What this change means
Thunder answers thunder as the fourth and fifth lines move, and the danger above becomes a sudden jolt. The fifth line leads: move carefully, one step at a time, and keep your efforts small, because big pushes tend to go wrong now even when you're determined. The fourth line opens a door beside it. Accept help, even if it costs you some pride; going toward the right alliance brings good fortune.
The resulting hexagram, 51 Shock, adds what the moment will test. Unexpected events can arrive, the kind that frighten others. If you keep control and act calmly, without losing composure, you can get results where others stumble. So the combination is clear. Don't rush, don't go it alone, and when the surprise comes, stay steady. Watch for overreaction. A calm response, backed by the people who stand with you, turns the jolt into a step forward.
What to read, in order
Marked ● is what Zhu Xi's tradition puts at the center for this number of moving lines.
- Line 5 of 3 Initial Obstacles
Act with caution, step by step, without rushing.
Holding back its richness. In small things, constancy brings good fortune; in great things, even with constancy, misfortune.
- 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.
- 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 51 Shock
When unexpected situations come along that would frighten others, keep control and act calmly, without losing your composure. This attitude will get you results in what you want and let you succeed where others fail.
Success. Thunder comes, and there is dread; then laughter and easy talk. The thunder alarms a hundred leagues around, yet neither the ladle nor the sacrificial wine is let fall.
The trigrams
The way back
51 Shock → 3 Initial Obstacleslines 4 and 5
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
- 49Renewallines 3 and 4
- 2Passivitylines 1 and 5
- 19Fleeting Successlines 2 and 5
- 36Darknesslines 3 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.