I ching

I Ching Hexagram 37
Chia Jen (Family)

Action: Support

Hu Gua (hidden influence) 64 Before Completion: Prepare

Zong Gua (underlying cause) 40 Liberation: Untangle

In the contrast of the family,
life reveals your deeper color.

To put the family in order, we must cultivate our personal life;
and to cultivate our personal life, we must first set our hearts right. –Kung fu tzu

Reading at a Glance: When facing any type of difficulty, returning to the family allows us to feel unconditional love and acceptance. Sometimes the family is nothing more than the circle of friends who ‘get us’ and offer unconditional support. When we return to a place in which we relax into our authenticity, we discover that part of us that is unchanging over time. Perhaps a period of battles must give way to a period of rest and sharing meals with loved ones. The Judgment says it is the care of the woman that brings good fortune. Men and women alike must nurture their sensitivity and need for comfort. When all the people sharing a household understand their roles the family thrives. When all the characters and aspects of the psyche are functioning without repression, the individual thrives. However, just as evolution ensures that each offspring is a unique variation of the strengths and weaknesses of the parent our siblings will not be like us. This means that the family will not be without some stresses of non compatibility. Accept your differences with gratitude because the family is a perfect place to see your real face in their mirror. The wind excites the flame and we see the hearth fire stoking one’s individual nature. The hidden influence of Before Completion also underscores the idea of incompletion even in what appears to be a safe environment. The home can be any structure where each individual is supported in their unique needs. While it remains a platform for growth, it is a home. When it becomes a prison the walls will never hold us. The underlying cause is Liberation which is something that sets us free. Therefore, while the family of any type including work and friendships creates a communal space we must never forget that life will continue to prod our authenticity forward. Only when our heart is right can we enjoy the communal space we share with others. We fall into our roles because of our strengths and gifts, not because of other’s expectations.

You seek a haven

and find a stone.

But the stone will shape you

of your own likeness.

“During times of adversity, we turn back to the family.” The Gentle Wind stirs above the Clinging Fire, fanning it and sustaining illumination. Chia Jen is the hearth fire, kept burning during times of trouble. It is a place where we find safety and nourishment during difficult times.

the master said. "Know the male, but keep to the role of the female and be a valley to the empire." Where the father may inspire children toward conformity and placement in society, the mother recognizes a child's uniqueness and loves them unconditionally.

The Clinging Fire reveals how you are shaped by the family in this way. Within this small circle, you can observe your character active in the larger aspect of society. You may think you are only different in family dynamics, but this is not true. Heat creates energy. The Wind stirs it up and is excited by it. The truthfulness of the family circle simply has a way of activating dynamics more quickly.

All things that your family holds sacred endure for you throughout life. Chia Jen is the image of a pig and a dog, protected under a dwelling, while someone prays. The pig represents what you value while the dog is your faithfulness. Even as the Winds of experience continue to shape your character, the root of your inner light emerged when you were young. Chia Jen suggests the dwelling, which protects all that you hold sacred.

Natural selection drives divergence in character traits because the more diversified we are, the better will be our chance for survival. Even among family members within a particular species, each are endowed with variations. This ensures that competition for short supply in a shared environment is always minimized.

The master said: "There is no greater joy than to examine oneself and be sincere." There is no other pathway than to cultivate what is real for you. You often seek encouragement from the family and do not find it. You believe that they will provide a haven and instead, they offer a stone. Yet, this stone becomes your gift, because it will shape you in your own likeness.

The family can be a source of support, even while their dynamics shape you in the same way that the wind carves a mountain. In the contrast of your differences, they often reveal your deepest color. You stand in the present as life’s best example of one variation of the line you carry forward. As the Wind and the Flame glow brightest near the hearth, you will discover just how unique you are.

As a message about supporting others in a team dynamic, open communication is necessary. Everyone should understand the role they play and each should be encouraged to achieve their highest potential.