What would vervain like known about it's spirit? 51.6 to 21

[Laurengoodey]

Hi everyone,
I'm studying herbalism and part of my course involves creating plant profiles for each plant i study. I decided each time i study a plant in depth to ask the i ching this question: What would X (the plant) like known about it's spirit?
I have done a similar reading for yarrow and got an incredibly insightful reading, but now i am doing vervain, and I'm a little bit stuck on how to understand the second hexagram.

The question: What would vervain like known about it's spirit?
The answer: 51.6 to 21 / Hexagram 51 (shock) with moving line 6, moving to hexagram 21 (biting through)

The first hexagram makes a lot of sense to me, vervain is a plant that works incredibly effectively with the nervous system, the stalks even look like lightning! So it makes sense to me that vervain would like known that it works with shock / creates shock / provides a still centre when shock arises.

The moving line seems to link to this, suggesting that vervain is the place of stillness, but i'd love any interpretations of this changing line!

Now when it comes to the second hexagram, I'm just a bit lost! Perhaps this is how vervains spirit is: determined and persistent?! i just can't seem to get anywhere further with this part of the reading, and i feel a bit blocked. So i'd love to hear any thoughts anyone has!

Thank you!!

 

[dfreed]

The question: What would vervain like known about it's spirit?
The answer: 51.6 to 21

Welcome. A question I have for clarification: are you asking:

"what is it vervain knows about it's own spirit - that would also be good for me to know?"

I ask this because I assume vervain knows about its own spirit - but you are in the process of learning about it. Or do you mean something else?

Best, D

 

[Laurengoodey]

Hello! Thank you, yes i mean what would vervain like me to know about it's spirit, or what would vervain like me to represent about it's spirit in the plant profile i am writing. - That's the energy with which i am asking the question.

 

[redoleander]

51.6 > 21 maybe that it’s helpful for dealing for outside shocks and stresses, and for integrating lessons or change or chaos. Or maybe that vervain itself does this well; learns from what’s around it without getting too immersed in what’s going on.

I also wondered if it wants you to know that not everything people say about it is true? Or it could be opposite, to listen to folklore about it. Either way you might be directed to examining how people talk about vervain and then assessing for yourself if you find this to be true.

 

[dfreed]

The question: What would vervain like me to know about it's spirit; about it's spirit in the plant profile' i.e. about its energy ....

Answer: 51.6 to 21

Hex. 51 includes the trigrams (3-line figures) Thunder above and below; and hex. 21 has trigram Fire (Flame, Light) above. In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), Thunder represents the feet; Fire represents the eyes.

So; perhaps a 'spirit' or spiritual aspect of vervain is about having (providing for) clear seeing, and clarity before taking action.

Stephen Field calls Hex. 52 "Earthquake" (another shocking aspect of nature), and based on his translation we have:

​

52: Tremors come - “shock-shock. ”Laughter and gossip - “ha-ha.” ​

Quake alarms hundreds of villages ​

But not a ladle of sacrificial wine is spilled. ​

​

52.6: Tremors “smash-smash.” He looks around “blink blink.” ​

The tremor harms his neighbor, not himself - no trouble. ​

An attack will bring misfortune.​

There is talk about the marriage match.​

Looking at some traditional (old German) lore about vervain's uses (and perhaps about it's spirit?), and tying these with the above text and images:

Vervain was present at all contract signings;
- present at the signing of marriage contracts (or matches),
- it is important in resolving lopsided disputes with neighbors;
- it is useful for ending unfortunate, even violent conflicts


Vervain was carried by messengers and envoys:
- clarity (clear messages) brought on fleet (thundering) feet: announcing something new.


Pliny the Elder (Roman AD 23 – 79) said it was a sacred plant, good for ritual cleansing or smudging of a home.
- it is capable of providing clarity and new ways of seeing (and being)
- its effects are far-reaching, but perhaps not always obvious - it 'shocks', brings joy, but we don't always notice this, so 'no wine is spilled'.
- it is good for sweeping away the old, and make new, fresh starts - Thunder is related with Spring, the beginning of the new year, and with early morning, the beginning of the day. Trigram Flame is related to warmth, summer, clarity, and a place (or source) of protection - and all this is related to contracts, and marriages and resolving conflicts of all sorts.

And perhaps something else that's good to know about vervain: to be aware of it's sudden-ness, or "shock-shock"-ing potential. So maybe to be judicious in its use?

Best, D

 

[Trojina]

Vervain does not draw attention to itself and refers people on to other sources. Reminds me of a good receptionist or front line information personal, the ones at the front desk who tell you where to go. So Vervain is a bit of a central hub referring it's 'users' on to distant scenes, almost a signposter.

It's connected up to other herbs, as you said like a neural network but whilst it connects people up with other herbs, or rather refers them on, it's not being drawn out from it's own centre.


I was dozing off half asleep and had read yor question and 'saw' a hand gesturing or waving away meaning 'over there'. Then I realised that fitted with 51.6. So that's just dream stuff otherwise I have no idea

 

[Laurengoodey]

Thank you all so much, its fascinating to read all of your interpretations and ideas about how this reading could relate to vervain, super helpful and giving me many insight, magical feelings and ideas to work with and think more about.

 

[moss elk]

The question: What would vervain like known about it's spirit?
The answer: 51.6 to 21

I'll play along with
attributing sentience to the plant.

Vervain looks around the field at all the corpses of other medicinal plant species and enthusiastically yells, "I taste like a dung-beatles dung and make everyone sick. Nope! no medicinal qualities here. Oh look at that delicious golden dandelion over there."

 

[Laurengoodey]

I'll play along with
attributing sentience to the plant.

Vervain looks around the field at all the corpses of other medicinal plant species and enthusiastically yells, "I taste like a dung-beatles dung and make everyone sick. Nope! no medicinal qualities here. Oh look at that golden delicious dandelion over there."

I am confused, are you just taking the piss or is this a genuine comment?

 

[moss elk]

It is a real interpretation of 51.6,
based on your idea and the subject matter.

 

[rosada]

According to the Bach Flower Remedies, Vervain is useful when needing to restore calm especially in those people who have strong ideas about how things ought to be done which they impose on others. Vervain strengthens a person's ability to know their own truth without having to force it upon others. I got 51.6 once when I knew a certain salve would knock out the itching my friend was suffering from poison oak but I couldn't get the idea that a poison oak outbreak did not have to last two weeks through to her - 21. Obstruction. Perhaps if I'd taken Vervain I wouldn't have tried so hard.

 

[CarolSel]

I love, love, love this idea of asking Yi what the spirit of a plant wants people to know about it! Earlier today I tried it out with Nettles because it came up volunteer in my little patio garden.

Concerning your reading ...
"Now when it comes to the second hexagram, I'm just a bit lost! Perhaps this is how vervains spirit is: determined and persistent?! i just can't seem to get anywhere further with this part of the reading, and i feel a bit blocked. So i'd love to hear any thoughts anyone has!"

"The common name “Vervain” is believed to be derived from from the ancient Celtic words “fer”, which means “to remove”, and “faen”, meaning “stone”, referring to its reputation for curing kidney stones."

Maybe the spirit of Vervain is useful for removing obstacles. One of the key questions in Hilary's book is "How do you get to the truth?" So maybe Vervain is especially helpful for removing obstacles for those who have trouble expressing their truth. Maybe it can help get to the truth. Maybe it helps one to see the truth.