The first half of life is “essentially a giant, unavoidable mistake,” according to author and Jungian analyst James Hollis.
I always chuckle when I reflect upon that. It helps me take some of my own past youthful folly less seriously.
Of course, first half of life habits and mistakes can happen during the second half of life, especially if the person is in denial about aging.
And sometimes people in the first half of life have second half of life type of wisdom, particularly if they have faced a lot of adversity.
Hilary Barrett refers to the I Ching Hexagram 4-Youthful Folly as “Not Knowing” and describes it as:
“Not Knowing literally means being covered over, like a young animal hidden away in the undegrowth by its mother. So you are ignorant, and cannot see as far as you would like to – but this is not such a terrible thing while you are still so small. To be small and ignorant is a creative harmonious way to engage with your world, and holding steadily to not knowing – and hence to learning – will bring good results.”
Problems arise if the “young ignoramous goes running after answers, as if it were embarrassing not to know. In his anxious persistence he shows a profound disrespect – for his teacher, and also for the answer he is seeking that he imagines can be had so quickly.”
That reminds of what Clarissa Pinkola Estés says: “One need not push it, the understanding will come. Some things must be accepted as being out of our reach, even though they act upon us, and we are enriched by them.”
This hexagram takes us through the next week of Leo.* It isn’t always so easy for Leo to swallow its pride and admit to youthful folly and not knowing.
You first have to admit that there is something for you to learn in order to be taught.
As the Tao Te Ching says: “Not to know the things you ought to know is folly. To know that there are some things you cannot know is wisdom. The wise recognize the limits of their knowledge; the foolish think they know everything.”
Here are some prompts you can ponder in the next week if you feel so inclinced:
What do you need to be to represent your authentic self in the world?
What kind of journey would you be willing to make without a map or GPS?
What are your favorite resources and tools for improving your self-awareness?
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*The 64 hexagrams of the I Ching, an ancient Chinese text, are arranged along the ecliptic (the celestial equator) in Human Design. In astrology there are 12 zodiac signs along the ecliptic, so there are 5.3 hexagrams per zodiac sign. I’m contemplating these hexagrams as a way to engage with astrology, the I Ching, and Jungian psychology.
References:
Women Who Run With the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estés
I Ching: Walking Your Path, Creating Your Future by Hilary Barrett
