Yi Toons

This hexagram is funny and tricky at the same time. It is variously interpreted as a ridgepole, sagging beam, etc., the main conveyed picture being that of something or someone that is caving-in, collapsing and sagging under a weight being placed on the middle of it.

Two things work against this subject, A) weak ends and supporting points and B) a strong and rigid middle that is in danger of snapping rather than gradually yielding under the weight.Suddenness seems to be an underlying image for 28, something the subject must be aware of.

In the case of this cartoon, I wanted to show a subject that is in denial of what his/her real situation is and tries to externalize the cause. The first line actually talks about somebody that places mats on the ground to support something important, thus giving an image of being gentle and careful. In this cartoon, the use of shoes appear to convey caring and gentleness for his/her persona but fails to dispel the main cause of the overweight. I believe this line changing the hexagram to 43 is a good development though. Under 43 a decision is made and the subject may overcome his current situation. The headache is alluding to the sixth line. In the meantime, denial seems to seriously affect the subject. Not finding appropriate shoes (shoes are not the real cause of the pain) will eventually give him/her a clue and set his/her mind on the right track for change.

Some explanation is due to those that are new to the I Ching. The first line of Hexagram 27 talks about a subject parting with his “magic tortoise”. Now, we don’t really know if the animal was given away, misplaced, just walked out of sight, etc. The thing is that the subject is regretting, or will regret, not having it anymore.

Tortoises were always considered “special” in ancient China, attributing them many qualities, not the least of them, magical qualities. Legend has it that the Lo Shu diagram was found on the shell of a magical turtle that emerged from a river. One important use–and the turtles take exception to this fact, I’m sure–is that their plastrons were used for divination. The procedure was to make small shallow incisions on the shell and then applying a red-hot iron to them. The cracks produced by the sudden temperature differential were read as forecasts, auspices and omens.

The text of the line (27.1) also gives the impression the Yi (our colloquial way of naming the classic known as “I Ching”) is talking directly to the subject and prognosticating “misfortune” for him:

Nine at the beginning means:
You let your magic tortoise go,
And look at me with the corners of the mouth drooping.
Misfortune.

In a humorous way, I’m trying to picture a “Royal Diviner” as being the subject of the line and having misplaced his “tool” just before an important divination session for the Emperor…

Here