64 NOT YET FORDING | Wei Ji

The situation described by this hexagram is characterized by involvement in a process which is still far from completion, being on the brink of a move whose outcome cannot yet be discerned.

Image of the Situation

Not-yet fording.
Growing.
The small fox in a muddy ford.
Soaking its tail.
Without direction Harvesting.

Fields of meaning

Not-yet, WEI: temporal negative indicating that something is expected to happen but has not yet occurred. Ford, JI: cross a river at a ford or shallow place; embark on a course of action; complete, finish, succeed; help, relieve. Ideogram: water and level, running smooth over a flat bottom. Grow, HENG: heavenly influence pervading and nourishing all things; prosper, succeed, expand, develop; effective, favorable; quality of summer and South, second stage of the Time Cycle. With the pronunciation XIANG: offer a sacrifice; offer a gift to a superior; accept, enjoy. Small, XIAO: little, common, unimportant; adapting to what crosses your path; ability to move in harmony with the vicissitudes of life; contrasts with great, DA, self-imposed theme or goal. Fox, HU: crafty, shape-changing animal; used by spirits, often female; ambivalent night-spirit that can create havoc and bestow abundance. Mud, XI: ground left wet by water, muddy shores; danger; shed tears; nearly. Soak, RU: immerse, steep; damp, wet; stain, pollute, blemish; urinate on. It/its, QI: general third person pronoun and possessive adjective; also: one/one’s, he/his, she/her, they/their. Tail, WEI: animal’s tail; end, last, extreme, remnant. Without direction Harvesting, WU YOU LI: in order to take advantage of the situation, do not impose a direction on events.

Outer and Inner Trigram

The upper trigram, Radiance, LI, describes the outer aspects of the situation. It has the following associations: glowing light, spreading in all directions; the power of consciousness; discriminate, articulate, divide and arrange in order; assemble, attract. Ideogram: bird and weird, magical fire-bird with brilliant plumage. Symbols: fire and brightness. Fire, HUO: flame, burn; warming and consuming aspect of burning. Brightness, MING: light, radiance, clarity; distinguish, discern, understand; light-giving aspect of fire, of heavenly bodies and of consciousness. Action: congregate, LI, cling together, adhere to, rely on; couple, pair, herd; beautiful, elegant. Ideogram: deer flocking together. In the family of trigrams LI is the middle daughter.

The lower trigram, Gorge, KAN, describes the inner aspects of the situation. It has the following associations: precipice, dangerous place; hole, cavity, pit, snare, trap, grave; critical time, test; risky. Ideogram: earth and cavity. Symbol: stream, SHUI, flowing water; river, tide, flood; fluid, dissolving. Ideogram: rippling water. Actions: venture and fall. Venture, XIAN: face a severe difficulty or obstruction; risk; precipice, cliff, abyss; key point, point of danger. Ideogram: mound and all, everything engaged at one point. Fall, XIAN: fall down or into, sink, drop, descend; pit, trap, fault; falling water. In the family of trigrams KAN is the middle son.

Counter Hexagram

The Counter Hexagram of Not Yet Fording is hexagram 63, Already Fording, which switches the emphasis from being still on the brink of a move whose outcome cannot yet be discerned to being engaged in a process which is already on its way to completion.

Preceding Situation

Beings not permitted exhausting indeed.
From anterior acquiescence derives the use of not-yet fording’s completion in-truth.

Fields of meaning

Beings not permitted (to use), WU BU KE (YI): it is not possible; no one is allowed; it is not in the nature of things. Exhaust, QIONG: bring to an end; limit, extremity; investigate exhaustively; destitute, indigent; end without a new beginning; distinct from complete, ZHONG, end of a cycle that begins the next one. Ideogram: cave and naked person, bent with disease or old age. Indeed, YE: emphasizes and intensifies the previous statement. From anterior acquiescence derives the use of, GU SHOU ZHI YI: understanding and accepting the preceding statement allows the consultant to make proper use of this hexagram. Not-yet fording, WEI JI: see Image of the Situation. Complete, ZHONG: completion of a cycle that begins the next; entire, whole, all. Ideogram: silk cocoons, follow and ice, winter linking one year with the next. In-truth, YAN: a final affirmative particle; the preceding statement is complete and correct.

Hexagrams in Pairs

Already fording: rectifying indeed.
Not-yet fording: manhood’s exhaustion indeed.

