A lot of the advice in the I Ching, and Taoism in general, can be summarized as “be like water,” which I love.
But for this week’s Hexagram 21: Biting Through we have “vigorous measures” that must be taken at once. There’s mention of a “criminal lawsuit,” the “application of penalties,” and “disturbances of harmonious social life caused by criminals and slanderers.”
Drama!
The hexagram image is thunder and lightning. Thunder represents the just application of penalties. Lightning symbolizes the clarity needed for executing the penalties swiftly.
This fearless confrontation of obstacles ties in well with the assertive energy of Aries season.
As I mentioned in my last post, I’ve been reading The Vital Spark by Jungian analyst Lisa Marchiano, which is perfect Aries reading.
Marchiano emphasizes how empathy, care, and concern won’t help us when we are being preyed upon and face situations where we need to do our own Biting Through:
Standing up for ourselves will likely engender conflict—not just with our romantic partners but with our parents, siblings, co-workers, friends, neighbors, and more. Many of us find such conflict uncomfortable. We value harmony and often go to great lengths to preserve peace and affinity. Yet, if we can tolerate disagreement and strife, we will be able to act from authenticity rather than from a constricted compulsion to avoid conflict.
She includes a quote from Edward Edinger:
The majority of patients in psychotherapy need to learn how to be more effectively selfish and more effective in the use of their own personal power; they need to accept responsibility for the fact of being centers of power and effectiveness.
Acting from that place of authenticity is easier said than done. I recently read The Tools by psychologists Phil Stutz and Barry Michels, which provides a practical way to tap into your inner authority in the moment by using your shadow, of all things. The authors are favorably disposed towards Jungian psychology and believe in providing effective tools that are easily learned.
They describe an exercise for you to do to obtain an image of your shadow (I use a shadow figure from a dream). Then, prior to and even during a difficult conversation or encounter, you do the following:
Imagine that you’re standing in front of an audience of one or many. See an image of your Shadow off to one side, facing you. Ignore the audience completely and focus all of your attention on the Shadow. Feel an unbreakable bond between the two of you-as a unit you’re fearless.
Together, you and the Shadow forcefully turn toward the audience and silently command them to “LISTEN!” Feel the authority that comes when you and your Shadow speak with one voice.
We’re in the middle of a two week period between eclipses which can feel liminal and sometimes draining.
Mars and Saturn are both in Pisces, with a conjunction soon to form. This combination of archetypes is the very definition of Biting Through.
It’s an ideal time to bite through to the truth of a challenging situation you are facing, especially in the Pisces and Aries areas of your life.
What steps can you take to overcome any obstacles that stand in your way?
REFERENCES:
The Vital Spark: Reclaim Your Outlaw Energies and Find Your Feminine Fire by Lisa Marchiano, LCSW
The Tools: Transform Your Problems Into Courage, Confidence, and Creativity by Phil Stutz and Barry Michels
I Ching or Book of Changes translated by Richard Wilhelm
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