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41 Reduce,
Decreasing or Concentrating [lit., & met.]
In a context of self-reflection we utilise disernment

"SUN : lessen, make smaller; take away from; lose, damage, spoil, wound; bad luck; blame, criticize; offer up, give away. The ideogram: hand and cermonial vessel, offering sacrifice."ERANOS p453

Trigrams : self-reflection (bottom), discernment (top) : with/from self-reflection comes discernment. [mountain over lake]

The mud from which 41 has emerged is best described by analogy to the under-stated qualities of hexagram 07, uniforming.

As a marker of context, where context acts to PUSH instincts, 41 'demands' a preferred response of the qualities of hexagram 31, wooing.

In the binary sequence hexagram 41 pairs with hexagram 19.

In this pairing is reflected a general sense of concentration, distillation, and so of 'bringing together' to creat a 'pure form'. In 41 the focus is on the 'alchemical' perspective,a clear sense of differentiating, whereas in 19 the perspective is more integrating, as given in the analogy to approaching the high, and the high deferring to the low. Note that any form of alchemy will 'fail' if not done correctly and all that is left is 'worthless' and so the extention of the meanings of 41 into 'bad luck', 'spoil', etc etc.

In the binary sequence hexagram 41 opposes hexagram 31.

At the LOCAL level we are dealing with hexagrams with a base of LAKE, in particular the linking of hexagram 41 with 58. Here we find that the sharp, exaggerated, focus on cooperative exchange reflected in 58 is reflected in a more balanced format by the focus in 41 upon concentration, of distillation of differences into one 'pure' form.

In the traditional sequence hexagram 41 pairs with hexagram 42.

REFINE:

41 : refine - through distill [concentrate]; 41 concentrating comes from a context described by hexagram 07 - uniforming, the army

42 : refine - through augment [add]; 42 augmenting comes from a context described by hexagram 08 - unifying

In the traditional sequence hexagram 41 opposes hexagram 24.

The generic properties of hexagram 41 reflect the mixing of the generic properties of hexagram 19 with the generic properties of hexagram 07.

A combination of 'approaching the high, defering to the low' (19) with a focus on uniformity (07) is reflected in hexagram 41's focus upon concentration, distillation.

In the variations on a theme sequence, hexagram 41 complements hexagram 04.

Both hexagrams 04 and 41 reflect forms of 'refinement' where 04 reflects a focus on particular education of the young as a form of socialisation and 41 reflects this refinement process as an act of distilliation, of concentrating 'raw' to make the 'refined', the 'pure'. As such, 04 is more 'social' oriented, 41 more 'personally' oriented. Note that in the realm of alchemy, a concept fundamental to early I Ching prose and Taoism in general, the failure in generating a 'pure' form is a heap of 'junk' and so the symbol of 41 also reflects 'decrease' in the form of something useless, damaged, spoilt.

