Archetype 2: Wisdom
The Lord created me at the beginning of his work,
the first of his acts of long ago.
Ages ago I was set up,
at the first, before the beginning of the earth...
Happy is the one who listens to me,
watching daily at my gates,
waiting beside my doors.
For whoever finds me finds life
and obtains favor from the Lord.
—Proverbs 8:22–29
The Reading
This reading describes Wisdom. This is not the wisdom you acquire by studying or reading books; it is a Wisdom you acquire by being fully receptive to the Holy Spirit. Wisdom is traditionally named Sophia, after the Greek goddess of Wisdom. In the Bible, Wisdom is always referred to in the feminine gender. Wisdom is associated with receptivity, earth, and nature. Wisdom is not God, but she is inseparable from God. She is God’s companion, perhaps even God’s lover. Wisdom does not compete with God’s creative power; Wisdom guides that power. Creative power without Wisdom’s guidance leads to chaos. For this reason, Wisdom was the first of God’s creations.
The Hexagram
This hexagram is made by doubling the Wisdom trigram, resulting in six open lines. These open lines symbolize the open, yielding, receptive power of the feminine. This is a hexagram of devotion and great holiness. The force of this hexagram is associated with the reproductive power of the earth and the maternal.
The Archetype
There is a time...
- To draw strength from the earth.
- To embrace silence, solitude, and receptivity.
- To mobilize the resources, wisdom, and power that will be needed for the effort.
- To nurture.
- To dance in the presence of God.
- To feel a great love that is not bound by place or space.
- To seek a wise guide.
- To persevere with gentleness and devotion.
- To learn from nature.
Now is that time.
Moving Lines
Other interpretations of Archetype 2:
- 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.