We’re in the season of big plans and grand gestures, all in keeping with Sagittarius. In addition, yesterday’s full moon in Gemini probably had us feeling playful, energetic, and possibly distracted.
Yet this week’s hexagram 9 from the I Ching is The Taming Power of the Small, reminding us to focus on small goals and successes.
We’ve quickly gone from The Power of the Great to the seemingly opposite The Taming Power of the Small in just one week.
It might not make sense that The Taming Power of the Small is associated with the fire sign of Sagittarius, a sign which loves lofty ideals and the big picture rather than details.
Yet the Sagittarius symbol of the archer’s arrow does speak to the importance of focus.
The image of this hexagram is one of many clouds, but the wind is not strong enough to bring forth rain from those clouds. In times when we cannot have an impact on the outer world, we “can do nothing except refine the expression” of our nature in small ways, per Wilhelm’s translation.
Also: “To carry out our purpose we need firm determination within and gentleness and adaptability in external relations.”
I’ll close with one of my favorite descriptions of Sagittarius from Arielle Guttman, which highlights how it is a perfect season for turning inward even amidst the outer distractions of the holidays:
During the month of Sagittarius, the world is locked in the depths of winter. The landscape is quiet, buried under the snow. Activity is at a minimum. Among Native American peoples, this is the time for telling stories, for philosophical reflection. So it is no wonder that Sagittarius is a sign of wisdom and preeminently the sign of the philosopher.
_______
Schedule an Astrology Consultation | Subscribe to the Monthly Depth Books Newsletter | Get Blog Posts by Email |Contact Me
References:
I Ching or Book of Changes translated by Richard Wilhelm
Mythic Astrology: Internalizing the Planetary Powers by Arielle Guttman
