Hexagram 37: The Family
Family, domestic harmony
| Chinese | 家人 (Jiā Rén) |
|---|---|
| Upper trigram | ☴ Wind — The Gentle (Wood) |
| Lower trigram | ☲ Fire — The Clinging (Fire) |
| Keywords | family, harmony, roles, responsibility |
| Opposite | Hexagram 40: Deliverance |
| Inverted | Hexagram 38: Opposition |
What does Hexagram 37 (The Family) mean?
The Family 家人 (Jiā Rén) is hexagram 37 of the I Ching, formed by Wind (The Gentle) over Fire (The Clinging). Its theme is family, domestic harmony, with key ideas of family, harmony, roles, responsibility. The Judgment reads: “The Family. The perseverance of the woman furthers.”
The Judgment of The Family
The Family. The perseverance of the woman furthers.
The Image of The Family
Wind comes forth from fire.
The six changing lines of Hexagram 37
When a casting produces moving lines, their texts speak directly to your situation. Read from the bottom line upward.
Nine at the beginning
“Firm seclusion within the family. Remorse disappears.”
Establishing clear boundaries and structure from the very start within the household prevents future disorder. Early definition is not harshness but care.
Six in the second place
“She should not follow her whims. She must attend within to the food. Perseverance brings good fortune.”
Fulfilling the central, nourishing role with consistency and without self-indulgence is the foundation of family harmony.
Nine in the third place
“When tempers flare in the family, too great severity brings remorse. Good fortune nonetheless. When woman and child dally and laugh, it leads in the end to humiliation.”
Strictness errs toward the correctable; excessive leniency errs toward the destructive. The mean is firm care, not indulgence.
Six in the fourth place
“She is the treasure of the house. Great good fortune.”
The one who nurtures and maintains the core of the household is its greatest asset. True domestic virtue generates abundance.
Nine in the fifth place
“As a king he approaches his family. Fear not. Good fortune.”
Leadership of the family through love and presence rather than authority alone brings willing harmony. Gentle sovereignty is the highest family governance.
Nine at the top
“His work commands respect. In the end good fortune comes.”
When the leader's conduct in the family earns genuine respect through consistent example, the household flourishes and outside relations follow.
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