Thunder above – Lake below
The Chinese name of this hexagram is Gui Mei. Gui translates to engagement, homecoming, marriage and Mei is little sister, younger sister, or maiden. Together these 2 words are descriptive of a young bride who joins her husband’s family in their home. Other titles for this hexagram are: Propriety, Subordinate. This was not considered an auspicious hexagram because according to the ancient diviners it describes a situation of one who, in some way, is not where they would prefer to be. The maiden must enter a marriage as a second wife with no choices or power because her older sister is the primary wife. Although this is the example, this hexagram has many iterations with varying durations. The Marrying Maiden shows the importance of being yourself and fully inhabiting your current place, even if you initially feel frustrated or powerless.
Breaking down the symbolism of the 3-line trigrams helps with understanding the ancient teachings:
When trigram Lake is below (the bottom 3 lines in image below right), it references the inner realm of the person or situation. Lake gives the impetus and opportunity to use your own internal motivation to open up, meet with, and find joy within the company of others.
Trigram Thunder is on top of trigram Lake as seen in the upper 3 lines of the hexagram image (below right). Thunder brings about shock, often moving life’s circumstances in unexpected ways. It also provides energy for renewals and new beginnings. Thunder wakes the seedlings in the spring. Interchanges with others (Lake) can be germinated and grow into new opportunities through Thunder.
The ancient ideograph is on the upper left portion of the image below. The upper left depicts two pennants held in the bridal procession over the ideograph for “stop”. On the upper right shows a hand over a hand-held broom. This is the 1st portion which describes the marrying maiden proceeding to the groom’s house where she will take over managing the household work. The lower left portion is a maiden and the right is a depiction of how this ideograph sounds.
In summary: Gui Mei often describes a transient condition, although some things are with us for a while and others may follow us throughout our lives. There is wisdom in knowing what can and cannot be changed. Although faced with a situation where you have no power to make big changes (whether it was your own choice that led you there or not) there is much you can do in small ways to adapt and bring sincerity to your present role. Because this hexagram usually involves others in our lives, we may be placed in a position of needing to temporarily suspend personal goals. This does not imply success ultimately eludes you, Gui Mei could simply be a “learning opportunity” on the way to something else. The challenge is to find a way to come to some kind of harmony (Lake inner) with your situation or environment, wherever you have currently landed (Thunder outer).
Following are a few ideas for interpretations of each line:
Line 1 – In your present situation, try to work within the boundaries of what is available to you. There are definitely things which can be accomplished, but reaching too high results in contention at this time.
Line 2 – Although you do not yet have full clarification on your situation at this time, there are some things which are clear. Work with what you have and don’t try to force a view of the future. Keep your self-confidence and a positive outlook.
Line 3 – Choices involving your level of personal power may include moving a step up into a slightly-better-but-still-inferior position or you may take the risk to hold out for something better. Either way holds risks, so follow your internal guidance without sacrificing your dignity.
Line 4 – Timing is important now. The suggested course of action is to avoid hasty compromise or commitment because the right situation has not yet presented itself. It will become apparent as time goes on.
Line 5 – Looking for outward perfection in yourself or your situation is to deny what may unfold for you in time. When the Moon has waxed to fullness, it immediately begins to wane. Guidance suggests to take the wisdom from this image and leave yourself some room to wax and blossom by looking to what is of internal value, even if it does not seem as externally attractive.
Line 6 – Superficiality or going through the motions creates an unhealthy situation. The offending circumstances will depend on the individual situation. It is up to you to discern where changes need to be made.