USA under Bill Clinton
(Archives 1972)
Hexagram 46 – Sheng – Pushing Upward
The lower trigram, Sun, represents wood, and the upper, K’un, means the earth. Linked with this is the idea that wood in the earth grows upward. In contrast to the meaning of Chin, PROGRESS (35), this pushing upward is associated with effort, just as a plant needs energy for pushing upward through the earth. That is why this hexagram, although it is connected with success, is associated with effort of the will. In PROGRESS the emphasis is on expansion; PUSHING UPWARD indicates rather a vertical ascent – direct rise from obscurity and lowliness to power and influence.
THE JUDGMENT
PUSHING UPWARD
has supreme success.
One must see the great man.
Fear not.
Departure toward the south
Brings good fortune.
The pushing upward of the good elements encounters no obstruction and is therefore accompanied by great success. The pushing upward is made possible not by violence but by modesty and adaptability. Since the individual is borne along by the propitiousness of the time, he advances. He must go to see authoritative people. He need not be afraid to do this, because success is assured. But he must set to work, for activity (this is the meaning of “the south”) brings good fortune.
THE IMAGE
Within the earth, wood grows: The image of PUSHING UPWARD.
Thus the superior man of devoted character
Heaps up small things
In order to achieve something high and great.
Adapting itself to obstacles and bending around them, wood in the earth grows upward without haste and without rest. Thus too the superior man is devoted in character and never pauses in his progress.
THE LINES
Six at the beginning means:
Pushing upward that meets with confidence
Brings great good fortune.
This is the situation at the beginning of ascent. Just as wood draws strength for its upward push from the root, which in itself is in the lowest place, so the power to rise comes from this low and obscure station. But there is a spiritual affinity with the rulers above, and this solidarity creates the confidence needed to accomplish something.
MOVING HEXAGRAM
Hexagram 11 – T’ai – Peace
The Receptive, which moves downward, stands above; the Creative, which moves upward, is below. Hence their influences meet and are in harmony, so that all living things bloom and prosper. This hexagram belongs to the first month (February-March), at which time the forces of nature prepare the new spring.
THE JUDGMENT
PEACE.
The small departs,
The great approaches.
Good fortune.
Success.
This hexagram denotes a time in nature when heaven seems to be on earth. Heaven has placed itself beneath the earth, and so their powers unite in deep harmony. Then peace and blessing descend upon all living things.
In the world of man it is a time of social harmony; those in high places show favor to the lowly, and the lowly and inferior in their turn are well disposed toward the highly placed. There is an end to all feuds.
Inside, at the center, in the key position, is the light principle; the dark principle is outside. Thus the light has a powerful influence, while the dark is submissive. In this way each receives its due. When the good elements of society occupy a central position and are in control, the evil elements come under their influence and change for the better. When the spirit of heaven rules in man, his animal nature also comes under its influence and takes its appropriate place.
The individual lines enter the hexagram from below and leave it again at the top. Here the small, weak, and evil elements are about to take their departure, while the great, strong, and good elements are moving up. This brings good fortune and success.
THE IMAGE
Heaven and earth unite: the image Of PEACE.
Thus the ruler Divides and completes the course of heaven and earth;
He furthers and regulates the gifts of heaven and earth,
And so aids the people.
Heaven and earth are in contact and combine their influences, producing a time of universal flowering and prosperity. This stream of energy must be regulated by the ruler of men. It is done by a process of division. Thus men divide the uniform flow of time into the seasons, according to the succession of natural phenomena, and mark off infinite space by the points of the compass. In this way nature in its overwhelming profusion of phenomena is bounded and controlled. On the other hand, nature must be furthered in her productiveness. This is done by adjusting the products to the right time and the right place, which increases the natural yield. This controlling and furthering activity of man in his relation to nature is the work on nature that rewards him.
COMMENTARIES
The Oracle correctly predicted that the Clinton Presidency would be quite positive:
1) His First Gua was Hexagram 46 – Sheng – Pushing Upwards:
PUSHING UPWARD has supreme success. One must see the great man. Fear not. Departure toward the south Brings good fortune.
2) His line (Six at the Beginning):
Pushing upward that meets with confidence Brings great good fortune.
3) His 2 Second Gua was Hexagram 11 – T’ai – Peace:
PEACE. The small departs, The great approaches. Good fortune. Success.
