Guo :: Meeting

A woman is very strong: do not marry her

姤

䷫

6 :: first

Held by a bronze chock.¹ Auspicious.

Inauspicious if you have a place to go. A tethered pig. Good fortune comes to you in the shape of a temporary obstruction. You are advised to practice voluntary restraint (chock). If you press forward with ambition you will become the victim of your own excesses (sacrificial pig).

9 :: second

Fish in the trap.² No misfortune. Unfavorable to serve to guests.

Do not act on a sexual impulse. Sexual indiscretions will create entanglements that lead to a bad reputation. Don't give in to temptation.

6 :: third

Flayed haunches. Staggering steps. Dangerous but no misfortune.

You are grossly humiliated. Promiscuity and pride tangle into a terrible knot. There is danger in giving in to strong sexual urges (staggering). Know that the attraction cools and the troubles disappear if you let go now. Let go.

9 :: fourth

No fish in the trap.² Do not begin.

You are able to ignore an enticing sexual advance. Immune to seduction, you can keep a clear head.

9 :: fifth

A gourd in a willow binding ³ Something bright falls from the sky.

What starts out as a disastrous and complicated situation turns out well for you. The emotional pain you experience brings revelation. Your head and heart reunite and maturity is the result.

6 :: top

Impaled by a horn.⁴ Distressed but no misfortune.

You join in with bad company, get easily seduced and then, heart-broken. The pain, however, will pass. Do not forget that this experience is common and a sign of immaturity-let go.

Image

Gou is derived from the image of locked horns-a battle of wills and, by infer-ence, copulation. It describes an encounter and/or an entanglement with a debilitating force that is strong, and yet subordinate. It is about being tested by seduction.

Auspices

Inauspicious for all intimate personal relationships. It is a time to withdraw and cut your losses. Both sexes are at risk to be abused by the inappropriateness of a relationship. Think rot and ruin. A kind of corruption has entered the very foundation of things.

Good for withdrawal, divorce, restraint, self-cultivation, and retreat.

Bad for travel, all intimate relationships, sexual liaisons, generosity, and trust.

Comment

How does weakness become a great force? Gou represents those who use weak-ness, disadvantage or triviality to manipulate the powerful and/or steal their power. Such people can cause great humiliation. Seduction, promiscuity, and passive (yin) aggression are not being morally condemned, just shown as a method of manipulating people with power.

A wise person (man or woman), with the responsibilities of leadership, does not indulge in the trivial. Resistance to seduction, even if it causes a temporary embarrassment, is recommended.

Other Correspondences

Business: Broken contracts, bad office politics, and damaged products.

Disharmonies: Venereal diseases, ankle and leg injuries, and kidney qi deficiency.

Prognosis: Poor. The patient gradually declines as the illness develops complications.