Fields of meaning

Already, JI: completed, done, occurred, finished; past tense; shortly after. Ford, JI: see Image of the Situation. Rectify, DING: correct, settle, fix; peaceful, tranquil, stable; certain, invariable. Indeed, YE: see Preceding Situation. Not-yet, WEI: see Image of the Situation. Man(hood), NAN: a man; what is inherently male; husband, son. Ideogram: field and strength, men’s hard work in the fields. ’s/of/ derive/it, ZHI: establishes between two terms a connection similar to the Saxon genitive, in which the second term belongs to the first one; at the end of a sentence it refers to something previously mentioned or implied. Exhaust, QIONG: see Preceding Situation.

Patterns of Wisdom

Fire located above stream. Not-yet fording.
A jun zi uses considerately marking-off the beings residing on all sides.

Fields of meaning

Fire, HUO: fire, flame, burn; warming and consuming aspect of burning; fire and brightness are the Symbols of the trigram Radiance, LI. Locate, ZAI: be at, be situated at, dwell, reside; in, within; involved with, in the process of. Ideogram: earth and persevere, a place on the earth. Above, SHANG: anything above in all senses; higher, upper, outer; upper trigram. Stream, SHUI: flowing water; river, tide, flood; fluid, dissolving; Symbol of the trigram Gorge, KAN. Ideogram: rippling water. Not-yet fording, WEI JI: see Image of the Situation. Jun zi: ideal of a person who orders his/her life in accordance with dao rather than willful intention, and uses divination in this spirit. Use, YI: by means of; owing to; make use of, employ. Consider, SHEN: act carefully, seriously; cautious, attentive, circumspect; still, quiet, sincere. Ideogram: heart and true. Mark-off, BIAN: distinguish by dividing; mark off a plot of land; discern, discriminate, differentiate; discuss and dispute; frame which divides a bed from its stand. Ideogram: knife and acrid, sharp division. Being, WU: creature, thing, any single being; matter, substance, essence; nature of things. Reside, JU: dwell, live in, stay; sit down; fill an office; well-being, rest. Ideogram: body and seat. Sides, FANG: cardinal directions; surface of the earth extending to the four cardinal points; everywhere; limits, boundaries.

Transforming Lines

INITIAL SIX

Soaking one’s tail.
Abashment.

Comments

Soaking one’s tail.
Truly not knowing the end indeed.

Fields of meaning

Soak, RU: see Image of the Situation. One/one’s, QI: general third person pronoun and possessive adjective; also: it/its, he/his, she/her, they/their. Tail, WEI: see Image of the Situation. Abashment, LIN: distress, shame, regret, humiliation; aware of having lost the right track; leads to repenting, HUI, correcting the direction of mind and life.

Truly, YI: in fact; also; nevertheless. Not, BU: common term of negation. Know, ZHI: have knowledge of, perceive, experience, remember; know intimately; informed, aware, wise. Ideogram: arrow and mouth, words focused and swift. End, JI: last or highest point; final, extreme; ridgepole of a house. Indeed, YE: see Preceding Situation.

NINE AT SECOND

Pulling-back one’s wheels.
Trial, significant.

Comments

Nine at second: Trial, significant.
In the center using movement to correct indeed.

Fields of meaning

Pull-back, YI: pull or drag something towards you; drag behind; leave traces. One/one’s, QI: general third person pronoun and possessive adjective; also: it/its, he/his, she/her, they/their. Wheel, LUN: disk, circle, round; revolution, circuit; rotate, roll; by turns. Trial, ZHEN: inquiry by divination and its result; righteous, firm; separating wheat from chaff; the kernel, the proven core; quality of winter and North, fourth stage of the Time Cycle. Ideogram: pearl and divination. Significant, JI: leads to the experience of meaning; favorable, propitious, appropriate. Ideogram: scholar and mouth, wise words of a sage.

Nine, JIU: number nine; transforming whole line; superlative: best, perfect. Two/second, ER: number two; pair, even numbers, binary, duplicate. Center, ZHONG: inner, central; put in the center; middle, stable point enabling you to face inner and outer changes; middle line of a trigram. Ideogram: field divided in two equal parts. Use, YI: see Patterns of Wisdom. Move, XING: move or move something; motivate; emotionally moving; walk, act, do. Ideogram: successive steps. Correct, ZHENG: rectify deviation or one-sidedness; proper, straight, exact, regular; constant, rule, model. Ideogram: stop and one, hold to one thing. Indeed, YE: see Preceding Situation.

