What this change means
Water on the mountain: four lines move, and the open road of Heaven becomes a hard climb. So much movement sends you to the quiet places of the resulting hexagram, 39 Held Back: its third and fifth lines. The third says the right move now is to withdraw from the obstacles, go back to ordinary life with the people who love you, and wait until it's time to act. The fifth says your conviction and clear goals let you keep going despite the obstacles, and your inner strength draws help to you. So both retreat and persistence appear, and they fit together. Stop pushing against the wall. Go home, regroup, lean on those close to you. Keep your aim clear meanwhile. That steadiness tends to draw allies, and with them you'll get past the obstacles one at a time.
What to read, in order
Marked ● is what Zhu Xi's tradition puts at the center for this number of moving lines.
- Line 3 of 39 Held Back, which stays still
The right thing now is to step back from the obstacles and return to normal conditions, with the people who love you, until the time to act comes.
Going: hardship. Coming: a return.
- Line 5 of 39 Held Back, which stays still
You have great conviction and clear goals, which let you keep going despite the obstacles. Your inner strength will draw help to you.
Great hardship: friends arrive.
- 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.
- 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 4 of 1 Activity
It's time to decide whether you want to keep moving forward or stop.
Perhaps it leaps in the abyss. No fault.
- Line 6 of 1 Activity
Pride may be your worst enemy right now.
A dragon that climbs too high. There is regret.
- The judgment of 39 Held Back
Every time you advance, something blocks you, forcing you to stop, step back, and look for help from like-minded people who give you their support. That way you'll get past the obstacles one by one until the final victory.
The southwest is favorable; the northeast is not. It is favorable to see the great person. Constancy brings good fortune.
The trigrams
The way back
39 Held Back → 1 Activitylines 1, 2, 4, and 6
Other transformations of Activity
- 20Observinglines 1, 2, 3, and 4
- 35Advancelines 1, 2, 3, and 5
- 52Abidinglines 1, 2, 4, and 5
- 4Immaturitylines 1, 3, 4, and 5
- 27Nourishmentlines 2, 3, 4, and 5
- 45Meetinglines 1, 2, 3, and 6
- 29Waterlines 1, 3, 4, and 6
- 3Initial Obstacleslines 2, 3, 4, and 6
- 62Success in Small Matterslines 1, 2, 5, and 6
- 40Clearing Obstacleslines 1, 3, 5, and 6
- 51Shocklines 2, 3, 5, and 6
- 46Going Uplines 1, 4, 5, and 6
- 36Darknesslines 2, 4, 5, and 6
- 19Fleeting Successlines 3, 4, 5, and 6
Make your own cast
The answer changes with the question. Toss the coins and see which lines move for you.