Everything was almost perfect for a time to govern and do great things for the people. Clinton’s first government was a government dedicated to the social issues and in particular to the health care issue. In spite of the fact he could not achieve a global insurance policy for most Americans (that was for Obama to complete), there is plenty of evidence as pointed out by the Oracle that his policies were positive for the country as well as for the wellbeing of the citizens.
BUT NOT EVERYTHING COULD BE PERFECT:
· His Nuclear Hexagram was 54 Kuei Mei – The Marrying Maiden
NUCLEAR HEXAGRAM
HEXAGRAM 54 – Kuei Mei – The Marrying Maiden
Above we have Chen, the eldest son, and below, Tui, the youngest daughter. The man leads and the girl follows him in gladness. The picture is that of the entrance of the girl into her husband’s house. In all, there are four hexagrams depicting the relationship between husband and wife. Hsien, INFLUENCE (31), describes the attraction that a young couple has for each other; Heng, DURATION (32), portrays the permanent relationships of marriage; Chien, DEVELOPMENT (53), reflects the protracted, ceremonious procedures attending the arrangement of a proper marriage; finally, Kuei Mei, THE MARRYING MAIDEN, shows a young girl under the guidance of an older man who marries her. (1)
THE JUDGMENT
THE MARRYING MAIDEN.
Undertakings bring misfortune.
Nothing that would further.
A girl who is taken into the family, but not as the chief wife, must behave with special caution and reserve. She must not take it upon herself to supplant the mistress of the house, for that would mean disorder and lead to untenable relationships.
The same is true of all voluntary relationships between human beings. While legally regulated relationships evince a fixed connection between duties and rights, relationships based on personal inclination depend in the long run entirely on tactful reserve.
Affection as the essential principle of relatedness is of the greatest importance in all relationships in the world. For the union of heaven and earth is the origin of the whole of nature. Among human beings likewise, spontaneous affection is the all-inclusive principle of union.
THE IMAGE
Thunder over the lake: The image of THE MARRYING MAIDEN.
Thus the superior man
Understands the transitory
In the light of the eternity of the end.
Thunder stirs the water of the lake, which follows it in shimmering waves. This symbolizes the girl who follows the man of her choice. But every relationship between individuals bears within it the danger that wrong turns may be taken, leading to endless misunderstandings and disagreements. Therefore it is necessary constantly to remain mindful of the end. If we permit ourselves to drift along, we come together and are parted again as the day may determine. If on the other hand a man fixes his mind on an end that endures, he will succeed in avoiding the reefs that confront the closer relationships of people.
(1) In China, monogamy is formally the rule, and every man has but one official wife. This marriage, which is less the concern of the two participants than of their families, is contracted with strict observance of forms. But the husband retains the right also to indulge his more personal inclinations. Indeed, it is the most gracious duty of a good wife to be helpful to him in this respect. In this way the relationship that develops becomes a beautiful and open one, and the girl who enters the family at the husband’s wish subordinates herself modestly to the wife as a younger sister. Of course it is a most difficult and delicate matter, requiring tact on the art of all concerned. But under favorable circumstances this represents the solution of a problem for which European culture has failed to find an answer. Needless to say, the ideal set for woman in China is achieved no oftener than is the European ideal.
COMMENTARIES
The Oracle warned Clinton to stay away from extra marital affairs. Of course, that was like asking him not to eat at McDonalds.
Actually, the warning was for both:
1) Bill Clinton, who from his days as the Governor of Arkansas was a womanizer and had many affairs as evidenced by the all the suits these women brought against him:
THE MARRYING MAIDEN. Undertakings bring misfortune. Nothing that would further.
2) Monica Lewinsky:
A girl who is taken into the family, but not as the chief wife, must behave with special caution and reserve. She must not take it upon herself to supplant the mistress of the house, for that would mean disorder and lead to untenable relationships.
The Oracle advised him:
Thunder over the lake: The image of THE MARRYING MAIDEN. Thus the superior man Understands the transitory In the light of the eternity of the end.
By concentrating on the transitory (engaging in sexual affairs), he neglected the eternity of the end (his legacy). People will not think of the good he did but of his affairs. His name will forever be linked to those of his lovers and in particular to that of Monica Lewinsky.
