Archetype 19: Approach
Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian; he led his flock beyond the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of a bush; he looked, and the bush was blazing, yet it was not consumed. Then Moses said, “I must turn aside and look at this great sight, and see why the bush is not burned up.” When the Lord saw that he had turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” Then he said, “Come no closer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” He said further, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.
—Exodus 3:1–6
The Reading
There are a number of images captured in this reading.
First, we have Moses about to transition from lowness to greatness. Moses had been saved from infanticide as a baby, was adopted by a princess of Egypt, and became a trusted high official. Then he killed an Egyptian and had to flee for his life. He had been reduced to tending the flock of his father-in-law. But in this reading, God has called him to a new greatness that will far exceed anything Moses has yet experienced.
The second image captured in this reading is the idea of approach, especially the approach of that which is lower (Moses) to that which is greater (God).
Finally, we have a bit of condescension between the greater toward the lesser. “Do not come any closer,” God tells Moses, “and remove your sandals.” Moses does so, and hides his face.
The Hexagram
The lower trigram is Wonder. The upper trigram is Wisdom. Wonder approaches Wisdom with reverence.
The Archetype
There is a time...
- For the wise one to approach those who need wisdom and care.
- To look forward to the approach of spring.
- To remember that spring does not last forever and to prepare for the changes before they come.
- To master evil before it becomes manifest.
Now is that time.
Moving Lines
Other interpretations of Archetype 19:
- Tom Christensen's interpretation [click here]
- Cafe Au Soul's interpretation [click here]
- LiSe's interpretation [click here]
- Richard Wilhelm's interpretation [click here]
Internal Links:
- Return to the Hexagram Index Table [click here].
- Return to Consulting the Christian I Ching [click here].
- Purchase a printed copy of Wisdom's Way; The Christian I Ching [click here].
- Learn about our Online Christian I Ching Workshop [click here].
- Find out about personal consultations [click here].
Reproduced with permission from Wisdom's Way; The Christian I Ching copyright (c) 2015 Roger Sessions.