Day Two
Dear Reader,
Wake! For the early morning light is upon us. So, to continue with
Wen's sequence, once I had come to an approximate understanding of the
second part of The Book of Changes, I then had a model for approaching the
more difficult first part. My method was the same: image, symbol, cycle.
Entry was made when I noticed the sub-sequence of images #9-14, which
suggested the destructive sequence of elements: #9,10 shoe (earth); #11,12
wood; #13,14 metal (ax); leaving #15,16 and #17,18 for fire and water.
The sequence was now divided:
| Sub-Sequence |
Number of Items |
| #1-8 |
8 |
| #9-18 |
10 |
| #19-30 |
12 |
|
The logic of this pattern finally dawned on me:
| Sequence |
Topic Symbolized |
Cosmic Correlation |
| #1-8 |
Nation |
8 Cosmic Bodies (or trigrams) |
| #9-18 |
Clan |
10 Celestial Stems |
| #19-30 |
Family |
12 Terrestrial Branches |
Here is the sequence of images with phases symbolized:
Cycle of the Nation
| Hexagram |
Image |
Phase Symbolized |
| 1 |
Rays of Sun |
King |
| 2 |
Particles of Soil |
The People |
| 3 |
Carriage of Official |
Recruitment |
| 4 |
Carriage Inverted |
Drill |
| 5 |
Buff Coat |
Garrison Duty |
| 6 |
Buff Coat Inverted |
Invasion |
| 7 |
War Chariot |
Expeditionary Force |
| 8 |
Chariot Inverted |
Recall of Forces |
Cycle of the Clan (or, Dukedom or Community)
| Hexagram |
Image |
Phase Symbolized |
| 9 |
Shoe |
Allegiance (fealty) |
| 10 |
Shoe (toe up) |
Propriety |
| 11 |
Grass |
Peace |
| 12 |
Grass Inverted |
Strife |
| 13 |
Ax (blade up) |
Militia (judicial enforcement) |
| 14 |
Ax (blade down) |
Wealth |
| 15 |
Cock |
Leadership |
| 16 |
Cock Inverted |
Adherents |
| 17 |
Yoke |
Dynasty |
| 18 |
Yoke Inverted |
Dynastic Decay |
Cycle of the Family
| Hexagram |
Image |
Phase Symbolized |
| 19 |
Threshold |
Nursery ( threshold of life) |
| 20 |
Lintel |
Child Supervision |
| 21 |
Cangue |
Disciplining of Children |
| 22 |
Horse |
Training of Children |
| 23 |
Bed |
Planting (seed bed) |
| 24 |
Sprouts |
Cultivation (of sprouts) |
| 25 |
Basket Inverted |
Harvest |
| 26 |
Basket Upright |
Food Storage |
| 27 |
Mouth |
Nourishment |
| 28 |
Beam |
Care of Aged |
| 29 |
Pit |
Death |
| 30 |
Drum |
Mourning |
To appreciate the progression of phases in a cycle, please read the column Phase
Symbolized downward. This concludes my overview of the sequence of hexagrams.
Dear Reader, I sense a darkness coming on. Let us pause here for the night
where there are materials for illumination.
Sincerely yours,
Thomas Hood
