Heaven above – Wind below
The Chinese name of this hexagram is Gou which, in ancient texts, refers to a married couple. It later came to signify a meeting between a couple, showing “a powerful woman” as a possible undermining temptation. Actually, Gou is really about guarding against any temptation which would deter from one’s higher purpose or path. The seductive power of the energy described within this hexagram is not to be underestimated, it can be quite overpowering in a detrimental way. But, on the other hand, there is also guidance for when a power of temptation is beneficial (to break up a fixation, conceive a baby or create a better way of doing something for example). Other hexagram titles are Dissipation, Coupling, Encountering and Temptation.
Breaking down the symbolism of the 3-line trigrams helps with understanding the ancient teachings:
When trigram Wind is below (the bottom 3 lines in image below right), it references the inner realm of the person or situation. Wind is gentle, persistent and relentless in its ability to penetrate and spread influence. Influences are necessary for change and growth, but influences also vary in terms of bringing benefits or harm.
Trigram Heaven is on top of trigram Wind as seen in the top 3 lines of the hexagram image below right. As Wind’s influence rises from the internal aspect, it meets with trigram Heaven which offers strength, direction and structure through its universal laws which direct everything in creation.
The ancient ideograph is on the upper left portion of the image below. On the left is an ideograph of a woman and on the right is an ideograph of a queen. The queen is bending over an open mouth with a horizontal line above it indicating the number one. The number one who is said to be the king, indicating the queen is meeting with the king.
In summary: Ancient diviners framed this hexagram’s concepts with a universal analogy; the vital influence of sexual attraction. As the I Ching covers everything in life, we understand the idea of “coming to meet” or being tempted in some way is natural and temptation is not always sexual. The point is to learn to deal with these all-encompassing energies, those with which one should not engage. They often arrive in the form of an unpredictable force which can feel like an emotional funnel cloud or tornado. These are the influences which, although powerfully attractive, can throw you off your path because they do not match with you and you cannot control them. Better to stay away in the first place. Conversely, temptation can also present an opportunity to dissipate old beliefs which may be necessary at the start of a new creation. There is always a balance between being overly defended or overly open to strong influences.
Following are a few ideas for interpretations of each line:
Line 1 – This is a turning point where you are balancing between being passive and being dominated, you may feel the sense of something being out of the norm. Evaluate very carefully who is trying to influence you at this time. Although attractive or tempting, if it does not align with your internal values, the best action is to just say “no”. Small deviations have a way of taking over if not checked at the beginning.
Line 2 – A consciousness of something going awry should not go unexplored. These insights are a warning that there is something in this situation which needs your attention. It may become a force beyond your control, most particularly if you commit to it (or allow others to commit with you) while it contains some influence that is negative or disruptive.
Line 3 – There are questions about who or what is influencing you at this time. Sometimes engaging with someone who holds differing viewpoints is an opportunity for growth and meets with success (if all parties are sincere). Other times you may engage too impulsively, compulsively or naively. It usually doesn’t take long to recognize when this is happening, so remember it is not too late to change direction for a more successful one.
Line 4 – If you stay aloof from others or too far back from the reality of daily life, you likely have a sense of something missing. Being out of touch, distant or polarized leads to emptiness and disappointment. There may still be a chance to reconsider before you dismiss possibilities.
Line 5 – A reference to a melon covered with sheltering leaves is the image the ancient diviners describe as what is happening at this time. You may not know quite what is developing under the “sheltered leaves” of your situation, but patience, adherence to your principles and trust in your process holds the promise of something fortunate.
Line 6 – You may have withdrawn from the world a little or feel less tolerant, rebuffing those who are trying to foist influence on you. There is no fault in rebuff in this case, but also check to make sure you are not losing out on some good opportunities through over-defensive or impatient behavior.