SIX AT THIRD

Not-yet fording: disciplining, pitfall.
Harvesting: wading the great river.

Comments

Not-yet fording: disciplining, pitfall.
Position not appropriate indeed.

Fields of meaning

Not-yet fording, WEI JI: see Image of the Situation. Discipline, ZHENG: subjugate vassals, reduce to order; punishing expedition. Ideogram: step and correct, a rectifying move. Pitfall, XIONG: unfortunate situation, in which the flow of life and spirit is blocked and the experience of meaning is lost; stuck and exposed to danger; inappropriate attitude. Ideogram: person in a pit. Harvest, LI: benefit, advantage, profit; realization; sharp, acute, insightful; quality of autumn and West, third stage of the Time Cycle. Ideogram: ripe grain and blade. Wading the Great River, SHE DA CHUAN: enter the stream of life with a goal or purpose; embark on a significant enterprise.

Position, WEI: place, location; be at; social standing, rank; position of a line in a hexagram. Ideogram: person standing. Not, BU: common term of negation. Appropriate, DANG: suitable, capable, worthy, adequate, competent, equal to; opportune, convenient; whole lines in odd places and opened lines in even places. Indeed, YE: see Preceding Situation.

NINE AT FOURTH

Trial, significant, repenting extinguished.
The shake avails of subjugating souls on all sides.
Three years, possessing a donation tending-towards the great city.

Comments

Trial, significant, repenting extinguished.
Purpose moving indeed.

Fields of meaning

Trial, ZHEN: inquiry by divination and its result; righteous, firm; separating wheat from chaff; the kernel, the proven core; quality of winter and North, fourth stage of the Time Cycle. Ideogram: pearl and divination. Significant, JI: leads to the experience of meaning; favorable, propitious, appropriate. Ideogram: scholar and mouth, wise words of a sage. Repenting extinguished, HUI WANG: previous errors are corrected, all causes for repenting disappear. Shake, ZHEN: arouse, excite, inspire; awe, alarm, trembling; thunder rising from the depth of the earth; fertilizing intrusion. Ideogram: excite and rain. Avail, YONG: use, employ for a specific purpose; take advantage of; benefit from; capacity. Ideogram: to divine and center, applying divination to central concerns. Subjugate, FA: hit, cut; submit, make dependent; chastise rebels, subject to rule. Ideogram: man and lance, armed soldiers. Soul, GUI: power that creates individual existence; union of volatilesoul, HUN, spiritual and intellectual power, and dense-soul, PO, bodily strength and movement. HUN rises after death, PO remains with the body and may communicate with the living. Sides, FANG: see Patterns of Wisdom. Three/thrice, SAN: number three; third time or place; active phases of a cycle; superlative; beginning of repetition (since one and two are entities in themselves). Year, NIAN: year, annual; harvest; years revolved, years of age. Possess, YOU: general term indicating possession; have, own, be endowed with. Donate, SHANG: bestow, confer, grant; rewards, gifts; celebrate, take pleasure in. Tend-towards, YU: move toward without necessarily reaching, in the direction of. Great, DA: big, noble, important, very; orient the will toward a self-imposed goal, impose direction; ability to lead or guide one’s life; contrasts with small, XIAO, flexible adaptation to what crosses one’s path. City, GUO: city, state, country, nation; area of only human constructions; first of the territorial zones: city, suburbs, countryside, forest.

Purpose, ZHI: focus of mind and heart; intention, will, inclination; continuity in the direction of life. Ideogram: heart and scholar, high inner resolve. Move, XING: move or move something; motivate; emotionally moving; walk, act, do. Ideogram: successive steps. Indeed, YE: see Preceding Situation.

SIX AT FIFTH

Trial, significant, without repenting.
A jun zi’s shine.
Possessing conformity, significant.

Comments

A jun zi’s shine.
One’s brilliance significant indeed.

Fields of meaning

Trial, ZHEN: inquiry by divination and its result; righteous, firm; separating wheat from chaff; the kernel, the proven core; quality of winter and North, fourth stage of the Time Cycle. Ideogram: pearl and divination. Significant, JI: leads to the experience of meaning; favorable, propitious, appropriate. Ideogram: scholar and mouth, wise words of a sage. Without, WU: devoid of; there is not. Repent, HUI: regret, dissatisfaction with past conduct inducing a change of heart; proceeds from abashment, LIN, shame and confusion at having lost the right way. Jun zi: see Patterns of Wisdom. ’s/of/derive/it, ZHI: see Hexagrams in Pairs. Shine, GUANG: illuminate, emit light; brilliant, splendid; honor, glory, éclat; distinct from brightness, MING, light of heavenly bodies. Ideogram: fire above person. Possess, YOU: general term indicating possession; have, own, be endowed with. Conform, FU: accord between inner and outer; sincere, truthful, verified, reliable; capture; prisoners, spoils. Ideogram: claws over child, a bird brooding on the nest.

