A square tabletop above and empty space below.
Did you have a tough nut to crack yesterday? How did it go again: a walnut as a symbol of accumulation? Those ancient Chinese had an unusually free associative ability, you might have thought. To be honest, the choice of a walnut came from my unrestrained interpretation of the imagery of the ancient Book of Changes.
The first thought that comes to mind when reading ‘Mountain above Heaven’ is probably that of an imposing cloud, a floating castle in the air, a drifting mountain of water and ice.
Chapter 26. Accumulation elaborates on the importance of restraint and limitation and how great vital force can be tamed. And the above image does not show enough of that.
The mountain referred to here symbolises control over unexpected forces, effervescent creativity and explosive chemistry, whether political or otherwise. ‘Mountain over Sky’: a prison wall, a beer bottle, a gas tank, rules of procedure, a pressure cooker?
All of these images are useful, but the similarity in shape between a walnut and a brain, and the reassuring protection offered by the simple shell, made me choose the nut. As an icon for Chapter 26.
So far: cupboard, lamp, nut.
How does the walk continue? Which line changes today? The dice chooses the sixth, the top line.
This changes from continuous to intermittent.
The other five lines remain as they were. The hexagram of Accumulation fades, that of Prospering appears: Earth above Heaven. Peace and Advance are used as well as title of Chapter 11. Together with that of the following Chapter 12. Stagnation, it is one of the most iconic and well-known hexagrams in Chinese culture.
The Earth is above, the Heaven below. That is strange. Because wherever you go, the sky is always above you, and wherever you are, the earth is always beneath your feet. And yet here, in this hexagram, Earth is placed above Heaven.
The Heaven above means tax cuts for the rich. The Earth below means thoughtless and heartless exploitation of the earth. These are not ingredients for sustainable prosperity.
Here, however, the guiding principle is subordinate to vulnerability. Heaven below Earth. If you have more time, read about this fascinating research on healthcare in the Stone Age.
The natural movement of the Earth is downward, and that of Heaven is upward. If Heaven were already above, and Earth already below, how could they ever meet?
Oh yes, before I forget: the photo of the table at the top of this post? A square top, horizontal like the earth. And underneath it, empty space and four round, heavenly legs.
To be continued in ...
