We were discussing hexagram 17 which caused me to start thinking about hexagram 18 so I thought I'd start a new thread.

It occurs to me that 18 makes a lot of sense if you read it as a commentary on recycling.

1. Setting right what has been spoiled by the father.
If there is a son,
No blame rests on the departed father.
Danger.
In the end good fortune.


Recycling what has been left by the former inhabitants. Like a building that is no longer livable.
If someone can easily scoop up and reuse the materials,
then no blame goes to the former tenants.
Danger however, there may be asbestos or lead paint.
So be careful but ultimately good fortune.

2. Setting right what has been spoiled by the mother.
One must not be too persevering.

Somethings have deteriorated because they were not cared for.
They can't be recycled, better to let them return to earth.

3.Setting right what has been spoiled by the father.
There will be a little remorse.
No great blame.

Sometimes you can't just carefully sort and redistribute discarded items like clothes.
You just have to tear them all up for mattress stuffing.
No great blame.

4.Tolerating what has been spoiled by the father.
In continuing one sees humiliation.

Landfills and the islands of plastic trash in the ocean.
Our children will curse us.

5.Setting right what has been spoiled by the father.
One meets with praise.

This is the most powerful line in the hexagram.
Groups of people work together to clean up the beaches,
recycle etc.

6. He does not serve kings and princes
Sets himself higher goals.

Perhaps a promise that one needn't donate their entire lives to cleaning up the oil spills and slums -
One need only do their share and then this sets a good example and others do theirs - problem solved.

Key lesson (Image) The superior man stirs up the people and strengthens their spirit.
By setting a good example others see the positive results and inspired to help too.
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Anyway, I share this here as it was fun to figure out and has helped me in memorizing the lines.

Lets look at it from Mei Hua point of view. Will just look at line 1, as its more for giving alternative view to it, then to actual go in depth.


Line 1. Xun changing into Qian.
Xun has the Images of Wood, the first daughter and Wind, while Qian has Images of Father, Heaven and Metal. Gen is mountain so unmoving/balanced place.



In first Hexagram we have the Wood controlling the Earth in the environment. We are fighting with the world around, or trying to control it.
Depending on the current season that may be us fighting / trying to control something much stronger then us, or the other way around.

In both cases, as wood shows something new starting to grow, while Gen shows something very stable and balanced in itself, we have the idea that the environment is unmoving and somewhat decaying while we are trying to bring something new in as starting something new is Images of wood.

Asking in earth months that would suggest we have no chance in that, while asking in water/wood months would suggest we have all the support we need and the Earth around us will give way for the new roots/ideas.

First line changes.
Now we have Father/Sky/Heaven Images from Qian instead. So no more control of the environment, its still there as Gen(the mountain above us), but this time instead of us trying to control it we are in a state that this Earth/Mountain is supporting with all it has.

thank you for sharing, rosada

there was a month in my life when i received a lot of 18. it was the first month when i just quit smoking (cannabis) at some point, receiving yet another 18 it dawned on me - detoxifying! what's interesting, when i read your interpretation is that i realise that all these questions that i bothered I Ching with at the time (that got 18 in different configurations as answers) came from me having to recycle a whole bunch of emotions that i've been numbing down for too long. from cleaning up that emotional space natural care for self and others or at least one's direct environment follows.

rosada said:

One need only do their share and then this sets a good example and others do theirs - problem solved.

Click to expand...

well said. sometimes i think this is the main message behind the whole of I Ching...

@Gmulii, what is the program you're using? it looks interesting.

@Gmulii, what is the program you're using? it looks interesting.

Click to expand...

Its WWG calc app I made some years ago that we used in the Five Arts forums.
Link is here:
https://fivearts.info/fivearts/index.php?topic=15200.0

Manual:
https://www.scribd.com/document/380367830/Gmuli-Wen-Wang-Gua-Calculator-Manual


People asked a lot for web alternative for mobile and other OS, so some years later and we have web version now, its a lot simpler:

https://www.bright-hall.net/WWG/WWGCalc.html


In the PC app, for the Mei Hua part press Ctrl when you have th hexagrams set up. : )