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51 DOUBLE THUNDER gg gg gg gg ggggg gg gg gg gg ggggg
DOUBLE THUNDER symbolizes the Support of the Manes.
Evidence for this Image: "Thunder' is the meaning of the component trigram. The image is the doubled trigram.
Evidence for this Symbol: The Chinese associated shocking noise with the presence of spirits (as the pop when the oracular shell spoke.) That the spirits should be present and accept the sacrifice validated the ritual (hexagrams 45-50) and insured spiritual favor. Therefore, DOUBLE THUNDER symbolizes the Support of the Manes.
Illustrations on the Web:
Ancestor Worship
Ancestor Worship in Many Cultures
52 DOUBLE MOUNTAIN ggggg gg gg gg gg ggggg gg gg gg gg
DOUBLE MOUNTAIN symbolizes the Linkage of Men and Spirits.
Evidence for this Image: 'Mountain' is the meaning of the component trigram. The image is the doubled trigram.
Evidence for this Symbol: Legge translates the title of this hexagram as "Resting." However, the likely meaning of the hexagram given its context is "Established." Men flourish when they receive the favor of Heaven. Therefore, DOUBLE MOUNTAIN symbolizes the Linkage of Men and Spirits.
Illustrations on the Web:
Ancestor Worship: From Electronic Library
Sound of Grace: Christian view.
Grace and Salvation: By John Calvin.
53 BRIDE ggggg Covering (or Veil?) ggggg Hair gg gg Breasts ggggg Hips gg gg Legs gg gg
The BRIDE symbolizes the Marriage of the Individual.
Evidence for this Image: Legge in Summation: "Kien suggests to us the marriage of a young lady." And in line 1, "a wild goose." As to the Romans, so also to the Chinese, a goose symbolized marriage. The Book of Rites says: "Her father [the bride's], who has been resting on his mat and leaning- stool in the temple, met him [the bridegroom] outside the gate and recieved him with a bow, and then the son-in-law entered, carrying a wild goose" (Huan I,2).
Evidence for this Symbol: Although the image is that of a woman, the subject of the hexagrams up to this point has been a man. Therefore, the BRIDE symbolizes the Marriage of the Individual.
Illustrations on the Web:
Traditional Chinese Wedding Customs
Traditional Chinese Customs
Setting the date, Bridal Wear, Food Symbolism
54 BRIDE INVERTED gg gg gg gg ggggg gg gg ggggg ggggg
The BRIDE INVERTED symbolizes Domestic Bliss.
Evidence for this Image: Given above.
Evidence for this Symbol: Whincup uses the word 'concubine' in lines 1, 3, and 5. Concubines are married for pleasure. Also, pleasure is a meaning of the lower trigram. Therefore, I take BRIDE INVERTED to symbolize Domestic Bliss.
Illustrations on the Web:
Domestic Bliss By Shellie Hurrle
Happiness in the Household
55 MAN DOWN gg gg gg gg Legs ggggg ggggg gg gg Eyes ggggg
The MAN DOWN symbolizes Domestic Obligations.
Evidence for this Image: The subject of this hexagram is clearly a man: "its subject with his house made large" (line 6).
Evidence for this Symbol: Legge (as do other translators) translates the title of this hexagram as "Abundant Prosperity." The 'abundance', however, is the abundance of progeny. "His house is made large" (line 6). The idea of restriction and confinement occurs in lines 2, 4, and 6. From an abundance of progeny comes the restriction of domestic obligations. This idea is supported by the component trigrams. We must pay for our pleasures (54). Thus, MAN DOWN symbolizes Domestic Obligations.
Illustrations on the Web:
FAMILY LAW ARTICLES INDEX: Child support.
The Tie That Binds: Family obligations from Ethics Connection.
56 TRAVELER ggggg Hat gg gg Eyes ggggg ggggg gg gg Legs gg gg
The TRAVELER symbolizes Public Duties.
Evidence for this Image: Given above. Now that the image is upright, its resembance to a man is clearer.
Evidence for this Symbol: As the reader has surely noticed by now, the hexagrams are developed as contrasting pairs. Public Duties contrast with Domestic Obligations. And why else is the man traveling?
The component trigrams in this case are interesting. The upper trigram, which has the idea of restriction, is associated with roadways which both restrict and guide the flow of traffic. This trigram strangely resembles a modern roadway with the dashed line dividing the two lanes of traffic. Thus, the trigrams may be read as "persisting in the roadway," or "TRAVELER."
Illustrations on the Web:
Marco Polo's Asia
Civics Resources
57 SEAT ggggg ggggg gg gg Legs of couch-like seat ggggg ggggg gg gg Legs
The SEAT symbolizes Seniority.
Evidence for this Image: Legge uses the word "couch" in lines 2 and 6. Blofeld uses "bed." The proper English term, however, is seat, as in "seat of authority." Line 6 contains "having lost the axe with which he executed his decisions." The axe is a common symbol for executive power, not the kind of thing to use in bed.
Evidence for this Symbol: That SEAT symbolizes Seniority is supported by the reasoning for the image and also by the sequence of the hexagrams: from attention to public duties comes advancement into a position of public authority. The ideal of public service occurs throughout the Book of History.
Illustrations on the Web:
Seniority Versus Ability
Executive Skills: By Russ Finney.
58 SEAT INVERTED gg gg ggggg ggggg gg gg ggggg ggggg
SEAT INVERTED symbolizes Retirement.
Evidence for this Image: Given above.
Evidence for this Symbol: The translators, being unaware of the use of images and the logic of the sequence of the hexagrams, limit the meaning of this hexagram to its component trigram Tui, which does indeed mean 'pleasure' in some contexts. Here, however, Tui is associated with 'softness, weakness, sickness.' In the Later Heaven Arrangement of King Wen Tui (= Venus) is in the West, the position of ripening, softening fruit. It is the finish of a life cycle. Authority does not last forever. The man must retire. Therefore, SEAT INVERTED symbolizes Retirement.
Illustrations on the Web:
Retirement Resource Center
The Retirement Net
59 COFFIN ggggg ggggg gg gg Hollow of coffin gg gg ggggg gg gg Feet
The COFFIN symbolizes funeral.
Evidence for this Image: Of this hexagram, Appendix III of Legge says: "They hollowed out trees to form canoes" (p.384). There is another hollow, wooden object most of us enter into not too long after retirement, namely a COFFIN. That the image is a coffin is also supported by component trigrams and the appearance of the hexagram.
Evidence for this Symbol: The title of this hexagram is given by both Blofeld and Legge as "Dispersal." What is dispered is likely to be the heavenly and earthly soul components of the occupant of this coffin. Funerals were major ritual occasions in ancient China, judging by the Book of Rites. For these reasons, it is reasonable to conclude that COFFIN symbolizes funeral.
Illustrations on the Web:
Wooden Coffin
Feng Shui
Painted lacquer coffin
The difference between Chinese and American Funeral Customs: An important and practical article.
Death Customs
60 COFFIN INVERTED gg gg ggggg gg gg gg gg ggggg ggggg
The COFFIN INVERTED symbolizes Burial.
Evidence for this Image: Given above.
Evidence for this Symbol: The translators emphasize the idea of "Restraint" as the meaning of this hexagram. The subject is indeed restrained: he is fixed in his final resting place. A COFFIN (59) is logically followed by BURIAL. Therefore, the COFFIN INVERTED symbolizes Burial.
Illustrations on the Web:
Grave Sweeping Day
The Japanese Way of Death
Chinese Funeral in San Francisco
Chinese Jade Death Suit: Article 5.
