It might not be wedding season right now where you live, but it is the theme of this next week of Capricorn season.

Hexagram 54 of the I Ching, “The Marrying Maiden,” symbolizes a situation where a young, receptive individual aligns with a strong, mature force.

This harkens back to ancient Chinese times when a “first wife” would go to her new home accompanied by her female relatives who became “second wives.” They were there to help make things easier for the first wife and have a supporting role only. Marriage was about the families and not just the couple.

Today marriage does not typically involve a crowd (whew!), but all of us play supporting roles in some area(s) of life. Adaptability, cooperation, and humility are necessary, so as to foster harmony.

It’s good timing that this energy is present during the next week of Capricorn sesason.

Capricorn is an earth sign and values tradition and structure, but has a need to blend in the youthful enthusiasm of the “marrying maidens.” Capricorn could become a little too dreary otherwise.

Mars entered Capricorn on Thursday and brings strategic vigor and determination. Mars can also be self-sacrificing, especially in Saturnian Capricorn. As important as unity and harmony are, however, Mars will help us not lose our individuality in the process.

The “marrying maidens” also symbolize affection. Venus is currently in enthusiastic, Jupiterian Sagittarius, which can help bring the affection that Wilhelm mentions in his commentary: “Affection as the essential principle of relatedness is of the greatest importance in all relationships in the world.”

Who are the “marrying maidens” in your life that provide support or affection?

In which areas of life do you provide a supporting role? Are you adaptible and cooperative in this role? Are there ways you can be more collaborative?

Reflecting on recent interactions, in what ways have you successfully blended youthful enthusiasm with the wisdom of experience?

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References:

I Ching or Book of Changes translated by Richard Wilhelm

In pondering this week’s Hexagram 58: Opposition from The I Ching it makes me wonder yet again what it would be like if world leaders had an I Ching expert on staff.

Again and again the I Ching reminds us to not use force. If someone opposes you, you cannot bring about unity by force.

When two parties who are in opposition work together, they should limit themselves to working on making progress in small matters. We can make small progress with people we disagree with while preserving our individuality at the same time.

The nature image for this hexagram is Fire and Lake because the two move in opposition directions: Fire has an upward motion, and Lake (water) has a downward motion.

Alfred Huang calls this hexagram Diversity instead of Opposition because of the diversity in people’s vision:

“All diversity can be harmonized, no matter whether it is between members of a household, or members of a society, or between nations of the world. The clue lies in one’s attitude. If both sides are willing to come together in sincerity and truthfulness, no problem cannot be solved.”

Happily, there is a reference to joy in this hexagram:

“The joyous clings to the brilliant. The yielding advances and moves upward. It attains the central place and corresponds to the firm. This is why there is good fortune in little things.”

The Saturnian Capricorn season is the perfect time to focus on making progress in little things, as Capricorn is all about wanting to build things that last, rather than focusing on unrealistic New Year’s resolutions.

This is my last blog post of 2023 and I wrote 46 blog posts this year. In May I had the inspiration to start writing about astrology in tandem with the week’s I Ching Hexagram and these little things have helped me rediscover my love of writing. They have also given me a structure to write about astrology, the I Ching, and Jungian psychology in a way that I hope is accessible to a reader that knows nothing about any of those topics, but yet also interesting to someone who knows a lot about those topics. I like to think of these posts as a way of providing bibliotherapy. I still also write the occasional long form pieces about personality typology and astrology.

What little things brought you good fortune this year? I wish you all the best for 2024 and thank you very much if you read one or several of my posts in 2023.

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References:

The Complete I Ching by Alfred Huang

The memes and stereotypes out there about the sign of Capricorn don’t tend to mention joy, so I love that the Hexagram associated with this next week of Capricorn is 58: Joyful.

This is one of the eight hexagrams that is doubling of a trigram, in this case double lakes. The two lakes replenish each other and do not evaporate and dry up. I live near an isthmus flanked by two different lakes, so I like this image.

This represents how knowledge, too, should be revitalizing and not dry us up. Per Wilhelm’s translation, knowledge becomes this way through “stimulating intercourse with congenial friends with whom one holds discussion and practices application of the truths of life.“

Such conversations are among the best things in life; they can also be all too rare.

In addition to the congenial friends, gentleness and inner strength are also components of joy: “True joy, therefore, rests on firmness and strength within, manifesting itself outwardly as yielding and gentle.“ Joyous moods must be based on steadfastness otherwise it will “degenerate into uncontrolled mirth.”

If you’re wondering how a hexagram of two lakes can correlate to the earth element of Capricorn, the bottom half of the Capricorn sea goat symbol is a fish and connects us to the ocean and water. Capricorn is a sensual sign, as are all the earth signs. Maybe in this next week if you want a stimulating, and grounding, conversation you should seek out someone with Capricorn Sun, Moon, Mercury, and/or Rising!

This is one of those hexagrams that makes me think of extraverted feeling function in typology. It exhorts us to not be stubborn about our opinions and instead listen to others’ in order to foster outward harmony. At the same time we shouldn’t be obsequious and fawn over others.

This reminds me of Rachel Naomi Remen’s description of joy: “Joy seems to be a part of an unconditional wish to live, not holding back because life may not meet our preferences and expectations. Joy seems to be a function of the willingness to accept the whole, and to show up to meet with whatever is there.”

Wishing you joy, great conversation, and perhaps at least a little mirth in the week ahead.

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References:

I Ching or Book of Changes translated by Richard Wilhelm

Kitchen Table Wisdom: Stories that Heal by Rachel Naomi Remen, M.D.

Yesterday was the winter solstice and I’m starting to view it as my favorite day of the year.

Santa rode past our house last night on a vintage fire truck, which added to the cheer.

It’s the day with the least amount of light; then we get approximately one more minute of daylight each day for the next six months until the summer solstice.

It reminds me of what one often hears from the self-help crowd: try to get 1% better every day in whatever you are working on. It is now Capricorn season, and that concept seems fitting, as Capricorn is about building things that last, which requires steady improvement.

Which brings us to our winter solstice hexagram: Hexagram 10: Treading (Conduct) of the I Ching.

It symbolizes the need for cautious progress and conducting oneself with dignity. The commentary says one should step forward with great care, as if treading near a tiger’s tail. I’ve accidentally stepped on a cat’s tail a time or two and, based on the cat’s reaction, know how important it is to tread carefully!

It’s a time of year when we start thinking about resolutions or goals for the year ahead. I go through my journal from the previous year and note the highs and lows and see what I can do to have more of those highs in the next year.

These wise words from Liz Greene are good to keep in mind while Treading or trying to making improvements:

I think you must take what you are, appreciate it, and make the most of it. Any “improvements” we try to make on ourselves need to be made from a place of self-acceptance and self-appreciation. Otherwise they may represent a compulsive attempt to fulfill others’ expectations or an idealised image of perfection, and are therefore inauthentic and ultimately useless.

Wishing you a happy solstice and happy holidays!

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References:

I Ching or Book of Changes translated by Richard Wilhelm

The Art of Stealing Fire by Liz Greene