One/one’s, QI: general third person pronoun and possessive adjective; also: it/its, he/his, she/her, they/their. Brilliance, HUI: sunlight, sunbeam; bright, splendid. Indeed, YE: see Preceding Situation.

NINE ABOVE

Possessing conformity tending-towards drinking liquor.
Without fault.
Soaking one’s head.
Possessing conformity: letting-go that.

Comments

Drinking liquor, soaking the head.
Truly not knowing articulation indeed.

Fields of meaning

Possess, YOU: general term indicating possession; have, own, be endowed with. Conform, FU: accord between inner and outer; sincere, truthful, verified, reliable; capture; prisoners, spoils. Ideogram: claws over child, a bird brooding on the nest. Tend-towards, YU: move toward without necessarily reaching, in the direction of. Drink, YIN: drink, swallow, ingest liquid or food; inhale, suck in. Liquor, JIU: alcoholic beverages, distilled spirits; spirit which perfects the good and evil in human nature. Ideogram: liquid above fermenting must, separating the spirits. Without fault, WU JIU: no error or harm in the situation. Soak, RU: see Image of the Situation. One/one’s, QI: general third person pronoun and possessive adjective; also: it/its, he/his, she/her, they/their. Head, SHOU: physical head; leader, sovereign; beginning, origin, model; foremost, superior, upper, front. Letgo, SHI: lose, let slip; omit, miss, fail; lose control of. Ideogram: drop from the hand. That, SHI: refers to the preceding statement.

Truly, YI: in fact; also; nevertheless. Not, BU: common term of negation. Know, ZHI:have knowledge of, perceive, experience, remember; know intimately; informed, aware, wise. Ideogram: arrow and mouth, words focused and swift. Articulate, JIE: joint, articulation; a separation which simultaneously establishes the identity of the parts and their connection; express thought through speech; section, chapter, interval; temperance, virtue; rite, ceremony; lit.: nodes of bamboo stalks. Indeed, YE: see Preceding Situation.

Image Tradition

Not-yet fording. Growing.
The supple acquires the center indeed.

The small fox in a muddy ford.
Not-yet emerging from the center indeed.
Soaking its tail.
Without direction Harvesting.
Not continuing to completion indeed.
Although not in appropriate positions, solid and supple correspond indeed.

Fields of meaning

Not-yet fording. Growing, WEI JI HENG: see Image of the Situation. Supple, ROU: quality of the opened lines; flexible, pliant, adaptable, tender. Acquire, DE: obtain the desired object; possession; satisfied, fulfilled; it is permitted; agree with; wish for, desire covetously. Ideogram: go and obstacle, going through obstacles to the goal. Center, ZHONG: inner, central; put in the center; middle, stable point enabling you to face inner and outer changes; middle line of a trigram. Ideogram: field divided in two equal parts. Indeed, YE: see Preceding Situation.

The small fox in a muddy ford, XIAO HU XI JI: see Image of the Situation. Emerge, CHU: come out of, proceed from, spring from, issue forth; appear, be born; bear, generate; leave, flee; Action of the trigram Shake, ZHEN. Ideogram: stem with branches and leaves emerging. Soaking its tail, RU QI WEI: see Image of the Situation. Without direction Harvesting, WU YOU LI: see Image of the Situation. Not, BU: common term of negation. Continue, XU: carry on what another began; succeed to, inherit, transmit; keep up, follow. Complete, ZHONG: see Preceding Situation.

Although, SUI: even though, supposing that, if, even if. Appropriate, DANG: suitable, capable, worthy, adequate, competent, equal to; opportune, convenient; whole lines in odd places and opened lines in even places. Position, WEI: place, location; be at; social standing, rank; position of a line in a hexagram. Ideogram: person standing. Solid, GANG: quality of the whole lines; firm, strong, unyielding, persisting. Correspond, YING: be in agreement or harmony; proper, suitable; resonate together, answer to; relation between the lines (1 and 4, 2 and 5, 3 and 6) when they form the pair opened and whole, supple and solid. Ideogram: heart and obey.