new take on 44 unchanging

[seethis]

I wonder whether it is time for me to accept a new take on 44. I read contributions by women on this forum, advocating a positive interpretation of this hexagram and I am asking myself what this means for me as a bloke. I feel quite relieved recognising that I don't need to do anything when asking what I should do in order to meet with her since she would come to meet me when ready. All I need to do is to keep myself independent and in this way two independent spirits can meet freely and inspire each other. This means that I have to work on my independence which increases the chance to meet her. However, sounds easier said than done but is still good!

 

[rosada]

Not sure what your question is here, Seethis. When you say "her" are you referring to a specific person or do you mean something more general, like, "How can I meet the girl for me?" If you are asking in the general sense, I think the Image of 44 gives good advice: the prince acts like the wind blowing everywhere "when disseminating his commands and proclaiming them to the four quarters of heaven." In other words, play the field.

If you are asking about a specific person I think the answer is not so positive as it may be hinting that you should play the field rather than focusing on this one girl.

 

[sammy]

Get in touch with your inner woman, man.

S

 

[seethis]

I asked about a specific person and I while i saw 44 in the past as a rather frivolous (all the temptation stuff, a bit like Eve with the apple) hexagram I have changed my perception and now see it as a wake up call for emanicipation (It was possibly originally meant like this but the metaphors are not working anymore these days). It is about an independent woman who steps in from the bottom (low) to confront all 5 yang lines. It is a negative perception that she is giving herself away easily but rather one of confidence and independence to challenge their socially contructed dominance. I find this reassuring and it challanges me to recognise her as a very interesting person who is hopefully looking for independence in men as well rather than trying to subjugate them with female intrigues (old negative metaphor of IG). The latter is a very male/patronising perception, a metaphoric approach which leads to misinterpretation in our times.
I don't understand what sammy means with "inner woman". I am a man, inside and outside. Perhaps you mean inner man, misconceived as an inner woman?

 

[themis]

By getting in touch with your 'inner woman' I believe Sammy's implying tune into your feminine
side which is your intuition. Your instincts/gut will lead you in the right direction.

 

[seethis]

I find the concept feminine side and masculine side approach wrong. My intuition is not feminine at all but this doesn't mean I am not in touch with it. I find the whole metapher business with feminine and masculine misleading. Why should Yin be feminine and Yang masculine. This is highly artificial since value orientations are attached to it which are socially contructed on false persumptions, like feminine = weak, masculine = strong, feminine = dark, masculine = light, etc... I begin to find this highly unsatisfying and misleading. Hexagram 44 is a prime example of this, and so is hexagram 24 where the "strong" line comes in from below which is supposedly "positive". Most "negative" hexagrams in the IG seem to have this problem. It comes from a society which shrunk women's feet in order to make them more atractive to men. It is old fashioned and completely outdated to use such metaphors in order to find guidance for inner processes, for men and women, on equal footing.

 

[rosada]

If you substitute "unconscious instincts" for "maiden" in 44. Coming to Meet you get some interesting insights:

"Coming to meet. The unconscious instincts are powerful.
One should not marry (empower) unconscious instincts."

In other words, don't be swept off your feet. You think you want something but you don't even know what it is or why you are wanting it. If this person is not showing you any attention or is not treating you with respect you should ask yourself why you are pulled towards such a woman.
The solution is to make yourself more conscious here. Be very sensitive like the wind blowing about and shift course with the slightest shift in feeling. Don't ignore any signals that you may be moving too fast.

Rosada

 

[mariah kaze]

I find the concept feminine side and masculine side approach wrong. ... It comes from a society which shrunk women's feet in order to make them more atractive to men. It is old fashioned and completely outdated to use such metaphors in order to find guidance for inner processes, for men and women, on equal footing.

Hex 44 Coming to Meet Sometimes just means that you will meet someone who has a powerful inner presence - someone who already knows who they are - could be a man or a woman - and the meeting will affect you in a way that you will go inside yourself to find your own power as a result of this meeting. Coming to meet is positive if the results of your inner meeting help you to be more aware of the work you need to do on yourself. I once got this Hex and then had a minor car wreck so it does not always mean a romantic liaison, it more often means a "sudden realization" of a weakness or lack within us and a new course of work on our issues. The inner presence of the "woman" shows us what to work on next.

While I have been a feminist most of my life, I think your statement denies reality and a much more widespread dichotomy than the Chinese cultural influences. None of the ancient religions valued women except for the Greeks and Romans who tended to give women great powers for evil. From these societies came the ideas for Wiccan and Lesbos practices.

Some of the social controversy over equality for women and empowerment for women is an attempt to negate the fact that there are inherent differences in our energies and that when society is balanced, so are those energies and you're correct in saying that the feminine powers have been devalued. But to deny the difference between masculine and feminine and make it "the same" fails as well to utilize those energies properly.

Masculine and feminine are facts. Look around you: there are men and there are women and this is the situation in the cosmos as far as we know. Instead of these two forces being opposites, they are as the symbol for I Ching shows us, reflections of one another. The mirror of each other, so to speak. For each of us and for the world to be in balance we need to, I agree, value both energies equally and promote understanding of both equally, not deny the existence of the observable reality. Women the world over are struggling for equality and fair treatment. We won't get it by denying that women are different than men in their function and contributions to life and society. Equality will be achieved when masculine and feminine are balanced, not when one negates the other, IMHO.

