What this change means
Fire beneath the lake: as the third and fourth lines move, the confusion of a hard start turns into the conditions for real change. The fourth line leads. Accept help now, even at the cost of some pride, because the partnership you're seeking brings good fortune. The third line gives the other half of the lesson. Some things you're chasing are best let go; pushing after them without a guide only takes you deeper into the woods. One line says reach out, the other says release.
The resulting hexagram, 49 Renewal, joins them in the image of shedding a skin. Open yourself to new ways of doing things, and weigh carefully what needs to change and what no longer serves. Each step works best at the right moment. Don't be afraid to drop the old chase. Making room for the new is exactly what the help you accept can make possible.
What to read, in order
Marked ● is what Zhu Xi's tradition puts at the center for this number of moving lines.
- Line 4 of 3 Initial Obstacles
It's wise to accept help now, even if it means leaving your pride behind.
The horses of the team pull apart. Seeking marriage. Going brings good fortune. Nothing that is not favorable.
- Line 3 of 3 Initial Obstacles
Right now obstacles aren't solved by acting: they're solved by stepping back until conditions improve.
Chasing the deer with no gamekeeper, only going deeper into the forest. The noble person sees the sign and would rather let it go. Going on: distress.
- The judgment of 3 Initial Obstacles
This isn't the time to act directly: look for people who can act for you, allies who represent you. Still, stay alert so you know when the time comes to take back the initiative and control.
Great success. Constancy is favorable. Having somewhere to go is of no use yet. It is favorable to install lords.
- The judgment of 49 Renewal
You're in a time of renewal, like shedding a skin. Open yourself to change and to new ways of doing things. Success lies in taking each step at exactly the right moment, and in weighing what needs to change and what doesn't, what is no longer doing its job. Don't be afraid to let it go: you need to make room for the new to arrive.
When the day has come, there is trust. Great success. Constancy is favorable. Regret vanishes.
The trigrams
The way back
49 Renewal → 3 Initial Obstacleslines 3 and 4
Other transformations of Initial Obstacles
- 29Waterlines 1 and 2
- 39Held Backlines 1 and 3
- 5Inactionlines 2 and 3
- 45Meetinglines 1 and 4
- 58Inner Peacelines 2 and 4
- 2Passivitylines 1 and 5
- 19Fleeting Successlines 2 and 5
- 36Darknesslines 3 and 5
- 51Shocklines 4 and 5
- 20Observinglines 1 and 6
- 61Inner Integritylines 2 and 6
- 37The Tribelines 3 and 6
- 25Innocencelines 4 and 6
- 27Nourishmentlines 5 and 6
Make your own cast
The answer changes with the question. Toss the coins and see which lines move for you.