Emotional I Ching : Hexagram 08

08 Passive Uniting, Admiring, Belonging
In a context of devotion we utilise control

Trigrams : devotion (bottom), control (top) : with/from devotion comes control. [water over earth]

The mud from which 08 has emerged is best described by analogy to the under-stated qualities of hexagram 42, augmenting.

A situation focused on the attraction of the 'court' - ruler/guru etc where you go to them, they don't come to you

Commentary :

Cooperative format : In hexagram 08 one is influential by one's presence in that one attracts people from all around and establishes a sense of unity. Thus the contextual emphasis on augmentation and distinguishing chaff from wheat.

Oppositional format : In hexagram 08 control is against darkness.

Template/Persona type: Contractive Bounding in a context of Contractive Blending. The blend emphasis is on devotion whereas the bound emphasis is on establishing control; forming a group based on devotion.

Five-Phase Relationship : The trigram of Earth reflects the process of Filtration through faith. The trigram of Water reflects the process of Consumption. Consumption within a context of faith is reflected in spiritual 'consumption' through joining a select group.

Hexagram 08 is the specific form of hexagram 30

Goal of 08 - hexagram 34 (or 'how do I 34? - 08' - How do I motivate/invigorate? through unity)

08 is the goal of 03 (or 'how do I 08? - 03' - How do I unify? through sprouting, something 'new')

The I Ching tells us about hexagram 08:

Genotype	Description	Phenotype
(01)	How does this hexagram express singlemindedness, competitiveness?	14
(02)	What is this hexagram's potential form?	8
(03)	How does this hexagram 'sprout'?	24
(04)	How does this hexagram learn social skills?	59
(05)	How does this hexagram wait for opportunity to come?	11
(06)	How does this hexagram compromise, meet half way?	64
(07)	How does this hexagram express uniformity, establishment of?	29
(08)	How does this hexagram passively attract?	2
(09)	How does this hexagram express making small gains to be noticed?	26
(10)	How does this hexagram traverse a path carefully?	38
(11)	How does this hexagram balance/harmonise, mediate?	5
(12)	How does this hexagram neutralise attacks on its core beliefs?	35
(13)	How does this hexagram express association with the likeminded?	30
(14)	How does this hexagram manage from the centre? Direct operations? Push ideology?	1
(15)	How does this hexagram level things out, keep words close to facts?	39
(16)	How does this hexagram express foresight/planning?	45
(17)	How does this hexagram find a faith? What is its faith?	51
(18)	How does this hexagram correct corruption, express that correction?	57
(19)	How does this hexagram express approaching the 'high'; defer to the 'low'?	60
(20)	How does this hexagram elicit admiration and so invigorate others passively?	23
(21)	How does this hexagram resolve problems?	25
(22)	What does this hexagram look like, how does it present itself to the outside?	37
(23)	How does this hexagram 'housekeep', clear chaff to bring out the wheat?	20
(24)	How does this hexagram 'start', express 'beginning'?	3
(25)	How does this hexagram stand up to say its piece, ignoring consequences, disentangle?	21
(26)	How does this hexagram express 'holding firm' to traditions?	9
(27)	What is the basic, skeletal form of this hexagram, The mud from which it has emerged?	42
(28)	How does this hexagram express excess, go beyond what is required?	32
(29)	How does this hexagram assert containment/control?	7
(30)	How does this hexagram express guidance/direction setting?	13
(31)	How does this hexagram 'woo', express restrained enticement?	62
(32)	How does this hexagram express commitment?	28
(33)	How does this hexagram draw-in its enemies, competitively entice?	56
(34)	How does this hexagram actively invigorate others?	43
(35)	How does this hexagram bring something into the 'light'?	12
(36)	How does this hexagram protect its 'light' when not its time?	63
(37)	How does this hexagram reflect rigid structure as a form of tension release?	22
(38)	How does this hexagram 'mirror', deal with opposition?	10
(39)	How does this hexagram obstruct, go against, stand up to, the flow?	15
(40)	How does this hexagram express tension release through relaxing structure?	47
(41)	How does this hexagram achieve clarity, concentration, distillation?	61
(42)	How does this hexagram reflect augmentation?	27
(43)	How does this hexagram 'seed', spread the word?	34
(44)	How does this hexagram persuade/seduce?	50
(45)	How does this hexagram celebrate its 'faith'?	16
(46)	How does this hexagram become more entangled with something/someone?	48
(47)	How does this hexagram integrate with the context, be it by choice or otherwise?	40
(48)	Where does this hexagram get its nutrition, what sustains it, keeps it going?	46
(49)	How does this hexagram reveal, unmask?	55
(50)	How does this hexagram express conversion of the raw to the cooked, transformation?	44
(51)	How does this hexagram express surprise, enlightenment, shock?	17
(52)	How does this hexagram express blocking, discernment?	53
(53)	How does this hexagram express gradual development, maturity?	52
(54)	How does this hexagram expend early energy, immaturity?	58
(55)	How does this hexagram deal with abundance/overflowing?	49
(56)	How does this hexagram demonstrate conditional loyalty; loyalty at a distance?	33
(57)	How does this hexagram cultivate and become influential?	18
(58)	How does this hexagram express itself intensely, self-reflect?	54
(59)	How does this hexagram make things clear, dispel illusions? lift the fog?	4
(60)	How does this hexagram standardise?	19
(61)	How does this hexagram express empathy? yielding, soft core, hard exterior?	41
(62)	How does this hexagram express overacting to establish unconditional loyalty?	31
(63)	How does this hexagram complete, 'get it right'?	36
(64)	How does this hexagram remain 'open', mis-sequence?	6

