For whatever reason, this hexagram is constantly recurring as responses to the majority of my questions posed to the IC. Relationship questions, family questions, job questions, self relection questions, advice questions, on and on... it keeps coming up over the past few weeks!

From what I can determine, the main message in this hexagram is one of positive changes occurring, but definitely occurring on their own time schedule. Not a bad thing, right? My reaction to this recurring hexagram's appearance is to keep reminding myself that patience is a virtue I admire and try to stay within that frame of thought. So, I'm attempting to flex and expand my patience muscle regularly, if you will...

Anyway, I'd love more insight and experience regarding this hexagram! It must have a BIG necessary message for me and I certainly don't want to miss the point.

Thank you all and blessings,
Krista

I think that you need to be more specific in your line of questioning because you are asking how hex 53 applies to everything in your life, and the only answer is that everything in your life is developing nicely.

My mundane experience around 53 has tended to focus around procedures theres no getting out of, no shortcut. Can be frustrating but also an assurance of a kind that the development will occur...but is a feeling of things being out of ones hands as procedures unfold. I can associate 53 with the grinding procedures of bureaucracy, of law and custom.

Hi Krista,

Yup, agreeing pretty much with Trojan. Except I don't have the impression that things are out of my hands. Keep on keepin' on, is the message I get. It is a "BIG necessary message" but one which occurs over a sometimes monotonously long time. Without the every day grind of getting it done, all the blustering enthusiasm in the world won't accomplish much.

LiSe's Yi uses the image of a waterwheel, in that the long (tedious?) succession of buckets gradually moves a great deal of water.

Still, you're right to think of it as a positive message. Things do develop over time. I think you're interpreting it well.

Thinking about it s'more, I can see 53 as the establishment, government machine, etc. Interesting.

Thank you for replying!! For a bit there, this hex was the response to nearly every question I asked the IC, regardless the question variation
You are all very kind to respond to my endless questions Sometimes feels like I'm in search of IC understanding, self understanding, and society understanding...all at the same time!!!! The IC is such a wonderful tool for reflection and thought on so many levels, yet it certainly holds on to its mystery at the same time!! (at least for me it does! With time and experience, I also hope to someday be able to help interpret and/or add insight for others regarding the IC

Thank you again!
~Krista

A long time coming

Maybe about 10 years ago I asked if I would ever move out of my too-small apartment, and I got 53. I understood that it would take a good long time. I am still in the same apartment.
Hexagram 53 is a picture of a tree growing on the top of a mountain. Things have to come together that will take a while to join together. It was said to be the story of the marriage of the older sister to the younger brother, and you know that is difficult for both the mature woman and the kid brother. He has to grow up and she has to become less seriously the know-it-all.
Since you will have to wait for others to fall into line with your plans or for the situation to develop along certain lines, patience is definitely the key.
However, in one case that I can think of recently, it took about a year from beginning to end for me to reach my goal. It is not necessary for one to always move through all the stages.
The thing is to keep your focus and to remember what you wanted in the first place. Due to the slowed down pace, you might get distracted from your goal.
Maybe for some things you wouldn't care to wait that long. If I get 53 with no moving lines and I am not really committed but I'm just asking, so to speak, to test the waters, then I might decide: This is going to take too long; I'll try something else.

I'd like to take the opportunity to add a thought. I've always read hex. 53 as to some kind of (yet low) growth, development.
But what if the question is not exactly positive. For instance the other day I asked whether a colleague was trying to fool me at work. I received 53.6 >> 39. Any thoughts to clarify my doubt?

Krista did not disclose whether she received any changing line, although each case could extend too much everyone's analysis. But Krista, did you ever receive 53 for a negative question?

Undreamed of heights

No, the gradual development of Hexagram 53 is not low. It is the slow development of something that will definitely last a long time. The image is of a mighty tree slowly growing on the top of a mountain.

The indication is that you have risen to undreamed of heights in your work. You are successful. Someone in your position must be very orderly and everything must be just so. Is it not true?

Now, you have the suspicion that your colleague is trying to fool you at work. Hexagram 39 is telling you that you are wrong about that. In thinking that way, you have stumbled. You have taken a (mental) step in the wrong direction. It is favorable to give up that suspicion and not advance on it. Also, you would do well to speak with someone about your difficulty.

Line 53:6 speaks indeed for someone who is flying in the heights,
having no connection with the people below. All interraction this
person has with the people, is that accidentally one of the 'feathers'
of the flying bird falls to earth, and this little sign makes the people
happy. That leads to obstruction, road blocked. I don't know if the
answer tells you about your colleague fooling you or not, but it is
probably telling you to go back down to the people - perhaps
someone 'down there' has some information about this? 39 also
says "retreat" and "It furthers one to see the great man".

Wow

Thank you very much Diamanda and Barbra!!

Yes, they're interesting points of view that seem the most adequated ones for the situation after restudying it. I just would like to tell you how I had reached my initial conclusion so that you may comment.

I had interpreted 53.6 as Yi saying yes (this colleague is really fooling you gradually) because i had seen 53's judgement saying "yes, there is a negative situation developing slowly". Line 6 i read as "it will grow to heights". Then i interpreted 39 as saying "this will cause serious difficulties. Every time I see the trigram Kan-Water i tend to fear of negative outcomes.

Well, with your help I conclude that my previous reading was hasty.

Thanks a lot.

Gosh, I just figured out how to find my old posts! Still pretty new to message boards and such...
Thank you all so much for responding and discussing this hexagram at more length! I wish I could have re-joined in the discussion sooner