Line Positions

00 :: (02) : What is this hexagrams's potential form? :: 41
01 :: (24) : How does this hexagram 'start', express 'beginning'? :: 4
02 :: (07) : How does this hexagram express uniformity, establishment of? :: 27
03 :: (19) : How does this hexagram express approaching the 'high'; defer to the 'low'? :: 23
04 :: (15) : How does this hexagram level things out, keep words close to facts? :: 26
05 :: (36) : How does this hexagram protect its 'light' when not its time? :: 18
06 :: (46) : How does this hexagram become more entangled with something/someone? :: 22
07 :: (11) : How does this hexagram balance/harmonise, mediate? :: 52
08 :: (16) : How does this hexagram express foresight/planning? :: 38
09 :: (51) : How does this hexagram express surprise, enlightenment, shock? :: 64
10 :: (40) : How does this hexagram express tension release through relaxing structure? :: 21
11 :: (54) : How does this hexagram expend early energy, imaturity? :: 35
12 :: (62) : How does this hexagram express overacting to establish unconditional loyalty? :: 14
13 :: (55) : How does this hexagram deal with abundance/overflowing? :: 50
14 :: (32) : How does this hexagram express commitment? :: 30
15 :: (34) : How does this hexagram actively invigorate others? :: 56
16 :: (08) : How does this hexagram passively attract? :: 61
17 :: (03) : How does this hexagram 'sprout'? :: 59
18 :: (29) : How does this hexagram assert containment/control? :: 42
19 :: (60) : How does this hexagram standardise? :: 20
20 :: (39) : How does this hexagram obstruct, go against, stand up to, the flow? :: 9
21 :: (63) : How does this hexagram complete, 'get it right'? :: 57
22 :: (48) : Where does this hexagram get its nutrition, what sustains it, keeps it going? :: 37
23 :: (05) : How does this hexagram wait for opportunity to come? :: 53
24 :: (45) : How does this hexagram celebrate its 'faith'? :: 10
25 :: (17) : How does this hexagram find a faith? What is its faith? :: 6
26 :: (47) : How does this hexagram integrate with the context, be it by choice or otherwise? :: 25
27 :: (58) : How does this hexagram express itself intensely, self-reflect? :: 12
28 :: (31) : How does this hexagram 'woo', express restrained enticement? :: 1
29 :: (49) : How does this hexagram reveal, unmask? :: 44
30 :: (28) : How does this hexagram express excess, go beyond what is required? :: 13
31 :: (43) : How does this hexagram 'seed', spread the word? :: 33
32 :: (23) : How does this hexagram 'housekeep', clear chaff to bring out the wheat? :: 19
33 :: (27) : What is the basic, skelatal form of this hexagram, The mud from which it has emerged? :: 7
34 :: (04) : How does this hexagram learn social skills? :: 24
35 :: (41) : How does this hexagram achieve clarity, concentration, distillation? :: 2
36 :: (52) : How does this hexagram express blocking, discernment? :: 11
37 :: (22) : What does this hexagram look like, how does it present itself to the outside? :: 46
38 :: (18) : How does this hexagram correct corruption, express that correction? :: 36
39 :: (26) : How does this hexagram express 'holding firm' to traditions? :: 15
40 :: (35) : How does this hexagram bring something into the 'light'? :: 54
41 :: (21) : How does this hexagram resolve problems? :: 40
42 :: (64) : How does this hexagram remain 'open', mis-sequence? :: 51
43 :: (38) : How does this hexagram 'mirror', deal with opposition? :: 16
44 :: (56) : How does this hexagram demonstrate conditional loyalty; loyalty at a distance? :: 34
45 :: (30) : How does this hexagram express guidance/direction setting? :: 32
46 :: (50) : How does this hexagram express conversion of the raw to the cooked, transformation? :: 55
47 :: (14) : How does this hexagram manage from the centre? Direct operations? Push ideology? :: 62
48 :: (20) : How does this hexagram elicit admiration and so invigorate others passively? :: 60
49 :: (42) : How does this hexagram reflect augmentation? :: 29
50 :: (59) : How does this hexagram make things clear, dispell illusions? lift the fog? :: 3
51 :: (61) : How does this hexagram express empathy? yielding, soft core, hard exterior? :: 8
52 :: (53) : How does this hexagram express gradual development, maturity? :: 5
53 :: (37) : How does this hexagram reflect rigid structure as a form of tension release? :: 48
54 :: (57) : How does this hexagram cultivate and become influencial? :: 63
55 :: (09) : How does this hexagram express making small gains to be noticed? :: 39
56 :: (12) : How does this hexagram neutralise attacks on its core beliefs? :: 58
57 :: (25) : How does this hexagram stand up to say its piece, ignoring consequences, disentangle? :: 47
58 :: (06) : How does this hexagram compromise, meet half way? :: 17
59 :: (10) : How does this hexagram traverse a path carefully? :: 45
60 :: (33) : How does this hexagram draw-in its enemies, competitively entice? :: 43
61 :: (13) : How does this hexagram express association with the likeminded? :: 28
62 :: (44) : How does this hexagram persuade/seduce? :: 49
63 :: (01) : How does this hexagram express singlemindedness, competitiveness? :: 31

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