Archetype 26: Power of the Great
And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him, and the boy was cured instantly. Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.”
—Matthew 17:18–20
The Reading
This reading shows the strength of Jesus in confronting evil. But his strength is not a traditional strength. He doesn’t have big muscles. He doesn’t bully. He doesn’t have an army. His strength comes from a strong sense of purpose, restraint, and his readiness to care for others.
The Hexagram
The top trigram is Stillness, and the bottom trigram, God. The attribute of God is Strength. The strength described by this archetype is a restrained strength, a combination of strength and stillness.
The Archetype
There is a time...
- To use one’s strength to hold back.
- To use one’s strength to hold together.
- To use one’s strength to nourish and care.
- To realize the need for one who is strong, firm, and honored by those in power.
- To use periods of rest to gather strength, renew faith, and cultivate character.
- To cultivate the right kind of power, a power that is Egoless, that is fully aligned with God’s will, and that is used purely to help others.
- To internalize lessons from the past, and, by applying those lessons, strengthen character.
Now is that time.
Moving Lines
Other interpretations of Archetype 26:
- 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.