading I'm wondering if you have checked out WikiWing? It gives interpretations and real life experiences for the hexagrams and the individual lines. Your situation seems to particularly fit with what people have posted over there about 54.2, which is the line that reads, "A one-eyed man who is able to see. The perseverance of a solitary man furthers."
I think that mirrors your feeling like the Marrying Maiden here - disappointed in the partnership yet not seeing a viable alternative and thus it's better to continue persevering even as you inwardly feel alone.
51.The Arousing advises getting your life in order as there may be unexpected events on the horizon.

 

[simkhan]

I think it's quite a low key answer

'With one eye, can see.
Harvest in the constancy of shadow people.'

I think this is continuing on regardless. Times are hard, one can't see well, one can sometimes barely see the truth but there's one eye, enough to keep oneself continuing on.

Low key in the sense that sometimes it's okay to live in shadows, to be true to oneself at least even in the shadows.

You're in hexagram 54, you aren't much in control of how things go and shocks (51 relating hexagram) have put you at a disadvantage and yet it says there's 'harvest in the constancy of shadow people'. Shadow people, people without status or name or position, people working quietly, often people trying to get through life in hard times, especially people who just put one step in front of the other, do what they can even though they cannot see long term outcomes. There's 'harvest' there's some profit in being like that though it's not hugely happy it's a way through the times.

My own sense of it is it's better to stay. You're in a state of shock (51) and you can't see how things will be yet and it seems better to just be like a shadow person, (most translations say 'widow' I think) and accept you can't see the whole picture (one eye) so just work on going forward with the bit of the picture you can see. Don't worry how about how obscure things seem right now. Also don't worry you cannot get a sense of perspective on your situation, you can't see, you have one eye and that's okay now.

If staying is intolerable to you it's another matter but you actually asked about the future if you stayed and that is what I see for that.

Thank you so much for the perspective. I have always been feeling that I should stay and my life's meaning is to just be and support my partner in his journey. I'm in an extremely bad space right now and feel both responsible for the situation as well as disrespected, misunderstood, and alone. I also am scared about the widow translation. What does that mean for me in this reading?

 

[simkhan]

Hello Sinkhan and welcome to onlineclarity! Before going into your reading I'm wondering if you have checked out WikiWing? It gives interpretations and real life experiences for the hexagrams and the individual lines. Your situation seems to particularly fit with what people have posted over there about 54.2, which is the line that reads, "A one-eyed man who is able to see. The perseverance of a solitary man furthers."
I think that mirrors your feeling like the Marrying Maiden here - disappointed in the partnership yet not seeing a viable alternative and thus it's better to continue persevering even as you inwardly feel alone.
51.The Arousing advises getting your life in order as there may be unexpected events on the horizon.

Thank you Rosada for the response. I haven't checked out Wikiwing. I'm new to this. Will check it out. I agree with your response that I must persevere - that's the sense I get when I'm calmer. Again I'm very worried and clueless about how to get my life in order and the gloom that's hovering of unexpected events.

 

[Trojina]

Again I'm very worried and clueless about how to get my life in order and the gloom that's hovering of unexpected events.

Please don't worry - the reading is not telling you to get your life in order and it definitely isn't telling you about unexpected events to come.

51 is the relating hexagram and as most people here know is not a prediction of the future but the environment and backdrop to the situation, the whole ambience. Sometimes that may include elements of the future or the past but it is a mistake to read the relating hexagram as a future prediction.

For each line Hilary writes in wiki her ideas about how that line connects to the relating hexagram. Here for 54.2 for example she writes

54 zhi Hexagram 51, the Marrying Maiden's Shock. Often a 'marriage' that isn't what you'd hoped for, so that you feel disappointed or abandoned. Hermit's constancy, stillness at the heart of the storm, looking to Hexagram 52. The hermit is like 51's priest with the sacred ladle - not reacting to loss (fan yao, 51.2), not reacting to not being able to fix everything.

Now, especially with one line that change line takes precedence over other aspects of the reading. The relating hexagram here describes where/how the experience of 54.2 has arisen from. Shocks can blind one, throw one off balance.


So you definitely do not need to take 51 here as any kind of warning to put your life in order. I disagree with Rosada on that and her belief that the relating hexagram is a prediction of the future.

The point of this reading is to worry less NOT worry more.

 

[rosada]

I think you can't go wrong interpreting the image for 51. "The superior man sets his life in order and examines himself" (Wilhelm) as advice to do very practical things to be more organized. Clean out the junk drawer, make up a grocery list, record your passwords where you wont lose them and then move on to the bigger stuff - bringing your passport up to date and making out wills - and while the clutter is being reduced you'll find your mind automatically shifting into a calm focused mode no matter the surrounding chaos and no longer stressing about what might have been or what the future could be. Once your outer affairs are in order you'll be able to examine your inner motivations much more clearly too and once you really understand why you are doing what you're doing in your marriage (keeping your word to stay together and providing a home for your children?) I think you'll find you are not only strengthened to persevere but also much less worried about any potential unexpected events - anything from deciding it really is better for everyone to separate or discovering - shock! - a workable way to stay.