Hexagram Fu, the symbol for rebirth and rejuvenation

Fu is the tidal hexagram that represents the energetic pattern of the Rat animal symbol. The Chinese character Fu means return, repeat, recover, and rebirth. The symbol of the hexagram made with one Yang line at bottom and 5 Yin lines on top, which represents Yang Qi, or new life energy, returning back in a natural cycle. It is the symbol for rebirth and rejuvenation.

In an annual cycle, Fu represents Zi – the month in which winter solstice occurs. Zi month lasts from approximately December 7th to January 5th in solar calendar. Winter solstice is the shortest day and longest night of the year, which in the Chinese tradition, means Yang Qi has dropped to its nadir and Yin Qi has climbed to its zenith.  Literally, winter solstice landmarks the point at which we begin to experience the gradual reversal of lengthening nights and shortening days. The winter solstice is the turning point of Yang energy. Depending on the sun’s changing position, the winter solstice occurs some time between December 21 and December 22 each year (in the northern hemisphere).

In old Chinese tradition, we have a big winter solstice celebration. It was one of my favorite childhood Chinese festivals. In my memory, families gathered in the kitchen to prepare the sacrificial food on the winter solstice eve. My grandmother made many kinds of animal dolls from rice flour. My brother and I would help make the TangYuan (small rice balls). In the early morning of the next day, the first thing my family did was bring out TangYuan, rice animal dolls, and other sacrificial foods to offer to Nature.  Although most modern city people in China do not make this kind of offering, most northern Chinese families will still eat JiaoZi (dumplings) and most southern Chinese families will still eat TangYuan at the winter solstice.

Both JiaoZi and TangYuan are symbols representing Yang Qi. Eating JiaoZi or Tangyuan during the winter solstice is a way to remind us to hold Yang energy within and keep warm during the cold winter. In Chinese wisdom traditions, it is one of the best times of the year to do your inner cultivation because the universal Yin energy will reach the peak level and the Yang energy will be re-born. We need spend more time doing Qigong and meditation to support the rebirth of our inner Yang energy on the winter solstice day.

In the daily cycle, Fu stands for Zi time which is 23:00 – 00:59. Like winter solstice, midnight is the time when Yang Qi returns in your body and begins to increase.  Zi is the great time for you to do inner cultivation. Or, if you are not practicing any inner cultivation, it would be a good habit to go to bad before 23:00.

Let us uncover more information about Fu from Yijing wisdom. Like all hexagrams, hexagram Fu is made up of two trigrams.  In this hexagram, the top trigram is Kun (Earth) and the bottom trigram is Zhen (Thunder). It is an image of Thunder within the Earth. Thunder is the symbol for shaking off old patterns of stagnation and creating new life energy or power. Earth is the symbol for holding yourself stable or centering your mind. Hence, hexagram Fu is an image of inner cultivation. Just like your meditation, when you steady your body, mind, and breath, you will be able to feel your Yang Qi generating automatically within your body.  If you can center yourself from deep within, you may feel Qi shaking in your body just like thunder and lightening.

When I do not feel well or when I am beginning to feel sick, first thing I do is to practice some Qigong or meditation to help me find my life energy back and recover by the inner cultivation. Many my students have recovered from sickness through their Qigong or Taiji practice. When I have a challenge in my life, first thing I do is to take a deep breath to my Dantian and bring my mind back to my body. And this always helps me shift the challenge quickly and makes my life easy and peaceful. This is what I have learned from the hexagram Fu, Rebirth. I hope you can try some inner cultivation with me at Fu time, the time that will give you feeling of rebirth everyday. I would be happy if you learned more about the hexagram Fu from your inner cultivation practice.