ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the author explores the processes of change and balance as reflected in the hexagrams for the contemporary reader. The hexagram 'The Power of the Great' illustrates the complexity of times when personal strength and creativity – acting in harmony with nature – flourish. Both approaches to the imagery and associations of the hexagram recognize the importance of human effort and achievement. The emphasis here is on a lack of balance that may begin to harden the energy flow, making it into something more driven. The goal is wisdom, and the point is that power restrained becomes truly formidable. A sense of power accompanies any advance that raises the level of basic existence, and this can lead to viewing ourselves as somehow separate from the rest of the natural world, less affected by it, less responsible for it.