Coming to Meet - get your issues over women straitened out .... :bows:

 

[knotxx]

it could in a quite literal reading (I can be pretty literal) mean you and she are going to have sex, I guess. My own experience with 44 unchanging is that it refers to very intense but brief encounters or engagements, usually fruitful ones (for example, when I only have a half hour to work on a given project, but I dig in really deeply and get a lot one in that half hour).

 

[sooo]

I wonder whether it is time for me to accept a new take on 44. I read contributions by women on this forum, advocating a positive interpretation of this hexagram and I am asking myself what this means for me as a bloke. I feel quite relieved recognising that I don't need to do anything when asking what I should do in order to meet with her since she would come to meet me when ready. All I need to do is to keep myself independent and in this way two independent spirits can meet freely and inspire each other. This means that I have to work on my independence which increases the chance to meet her. However, sounds easier said than done but is still good!

I think this is an excellent rendition of your reading. Your display or 'vibe' feels like 44 too, btw.

Another way to figure out these paradoxical hexagrams is to work - starting from how the time or moment feels, how you feel, and looking at the hexagram from there. This is especially so for 44. If you know how 44 feels, then you understand 44. Determining how it fits into your particular scenario, that uses logic and association. That's the prince, who issues commands. The bitch is the inspiration he needs to get off his lazy butt and do something with those feelings. That's the creative potential side, which isn't to be confused with the word "good". Or "bad".

 

[Trojina]

I wonder whether it is time for me to accept a new take on 44. I read contributions by women on this forum, advocating a positive interpretation of this hexagram and I am asking myself what this means for me as a bloke. I feel quite relieved recognising that I don't need to do anything when asking what I should do in order to meet with her since she would come to meet me when ready. All I need to do is to keep myself independent and in this way two independent spirits can meet freely and inspire each other. This means that I have to work on my independence which increases the chance to meet her. However, sounds easier said than done but is still good!

as a woman on this forum I actually don't think the woman in 44 has much significance except as a symbol of something tempting/intrusive, like sexual thoughts, that can potentially derail you. It may be creative derailment...or it may not be. To associate 44 with a 'strong woman' in the feminist sense I always thought was a complete misunderstanding. She merely stands for something that enters your life powerfully, seductively but can as easily distract you from you main goal as inspire you...I don't think it has anything at all to do with 'connecting to your inner woman' .

As others have said its often referring to short lived episodes..that kind of 'jump start' your life...sometimes creatively, sometimes destructively

 

[seethis]

Thanks for all your intelligent replies - this is very much appreciated! I try to keep my update as short and to the point as possible. I realise that men and women are different in nature and that this has an impact on how we want to act instinctively. I agree, my angry critique of the symbolic classification of the IG is a rationalisation of my own weakness while I was struggling for independence in the face of ~ 44. It do now realise that it is not about the particular woman I want to meet but about my own "inner women", as one of you actually pointed out. Well, to admit this does not come and it does indead not mean an alledged feminine side but rather the image of the woman I contruct as a man, especially when the "object of desire" doesn't want to be available but claims independence for herself. This is a theme I get over and over again, also with other hexagrams. So, in a way, I was instinctively right to say that it was about me having to stay independent in the face of # 44 and that this would increase increase my chance to meet this specific good woman.

 

[seethis]

Sorry about my typos but I hope it is still clear what I am trying to say. I would also like to add, that doing the IG can also become part of the weakness to get control over a desired object, a kind of a valve to release tension and in this sense the IG can potentially be like the woman describe in # 44 - hey, how is that?

 

[staceyap]

I too have struggled with 'Hex 44' This time as an outcome from the first Hexagram of 'Hex 34' changing lines 1, 5 and 6. I am a M to F transexual. I fell in love with a lesbian on FB. Its been 14 months now. We talk alot on FB and a little by e-mail. She says she will only meet me and live with me once I have had my SRS op. Im still not sure what 'Hex 44' means for me but the comments here have helped me a little to understand. Its difficult cos still she sits in my heart and I am no nearer. People say I let my heart get between my brain and her but she is all I ever wanted. It certainly means that she and this whole continuous event in my life is making me get of my arse and take action to raise the £30,000 or so for the op and other operations I need. Certainly she is a VERY strong woman and very attractive and will do what she wants. Yet lots of men and women have multiple partners. its not evil. But yes it does hurt me. She says she loves me, she says she adores me. Anyway, obviously I could say lots more but you do not want an essay. Thank you for reading this and Thank you to everyone who posted too.

 

[bradford]

I wonder whether it is time for me to accept a new take on 44. I read contributions by women on this forum, advocating a positive interpretation of this hexagram and I am asking myself what this means for me as a bloke. I feel quite relieved recognising that I don't need to do anything when asking what I should do in order to meet with her since she would come to meet me when ready. All I need to do is to keep myself independent and in this way two independent spirits can meet freely and inspire each other. This means that I have to work on my independence which increases the chance to meet her. However, sounds easier said than done but is still good!

Like the majority of people, you are missing the entire point of the hexagram because you are overreacting to the use of the woman as a metaphor.

 

[precision grace]

Like the majority of people, you are missing the entire point of the hexagram because you are overreacting to the use of the woman as a metaphor.

but I don't think he is missing the point given his actual enquiry. He may be missing the point if he is to apply his new understanding in a generic way to all 44 casts, but in the reference to his question about this specific woman, I have a hunch he may be on track.

How do we find out??

 

[bradford]

What part of 勿用取女 is so hard to understand?

 

[precision grace]

What part of 勿用取女 is so hard to understand?

Hilarious!

Maybe Yi counsels him to be gay? (no use taking female)