Bagua

Bagua

Monday, November 16, 2015

Trigram Notes: "Chen", the Fire Element/ "Thunder"


The trigram “Chen” is traditionally translated as “thunder”, but its quality is that of the hermetic element of Fire. It is the active and moving force, the force of dynamic power, the arousing or energetic force.  It is correspondent to springtime, the time of rising force. Because of its single strong line at the bottom (the first line of the trigram, because in the I Ching the lines are always read from the bottom to the top), it is called the “eldest son”. Its quality is vibration. Its key spiritual concept is “Arousing” (i.e., “Exciting”).



In hexagrams, the fire element can bring energy and impetus to an otherwise sluggish situation; it can represent will and enthusiasm, excitement.  But ill-dignified it brings chaos, from energy poorly directed. When it clashes with its paired trigram element, then great disruption and struggle ensues.

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