Some PAIRINGS of hexagram 08 and other hexagrams:

In the traditional sequence hexagram 08 pairs with hexagram 07.

This pairing reflects differences in collectives and the sense of belonging, from the uniformity that is not necessarily accepted in hexagram 07, where the belonging is reflected in uniformity and a sense of containment, to one that focuses upon a collective that is attracting to individuals for its base focus on devotion.

UNIFORMITY:

07 : uniformity - through structure; 07 uniformity comes out of a context described by hexagram 41 - concentrating, distilling

08 : uniformity - through unify; 08 unify (passive attraction) comes out of a context described by hexagram 42 - augmenting

In the binary sequence hexagram 08 pairs with hexagram 20.

The common theme in this pair is on attraction and admiration, be it of a collective (and so possible cult - hexagram 08) or of an individual setting an example ( hexagram 20).

In the binary sequence hexagram 08 opposes hexagram 14.

This pairing reflects a passive form of control, as in a collective at the level of being 'cultish' (hexagram 08) versus a more active form of control sourced at the centre of things (hexagram 14). As such hexagram 08 is focused on issues of devotion used to establish control versus hexagram 14 with a focus on perseverance used to establish a sense of direction and so of development.

At the LOCAL level we are dealing with an octet of hexagrams with the EARTH trigram as base. In this sequence hexagram 08, a focus on developing a sense of belonging and so being attractive as a collective, opposes hexagram 35, the focus on progress through bringing something 'into the light'. More so, the exaggerated sense of bringing something into the light is reflected in a more balanced format through being a passive attraction.

In the traditional sequence hexagram 08 opposes hexagram 57.

This pairing reflects a focus on influence, where that of 08 is more or less immediate, offering a sense of 'belonging', unconditional (or so it can appear), as compared to hexagram 57 that reflects the need to cultivate, to 'cook' for some time and so make something 'palatable'.

The generic properties of hexagram 08 reflect the mixing of the generic properties of hexagram 20 with the generic properties of hexagram 42.

Here we mix the properties of an attraction that motivates (be it someone/something) - hexagram 20 - with a focus on augmentation and so 'transcendence' (hexagram 42) to give us the generic properties of hexagram 08.

In the variations on a theme sequence, hexagram 08 complements hexagram 03.

The theme here is overall on a beginning that reflects (a) in the individual and (b) on the group. As 03 reflects the personal struggles of making the initial breakthrough, the first moments of birth, so 08 reflects the initial attraction to a group context, a need to 'belong' to something/someone.