What this change means
The whole lower trigram moves, and Heaven below turns to Earth: creative strength above, yielding ground beneath, and the two no longer meeting. With three lines moving, the reading weighs both judgments. From 1 Activity comes the energy of new beginnings and the qualities that carry a project through. From the resulting hexagram, 12 Decline, comes a sober warning: adverse people and circumstances surround you, and it's a poor time for decisions or bold steps. How do those fit? Your drive is real, but the setting won't support it right now. Keep your strength, not your exposure. Avoid getting involved with people who don't mean you well, whatever they offer. Withdraw to a safe place, keep a low profile, and let conditions shift. The creative power doesn't disappear in a time like this; it waits inside you for ground that can receive it.
What to read, in order
Marked ● is what Zhu Xi's tradition puts at the center for this number of moving lines.
- The judgment of 1 Activity
The creative principle. Activity. New beginnings, flourishing, and the qualities you need to carry any undertaking or project through to success.
Great success. Constancy is favorable.
- The judgment of 12 Decline
You're surrounded by adverse people and situations. Avoid getting involved with those people, no matter what they offer you. Circumstances aren't good for acting or making decisions; it's time to withdraw to a safe place and wait for conditions to change. It's time to keep a low profile.
Stagnation: these are not worthy people. The constancy of the noble person is not favorable. The great goes, the small comes.
- Line 1 of 1 Activity
It's not yet time to act.
A dragon under the water. Do not act.
- Line 2 of 1 Activity
It's time to talk with the people who can help you.
The dragon shows itself in the field. It is favorable to see the great person.
- Line 3 of 1 Activity
Things are working, yet you worry for no apparent reason.
The noble person strives and strives all day long, and at nightfall is still watchful. Danger. No fault.
The trigrams
The way back
12 Decline → 1 Activitylines 1, 2, and 3
Other transformations of Activity
- 53Gradual Progresslines 1, 2, and 4
- 59Release from Obstacleslines 1, 3, and 4
- 42Increaselines 2, 3, and 4
- 56The Travelerlines 1, 2, and 5
- 64Transitionlines 1, 3, and 5
- 21Bitinglines 2, 3, and 5
- 18Loss, Then Gainlines 1, 4, and 5
- 22Good Mannerslines 2, 4, and 5
- 41Decreaselines 3, 4, and 5
- 31Attractionlines 1, 2, and 6
- 47Overwhelmedlines 1, 3, and 6
- 17Adaptinglines 2, 3, and 6
- 48Right Actionlines 1, 4, and 6
- 63After the Endlines 2, 4, and 6
- 60Thriftlines 3, 4, and 6
- 32What Lastslines 1, 5, and 6
- 55Abundancelines 2, 5, and 6
- 54A Subordinate Rolelines 3, 5, and 6
- 11Well-Beinglines 4, 5, and 6
Make your own cast
The answer changes with the question. Toss the coins and see which lines move for you.