火卦命名为“离卦” The word Li not only signifies fire, but also conveys meanings of separation, distance, and detachment.

 

最近日本与泰国的选举结果，向我们透露出几个值得深思的时代征兆。其中一个我特别留意到的现象是——各国的民族主义意识正在明显抬头。

以泰国为例，选举结果在很大程度上，受到泰柬边境冲突的影响。这场冲突激发了泰国社会强烈的自我保护与民族防卫意识，从而反映在选票之上。

同样地，日本政府在对华立场上采取更为强硬、对立的态度，也成功争取到不少国内支持，最终赢得选举。

这一切，不禁让人联想到我们正处在的三元九运中的“九运”——火运，而火运在《易经》中对应的是“离卦”。

“离”，既有离火之意，也有离开、分离、距离的含义。

古人早已观察到，人类为了保护自己的部落，会点燃火把，将野兽隔离在外，因此将火卦命名为“离卦”。

你有没有发现？如今正值九运离卦当令，各国之间、甚至不同民族与宗教之间的距离感正变得越来越明显。人们更倾向于自我保护，逐渐封闭自己。

在国际关系上，日本明显更靠拢美国以对抗中国；而中美之间，也正一步步走向更深层次的对立。

放眼国内，种族与宗教之间的包容度，似乎也已不如从前。

从生活层面来看，火运的特征同样无所不在。

过去，开会必须面对面聚在一起；如今，远程视频会议早已成为常态。

以前，商人每天都要往银行跑；现在，只需按下一个按钮，资金便可瞬间转账完成，完全不需要见面。

人们正是通过“火”（网络、电子、科技），在极短的时间内处理完所有事务——这正是离卦的真实写照。

此外，离卦也代表“中女”，象征女性。可以明显观察到，女性的社会地位正在大幅提升，许多大型企业的重要管理层，皆由女性担任。

甚至在一向被视为重男轻女的日本社会，也出现了极具影响力与强势风格的女性政治人物，日本第一位女性首相高市早苗，这同样是九运离卦的时代印记。

目前，全球担任国家元首（总统）或政府首脑（总理/首相）的女性人数约为 27 位。这其中包括墨西哥总统、冰岛总统和总理、丹麦首相、印度总统、爱尔兰总统、意大利总理，甚至连长期由强人掌权的委内瑞拉，也出现了一位女性代理总统。显而易见，女性领导人在全球范围内正稳步增加。

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The recent election results in Japan and Thailand reveal several meaningful signs of our time. One trend that particularly stands out is the rising sense of nationalism across many countries.

In Thailand’s case, the election outcome was largely influenced by the border conflict with Cambodia. This conflict significantly heightened national self-defense awareness and collective identity, which was clearly reflected at the ballot box.

Similarly, the Japanese government gained strong domestic support by adopting a more confrontational stance toward China, ultimately securing electoral victory.

These developments inevitably bring us back to the concept of the Period 9 (九运) in the San Yuan cycle, which is governed by the Fire element and represented by the Li Gua (离卦) in the I Ching.

The word Li not only signifies fire, but also conveys meanings of separation, distance, and detachment.

Ancient observers noted that early humans used fire to protect their tribes by keeping wild animals at a distance. Hence, the Fire trigram was named Li.

Have you noticed? As we enter the era of the Li Gua, distances between nations—and even between ethnic groups and religions—are becoming increasingly pronounced. People and societies are turning inward, focusing more on self-protection.

On the geopolitical stage, Japan is clearly moving closer to the United States in countering China, while relations between China and the U.S. continue to drift further apart.

At the domestic level, racial and religious tolerance also seems less inclusive than it once was.

From a daily life perspective, the characteristics of the Fire era are everywhere.

Meetings once required physical gatherings; today, they are conducted via remote video calls.

Businesspeople used to visit banks daily; now, a single click transfers funds instantly—no face-to-face interaction required.

Through “fire” in its modern form—the internet, digital networks, and technology—people complete tasks in remarkably short timeframes. This is a textbook manifestation of the Li Gua.

Moreover, the Li Gua also represents the “middle daughter,” symbolizing women. We are witnessing a significant rise in the status and influence of women, with many major corporations now led by female executives.

Even in Japan, a society traditionally viewed as male-dominated, strong and influential female political figures, the first Japanese female Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi—have emerged, further reflecting the unmistakable imprint of the Period 9 Fire era.

Currently, there are approximately 27 women serving as heads of state (presidents) or heads of government (prime ministers) worldwide. This includes the President of Mexico, the President and Prime Minister of Iceland, the Prime Minister of Denmark, the President of India, the President of Ireland, the Prime Minister of Italy, and even an acting female president in Venezuela, a country long dominated by strongman rule. Clearly, the number of women in top leadership positions is steadily rising.