Lake Octet
The ROOTS of the category of Lake in the universal IC are in a generic sense of expansive
bonding, to share space with another/others 'without'. The overall focus
is on use of a sense of self-reflection, intensity in expression with others - and so a focus on sharing space
with others as one shares space with an audience or lover. Emotionally there is a link to love (sex) through an
emphasis on replication, mimicry, copying.
19 - approaching (unconditional 'seeking an
audience' - high defers to low)
41 - concentrating (conditional approaching
- distillation, all 'together')
60 - standardising, limiting (unconditional)
61 - yielding, empathising (conditional standardising,
'sameness' in feeling, resonance)
54 - immaturing, 'immediate development' (need
for) (unconditional)
38 - opposing, mirroring (conditional)
58 - self-reflecting, intense expressing (unconditional)
10 - treading (a path) (conditional self-reflecting)
ALL of these can be interpreted negatively or positively - e.g. 54 is often interpreted as negative, but the case
being more on a focus on a demand for 'growing up' quickly due to circumstances outside of one's control. As such
the 'immediate development' requirement is 'opposed' by the gradual development, the maturing, of 54s structural
opposite - 53.
The skeletal form
of 54 is described by analogy to 64 - a focus on mis-sequencing, incorrect steps, 'closing' (aka maturing, completing) to
early, there is a need to remain 'open'.
54 pairs with 38 where there is the conditional requirement of a quick response in the form of mirroring, dealing
with opposition through putting up a mirror such that the opposition see themselves in you and so leave you alone
- you can get on with your life 'behind' the mirror.
The skeletal form of 38 is described by analogy to 40 - tension release through relaxation of structure etc. In 38s structural opposite, 39, with its
focus on dealing with obstructions, and so includes being one, going against the flow, the skeletal form is 37 - tension
release through rigid structuring. As such the pair 38/39 cover issues of going against the 'grain' or 'flow' etc
and bypassing oppositions/obstructions. 53/54 can be interpreted as covering issues of going 'with' the flow, either
by choice or circumstance. This quartet then forms into pairs of 54,38 and 39,53.
In the above pairs of the lake octet, the first hexagram is unconditional in its manner, the second is conditional.
Thus, since this octet reflects in a microcosm the macrocosm so the 'opposites' dynamics of the macro apply. Thus
we have pairs of hexagrams reflecting the unconditional/conditional expressions of the five lines each hexagram
shares with the other:
19, 41 (both seek to 'mix' and from there 'distill' something. In 41 the conditional nature allows for the distillation
process to fail and so figurative 'decrease' becomes literal 'decrease'; in 19 the failure can be in the deference
of the high to the low being 'false')
60, 61 (unconditional 'standards' vs conditional, personal, standards e.g. as a judge goes to bat for a prisoner
etc)
54, 38 (see earlier comments)
58, 10
As well as the mapping of POTENTIALS/ACTUALS, or more so the seeming 'balanced' as compared to their exaggerated
format:
19 - 10 (basic audience-seeking vs exaggeration in being watched intensely)
41 - 58 (basic concentration, distillation vs intensity in that concentration)
60 - 38 (basic limiting, standardising vs exaggerated form of 'reflecting' sameness)
61 - 54 (basic softening/yielding within to circumstance vs intense form)
All have a sense of dealing with issues of intensity in expressions, mirroring (copy, replicate) as a 'fundamental'
element.
The skeletal forms (27-ness) of all of these hexagrams are found in the octet
of water.
The PAIRS themselves form into quartets of meaning ((19,41),(60,61) Vs (54,38),(58,10)) and so on. (e.g. more pairs
such as 54,38 vs 58,10 - meaning in meaning in meaning - all due to the method of derivation)