What will be the gift?

[usilser]

I have my birthday soon... My question was about the gift that my partner is going to give me. Just curious...

What will be his gift?
49. 2. 3. 5 to 54
I don't like hexagram 54 at all.
When the day of my birthday comes (line 2) there will be talk between us (line 3) the gift will be obvious (line 5) but nothing special or I won't feel important from his gift to me, it will be something subordinate (hexagram 54).

I don't like the answer at all. Any ideas what the gift will be, any interpretation?

 

[diamanda]

Some leather product, second hand. He will have to haggle for it for a few days to bring the price down maybe, You'll get a second best gift,

 

[Freedda]

One name for hexagram 49 is "Renewing what has become Old." I wonder then, is the Yi's response more about your relationship and much less about a specific gift? I say this in part because of your own words and assumptions about the gift (re: what you think your partner's feelings are towards you?): " ... nothing special ... won't feel important ... something subordinate ..."

So maybe it is a time to look at how your relationship might need to be renewed? Some old skin which needs to be shed? Maybe that's the gift.

If that feels right, what I get from the lines is that you should find a 'proper' time to work on this, for example, not trying to do it while either of you is at work or otherwise engaged. It also may take a few tries ("talk of change has circled three times") - don't rely on the first interaction to complete it. And that this may mean a large (tiger) transformation on one or both of your parts: it may not mean breaking up, but somehow getting to a place where the relationship doesn't make either of you feel unimportant.

The related Hexagram 54 may be a caution to not settle too quickly on a solution that just feels good or is superficial, but instead to look for one that includes more substantial change than little sister's rather hasty marriage. It is a caution against compromising too much or compromising on the essentials (but as social creatures, we need to compromise to some extent) - to not "settle too early for less."

But again, this is only my take on it. Best, David.