08 – holding together

Scope of Questions

Graphic hexagram 08

  • A user asks, “Where are my limits?” The I Ching’s answer is 08 – holding together.
  • A user asks, “What happens if I sign the license agreement now?”

Some Reflections

What am I rooted in, what nourishes me and thus determines my actions?
A root, a supporting (belief) system, first of all, does exactly that: it supports and protects me, it defines me, it maps out a path for me. Possibly, however, it also forms a barrier between me and my environment: because in a certain way it isolates me, it separates me from reality and restricts my scope of action.
The upper trigram (environment) refers to fears that may be both justified and unfounded. How do I deal with them? Do I align my actions with them or, on the contrary, do I simply ignore them and act in an excessively courageous or even reckless manner?
Fears are not per se our “enemies” – they are much more a very useful protective mechanism. Sometimes, however, they develop an unhealthy momentum of their own and we lose our grip. An interesting aspect to consider in this context is indicated by the upper core character (external response): Which filters influence our perception? Because what we perceive is far from being reality in itself. What actually reaches our consciousness is a carefully filtered distorted image. If, for example, an – perhaps irrational – fear has taken root in us, we will in the future perceive those aspects of our environment particularly intensively that appear threatening. And this will further solidify our fear.
What is to be done? Perhaps step out of the treadmill for a moment. Do nothing, think nothing, just relax. Do things that nourish me, that make me feel good and calm. And then look critically and impartially at the situation: Am I really noticing all aspects? Am I blanking out aspects while exaggerating others? How would a neutral observer describe the situation? Is the subarea that I perceive as particularly important really that salient?

The current interpretation can be found here: https://www.no2do.com/hexagramme_en/888878.htm