27. The Corners of the Mouth (Nourishment)

The two trigrams

above

☶

The Mountain

艮 · gèn

a hill or mountain

below

☳

Thunder

震 · zhèn

thunder

The Judgement

This hexagram has the shape of an open mouth: two firm lines at top and bottom, like the jaws, and four yielding lines in between, like the cavity. It speaks of nourishment, in every sense: the food you eat, but also what you feed your mind on, the people you support and those you let support you. The text promises good fortune to whoever stays firm and correct, and then gives a precise instruction: we must look at what we are seeking to nourish, and through the exercise of thought seek the proper aliment. If these days you feel drained, or on the contrary notice that you are filling yourself with things that do you no good, the wrong food, news that agitates, company that saps energy, this hexagram asks you to stop and observe what enters your life and what leaves it. The practical advice is twofold: on the one hand, choose carefully what you feed on, food, reading, conversations, rest; on the other, ask yourself whom you are nourishing, with your time and your attention, and whether you are doing it the right way. Nourishing yourself and others well, in keeping with what is right, is this time's promise of fortune.

The Image

The image is that of thunder at the foot of the mountain: the storm that disperses the sultry air and is followed by fresh breezes and the reviving of plants. The wise person, the text says, enjoins watchfulness over words and moderation in eating and drinking. Words nourish the spirit, food nourishes the body: both pass through the same mouth. If you notice that you talk too much, eat out of boredom, drink out of tiredness, this image asks of you a simple, daily discipline. The practical advice: before speaking ask yourself whether it is needed, and before eating ask yourself whether you are hungry. Two small questions that change a day.

First line

The first line is addressed like a rebuke: you leave your magic tortoise, which is enough for itself, and stare at me until your jaw hangs down. There will be evil. It is the portrait of someone who would have everything they need to be self-sufficient, and instead stands gaping at what others have: their life, their partner, their salary. If you notice that envy or desire is distracting you from what you possess, be careful: this is how you waste your strength. The advice is to go back to looking at your own resources and cultivating them, instead of drooling over other people's.

Second line

The second line shows someone seeking nourishment downwards, which is contrary to what is proper, or seeking it from the height above, from one too far away: advancing in that direction leads to evil. It is the person who is not self-sufficient and asks support from the wrong people, from those who cannot or should not give it. If you are leaning on someone who ought instead to depend on you, or chasing the help of someone who does not consider you, be careful. The advice is to seek support from those it is right to receive it from, and not to abandon your true alliances for a distant hope.

Third line

The third line shows someone acting contrary to the method of nourishing: however firm they may be, there will be evil; for ten years let them undertake nothing, because it would bring them no advantage. It is the person who feeds on the wrong things, excitement, passing pleasures, relationships that consume, and believes they can do without any help. If you recognise yourself in this restless chase after what does not satisfy, the text is stern because it cares for you: stop for a long while. The advice is to break the habits that empty you and to accept that it will take time before you can start again.

Fourth line

The fourth line shows someone looking downwards for the power to nourish: good fortune. They look with the fixed, unwavering gaze of a tiger, with a desire that drives them to spring after spring, and they will fall into no error. It is the position of someone responsible for sustaining others, a family, a team, who seeks intensely the right help to do so. If you need support to carry out a task that concerns others, the advice is to seek it with determination and without shame: when the aim is to nourish those who depend on you, the tenacity with which you ask for help is a virtue.

Fifth line

The fifth line shows someone acting contrary to what is regular and proper, who will nevertheless have good fortune if they abide in firmness; let them not, however, attempt to cross the great river. It is the person who holds a position of responsibility but is not equal to it alone, and knows they must rely on someone wiser. There is no shame in this. If you lead something and feel your strength is not enough, the advice is to lean with confidence on those who know more, an adviser, a mentor, an experienced collaborator, and not to throw yourself into undertakings too large while this dependence lasts.

Sixth line

The sixth line shows the one from whom the nourishing comes: their position is perilous, but there will be good fortune, and it will be advantageous to cross the great river. It is the person everyone leans on, the teacher, the parent, the boss, whoever holds the others together at home or at work. The task is hard and the responsibility great: feeling its weight is right, and this very awareness will make you equal to it. If you are the one nourishing others, the advice is not to flee the role: take on the most demanding challenge, because right now you have the strength to see it through, and everyone will benefit.

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