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[mamculuna]

49 Ko: Revolution (Molting)

Tui, the joyous, lake is over Li, the clinging, fire.

The Chinese character for this hexagram means in its original sense an animal's pelt, which is changed in the course of the year by moulting. From this word is carried over to apply to the "mountings" in political life, the great revolutions connected with changes of governments.
The two trigrams making up the hexagram are the same two that appear in Kuei, OPPOSITION (38), that is, the two younger daughters, Li and Tui. But while there the elder of the two daughters is above, and what results is essentially only an opposition of tendencies, here the younger daughter is above. The influences are in actual conflict, and the forces combat each other like fire and water (lake), each trying to destroy the other. Hence the idea of revolution.



The judgement

REVOLUTION. On your own day
You are believed.
Supreme success,
Furthering through perseverance.
Remorse disappears.

Political revolutions are extremely grave matters. They should be undertaken only under stress of direst necessity, when there is no other way out. Not everyone is called to this task, but only the man who has the confidence of the people, and even he only when the time is ripe. He must then proceed in the right way, so that he gladdens the people and, by enlightening them, prevents excesses. Furthermore, he must be quite free of selfish aims and must really relieve the need of the people. Only then does he have nothing to regret.
Times change, and with them their demands. Thus the seasons change in the course of the year. In the world cycle also there are spring and autumn in the life of peoples and nations, and these call for social transformations.

The image

Fire in the lake: the image of REVOLUTION.
Thus the superior man
Sets the calendar in order
And makes the seasons clear.
Fire below and the lake above combat and destroy each other. So too in the course of the year a combat takes place between the forces of light and the forces of darkness, eventuating in the revolution of the seasons, and man is able to adjust himself in advance to the demands of the different times.

More at http://oaks.nvg.org/yhg.html#49

Readers of history will find the title of Frances Fitzgerald's great book on Vietnam (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0316159190/103-6184110-6451010?v=glance) in the image.

When I used to get this hexagram in the sixties, I took it politically. I wish. But I don't see this as a time of political revolution--even if Kerry wins, there won't be much change, I fear.

Now I have to read it personally, which is why I included the judgment. This is a time of revolution in my life, and this fits perfectly with the tarot card in the quiz I ganked from fresne

You are the Death card. Death is a stage in the
cycle of life. Without death, there would be no
room for new things to grow. When you receive
the Death card in a tarot reading, fear not;
Death is only an indication that transformation
is about to occur. Death allows us all to
evolve by removing that which is no longer
needed. The end of one cycle makes way for a
new one. Old behaviours and patterns which have
tied us down are released. Death cleans house
so that we don't have needless drains on our
energy. In Death's ruthless destruction there
lies compassion. Image from: Danielle Sylvie
Taylor
http://members.limitless.org/~morpheum/gallery.html


Which Tarot Card Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

So I already knew this was my death-and-rebirth time, what can I learn from the Ko hexagram? I think it is the idea of "making the seasons clear," of really leaving the old behind. The temptation to dabble in the old life is this:

I've been getting some email from some people in my old school. I knew they'd need to contact me sometimes about details of unfinished business, and that's fine--I tried to leave everything tied up, but know that's not possible. But this is different--it's a brand-new problem. The administration made a faculty member cancel a section of the minority lit course that had been publicized as focusing on gay and lesbian literature--not because of enrollment, but because of content.

This totally infuriates me on several levels: academic freedom, free speech, and of course the idea that it's fine to look at other minorities but not these. Having a gay son makes me identify with this a bit, too. Adding to the complexity for me is the fact that the instructor of the course is a guy that I'd really had some difficult dealings with in the past over completely unrelated issues, and in those cases had taken the side of the administration (still think I was right then).

I did help rewrite the petition to reinstate the course or offer it next semester, but have since decided that I'm no longer paid to get tied up in knots over what happens there. I'm able to ignore other things, even including the fall off in enrollment and possible cancellation of the program that was my baby, but find it more difficult with this one. Now is not the time, but I think eventually as a citizen and taxpayer I will find myself at least sending an email.

But another part of me says drop it completely, that's the old life. Forget it.

Comments

[an-old-one.livejournal.com]

You deserve to retreat and rest, if that is what you need right now. But this can't be forgotten, it's not part of an old life; it's real life, right here and now. Reading about it makes it part of my life. It makes me angry. It makes me want to be able to do something about it.

I've been reading a lot in the past few weeks, on a vast range of topics generally revolving around philosophy and physics. Surprisingly, one of the things that keeps seeping out the edges of these subjects is good, old-fashioned sexism. What a shock to realize I'd almost forgotten all about it. I'm in a very sheltered environment with regard to unequal treatment of het women and GBLT persons, both at work and at home. That's no excuse though. I should never have become complacent, because I'm beginning to suspect that the wheel is turning and it's coming around to another fight.

That's my wheel, though and your's may be at another point in the circle.

Blessings,
dub

[mamculuna.livejournal.com]

No, that's how I feel too. I test myself--would I be as involved if it were another institution, one in my community but not one I'd worked at? Obviously, YES! And it helps that this is not something that was part of my work life before I left. So I'm thinking now that I won't drop it.