The Marrying Maiden 歸妹
The Marrying Maiden speaks of a bond or role where the initiative is not yours. It asks you to know your place, be patient, and keep the end in view.
Judgment
Pushing forward in this situation brings misfortune. Nothing is gained by it. Rather than forcing things, you need to know your place.
Image
Thunder over the lake. The wise person keeps in mind what lasts to the end and judges what is passing in that light.
What does The Marrying Maiden mean?
In ancient China, when a ruler married, the bride's younger sister came along as a secondary wife. This sign describes the position of such a young woman: you are inside the relationship, but you are not the one with the main say. It may be a bond entered through desire and steered by feeling. The lake stands for joy and thunder for movement. When they come together, a person wants to rush ahead with eagerness. Yet however strong the feeling, if your position is unclear, your steps will not be steady either.
The text warns plainly that pushing forward from this position does harm. What is asked of you is to accept your place and act with grace. Demanding more than you are due, or trying to take someone else's place, spoils things. Being in second place in a relationship, a job, or a group is not always bad. Those who act with patience, respect, and loyalty come to be valued over time. The wise person knows every beginning has an end. Do not look at today's excitement. Look at where this bond will be years from now. To protect what lasts, do not load too much meaning onto what passes.
What to do now
Do not let eagerness carry you away. Act with the end of this bond in mind.
Love and relationships
Your feelings may be strong, but your position in the relationship is unclear or unequal. Instead of forcing a situation that makes you feel worthless, recognize your limits. Patience and self-respect matter more than desire right now.
Work and money
You are in a position where the decisions are not yours. Working as someone reliable, without overstepping, serves you in the long run. Partnerships and deals made in haste can cause problems.
The lines
If a line changed (red) in your reading, read only that line. Lines are counted from the bottom up.
- First line
The marrying maiden goes as a secondary wife. A lame man can still walk. Your position is small, but your loyalty makes you useful. Going forward brings good fortune.
- Second line
A one-eyed man can still see. Even if the one you are bound to disappoints you, quietly keeping your own loyalty is beneficial.
- Third line
The marrying maiden waits as a servant, then returns as a secondary wife. The position you accepted by lowering your worth does not suit you. You need to think again.
- Fourth line
The marrying maiden delays the wedding. Being late is not a loss. The right time and the right partner come when they should.
- Fifth line
Emperor Di Yi gives his daughter in marriage. The princess's robes are plainer than her maid's. The moon is nearly full. Humility free of display brings good fortune.
- Top line
The woman holds the basket, but there is no fruit in it. The man slaughters the sheep, but no blood flows. A bond that is all form and empty inside brings no benefit.
Trigrams
arousing, moving
joyful, open
Related hexagrams
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