What this change means
Two lines at the base move, the first and second, and Heaven below turns into Mountain: the strength that was gathering now meets a wall. The second line leads. Stay calm if people talk; a few words against you don't decide the outcome, and things tend to end well. The first line backs it up: you're still on the outskirts, still in control, so keep acting in a relaxed, steady way while you watch.
The resulting hexagram, 39 Held Back, shows why the calm matters. Each time you advance, something blocks you, and you have to stop, step back and look for support from like-minded people. Obstacles get passed one by one, not all at once. So treat each stop as part of the road rather than a defeat. Watch for frustration that pushes you to force a way through, and ask for help early instead.
What to read, in order
Marked ● is what Zhu Xi's tradition puts at the center for this number of moving lines.
- Line 2 of 5 Inaction
Stay calm even if gossip comes up.
Waiting on the sand. A few words against; in the end, good fortune.
- Line 1 of 5 Inaction
You still have control over the situation. It's time to act in a relaxed way, while keeping an eye on what's happening.
Waiting on the outskirts. It is favorable to hold steady. No fault.
- The judgment of 5 Inaction
It's time to wait, not to act. Waiting doesn't mean standing still, though: it's a good time to prepare for the active period that's coming. A calm, relaxed attitude will lead you to success: look at the conditions without lying to yourself, and stay alert so you know when it's time to act. Destiny follows its own course.
There is sincere trust. Shining success. Constancy brings good fortune. It is favorable to cross the great river.
- 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 → 5 Inactionlines 1 and 2
Other transformations of Inaction
- 29Waterlines 1 and 3
- 3Initial Obstacleslines 2 and 3
- 28Excesseslines 1 and 4
- 49Renewallines 2 and 4
- 58Inner Peacelines 3 and 4
- 46Going Uplines 1 and 5
- 36Darknesslines 2 and 5
- 19Fleeting Successlines 3 and 5
- 34Great Manifestationlines 4 and 5
- 57Gentlenesslines 1 and 6
- 37The Tribelines 2 and 6
- 61Inner Integritylines 3 and 6
- 1Activitylines 4 and 6
- 26Great Achievementslines 5 and 6
Make your own cast
The answer changes with the question. Toss the coins and see which lines move for you.