• Hexagram 51 (our 25)
• Hexagram 32 (our 26)
• Hexagram 34 (our 27)
• Hexagram 54 (our 28)

51. Ken (Kan) - The Arousing (Shock, Thunder). Shake / Times of Turmoil

Statement: We should warn about a coming calamity while there is time, before it has reached our own persons and our neighborhood. (L)

HEXAGRAM 51: Be not too scared to take precautions and get into good business you can handle.

Shock could bring misfortune. (M)

Remain calm and find a new balance. (M)

One can remain calm even when others panic. (M)

32. Hang (Heng) - Duration. Persevering / Perseverance

Statement: Who does not cultivate fit inner firmness, may end up at the mercy of changing moods and externals.

HEXAGRAM 32: What is virtue in a wife, may be bad for a husband, and vice versa.

Thunder rolls, and the wind blows. Who does not cultivate his or her inner firmness, may end up at the mercy of changing moods and external influences. Also, a typically yang (male) approach initiates new patterns to deal with changing external conditions. (W, M)

A lasting and beneficial bond between a man and a woman rests on their firm commitment to assisting values and schemes and on persistent efforts on both sides. (M)

Changes of the established routine could be introduced cautiously and gradually. New ideas should first be tested somewhat to ensure how suitable they might be or become, and they should next be applied with enough flexibility too. (M)

A man needs to be flexible and adaptable. Should he persistently seek to conform to the woman, it would be a mistake for him. (W)

Two secrets of nature are patience and perseverance. (M)

34. Ta Kwang - The Power of the Great (Great Power). Great Invigorating / Gentle Strength

Statement: By becoming aware of the difficulties and using your head you may find a way out. (M)

HEXAGRAM 34: The ease of ownership may become a fence that needs to be knocked down for the sake of getting on -

We can give up a belligerent, stubborn way of acting. Realising the situation, we may compose ourselves. In this way we do not have to exhaust our vitality in desperate efforts. (W, M)

One is to go for better benefit that wealth. Man ought to succeed by acting from the centre of his being, not from his periphery. (M)

By quietly bringing inner strength to the outer world, great achievements become possible. Power is the fuel, but precision is the carburetor. (M)

54. Kwei Mei - The Marrying Maiden. Converting the Maiden / Being Useful [Careful Affection]

Statement: Do not expect something valuable from an empty basket.

HEXAGRAM 54: A basked with nothing in it and a nearly bloodless sheep don't suggest full and good fortune.

One is to behave with tactful reserve and enough caution in wooing and in subordination set-ups generally.

It works best to keep an eye to the end of a relationship.

Even people who are limping on one leg or who are blind in one eye can find their place in life and fulfil a useful function, as long as they adapt to the situation and do not cling to exaggerated expectations. And someone who does not see well can use his other talents to make himself useful. (M)

A callous, impious, and irreverent attitude bodes no good for a marriage. Prefer not to throw yourself away. (M)

(B) Baynes, Cary F., tr. I Ching or Book of Changes: The Richard Wilhelm Translation. London: Penguin Books, 2003.

(H) Barrett, Hilary. I Ching: Walking Your Path, Creating Your Future. London: Arcturus, 2010.

(L) Legge, James, tr. The Yî King. Part II of The Texts of Confucianism. Sacred Books of the East Vol. 16. The Sacred Books of China. Vol. 2. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1882. - Online version.

(M) Markert, Christopher. I Ching. The No. 1 Success Formula. Wellingborough: Aquarian, 1988.

(R) Wing, R. L. I Ching arbejdsbogen (I Ching Workbook). Copenhagen: Borgen, 1988 (New York: Doubleday, 1979).