This I Ching Hexagram Really Spoke To Me
Here’s What I Learned in 450 Words
In reading Hexagram 33 (Tun or Retreat) of the I Ching, I felt as though the ancient text had laid its fingers gently on the pulse of our frenetic, fractured world.
Retreat, the hexagram counsels, is not an act of cowardice but of wisdom—a deliberate withdrawal from chaos, ego-driven battles, and the vortex of collective blame.
In today’s world, where every headline stokes fear and every conversation risks becoming an argument, the wisdom of taking a step back feels profoundly relevant.
This hexagram is not about giving up. Rather, it’s about taking a deep breath to gain clarity and strength. It whispered truths to me about the traps of ego—the mistaken beliefs that bind us to dualistic thinking, keeping us trapped in a parallel universe fabricated by collective ego.
In this universe, blame becomes the currency of the day. Political leaders are cast as villains or saviors, and we either align ourselves with the outrage or find ourselves its target. But the I Ching reveals that participating in this game only deepens our entanglement in illusion.
Retreat is an act of liberation, not surrender.
One insight struck me like thunder on an Ohio afternoon: guilt is a gateway to manipulation. Whether imposed by others or self-inflicted, guilt can make us pliable, willing to abandon our boundaries to satisfy external expectations.
But Hexagram 33 urges us to step back and recognize these patterns. The text reminds us that guilt is a distortion, a leash held by others or by our own inner critic. By retreating, we reclaim our autonomy and prevent ourselves from being taken advantage of.
Fear and doubt, too, are exposed as shadowy agents of imbalance. To allow them to dominate our will is to let chaos consume us. Instead, the hexagram suggests seeking the invisible realm of help—the higher power that we may call the Tao, the universe, or simply the calm within ourselves.
This is not passive surrender; it is an intentional turning over of our emotions, putting the car of our being in neutral, and trusting that stillness holds more power than any rash outward action.
In this space, I’ve found a profound sense of relief. The act of not reacting—to chaos, blame, or internal turmoil—is itself a quiet revolution.
Retreat, I realized, is not an escape from the world but a realignment with the true nature of things. It is stepping out of the storm and finding refuge in the invisible forces that guide and sustain us.
And in doing so, it becomes possible to face the world without the weight of blame, guilt, or fear, moving instead with calm assurance through uncertainty.
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Diamond Michael Scott — aka The Chocolate Taoist
What a reassuring hexagram. When there's too much group energy around a project, I tend to move away from all the noise, and maybe make a small comment at a later date. And then I feel guilty for not pulling my weight.
“guilt is a gateway to manipulation. Whether imposed by others or self-inflicted, guilt can make us pliable, willing to abandon our boundaries to satisfy external expectations.”
I too have taken a break these last few weeks to reevaluate my path. One thing I’ve realized is how many problems I have holding strong boundaries, and how I allow people to guilt me into removing my boundaries. That’s a big thing I want to work on in 2025 and the rest of this year.