The Joyous (Lake)
The Open Surface
The I Ching trigram representing Lake and metal, symbolizing infectious joy, cheerful communication, and openness.
Dui reads from the bottom up as whole, whole, broken. The broken line at the top gives an open surface over a firm base, which the tradition reads as a lake, and also as the mouth, from which speech and gladness come. Its attribute in the Shuogua is joyousness, and it is the youngest daughter, because the single yin line stands in the third place. In the Later Heaven arrangement it holds the west, which the Shuogua identifies with mid-autumn and with the rejoicing of all things. Doubled, it forms hexagram 58, which carries the same name.
Light
Stands for gladness, encouragement, open speech, friendship, and the satisfaction that follows work completed and shared with others.
Shadow
Can mean flattery, indulgence, careless talk, and pleasure pursued so far for its own sake that cheerfulness becomes mere display.
