I Ching of the Week: Appearances are Sometimes Deceiving (9/7/2012)

By Tara Faulkner

The message from the I Ching for humankind this week is a cautionary but hopeful one. It’s about quietly cultivating and celebrating our interdependence and sense of community with one another, in anticipation of a time when we will rise up collectively for the greater good of all. That time is not quite upon us, however. We currently find ourselves in a holding pattern of sorts, a period when we are obliged to turn inward in order to marshal our inner resources, our psychological and spiritual strengths, our most private and intimate relationships.

From the outside looking in, this strategy of turning inward can be easily misunderstood or misinterpreted as an act of submission to the powers that be, a subordination of our wills to those who appear to have all the cards stacked in their favor. But, appearances can be deceiving, especially concerning those who are lacking in the empathy and introspection departments.

In the words of the I Ching:

13. Community

When individuals experience themselves as integral parts of a greater community, much can be accomplished for the good. Seek out those with whom you feel a natural affinity at this time. Cultivate and celebrate your sense of interdependence.

Changing into:

54. Subordination

You find yourself in a subordinate position regarding the situation under consideration. You currently lack the ability to effect a positive change in your external circumstances. Therefore, remain inviolate within yourself, find your inner strength and exercise great caution.

The view is always much clearer from the insider looking out than from the outside looking in. A good example of this would be the US Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and ‘60s. One day, the world outside the vast network of African-American churches in the deep South knew nothing about it. Then suddenly, external events catalyzed the movement into action and overnight the impetus for justice emerged full blown and fully articulated in the public arena. It was there just beneath the surface for a long time before that moment occurred, but invisible to those who did not have eyes to see.