Wind above – Fire below
The Chinese name of this hexagram is Jia Ren. Jia translates to family or household and ren translates to person or member. The broader reference here involves Jia Ren as a haven and shows how each of the members of a clan, household or family fits into their particular place and fulfills their particular role. With defined roles, dedication and mutual support, a clear and stable home base can widen to have good influence in the outer world. Some of the titles of this hexagram include: Family Members, Household, People in the Home.
Breaking down the symbolism of the 3-line trigrams helps with understanding the ancient teachings:
When trigram Fire is below (the bottom 3 lines in image below right), it references the inner realm of the person or situation. With Fire as the internal aspect, one finds warmth, clarity and order as the cohesive elements foundational to a family (whether that is with relatives or like-minded people). Learning how to work together with loyalty and dedication starts within the context of the “home fires”.
Trigram Wind is on top of trigram Fire as shown in the top 3 lines of the hexagram image (below right). The image of Wind rising out of Fire is a powerful one. The ancient cosmologists believed that when one finds security and support within their familial situation, this influence is gently and persistently extended to an ever-widening circle. Wind is also referred to as Wood, lending the idea that one is safe beneath their roof as Wood forms a shelter for the inner Fire in this hexagram image.
The ancient ideograph is on the upper left portion of the image below. The top portion shows an image of a pig within a house, under a roof. The lower portion shows a person. Together they show the idea of a family living and working together in the raising of domestic animals or similar types of industry.
In summary: The ideograph images for this hexagram combine beautifully to exemplify what Jia Ren is illuminating. Working together, as in valuing and sheltering an animal (in this case a pig, but it could be a dog, cat or team mascot) within one’s home or social organization, seems to make those connections closer. The outer world is not always easy or necessarily friendly and it is important to know you have a safe haven for your sense of security. Jia Ren describes the foundational importance of (and gives counsel on) being a supporting and supported member of the place you belong.
Following are a few ideas for interpretations of each line:
Line 1 – At the beginning of forming relationships within a home or group it is important that: boundaries are set, roles are defined, agreed upon rules are laid out and everyone knows their place. It is through knowing and adhering to agreed-upon rules that future problems may be averted so trust can be built and maintained.
Line 2 – Your role, your place, your duties within the confines of your family or group needs constancy and perseverance to bring success. It does not matter if your role seems insignificant. What matters is your participation in the basics, in building the foundation and remaining gently persistent to keep it stable.
Line 3 – Ancient diviners stressed the need for good balance between overly-strict vs. too little discipline within your family or group. In your situation, look to the middle road of keeping an established order; this is important for success. There is room for natural occasions of friction or temper, but this works only when there is a foundation of respect, fairness and trust already in place.
Line 4 – Each member of a family or group needs to contribute and receive personal support within its confines. To accomplish this, you must be willing and able to move above individual emotional excess. This is an important dynamic to pay attention to, especially at this time because it makes your unit strong and able to survive difficult times together. It also gives each member a sense of security and allows them to function effectively as an individual out in the world.
Line 5 – It is important for a family or group to have a leader who is strong and fair. If you are feeling that something is amiss, there is probably no need to worry as long as the family or group foundation is in place and the one who is leading is trustworthy.
Line 6 – You may be in a leadership or influential position which affects those within your family or group. The ancient diviners saw sincerity and self-discipline as vital to setting a good example. It is also suggested that adopting some form of regular self-examination will keep you on an auspicious track.