What this change means
Fire now burns below and a lake sits above: with the second and fourth lines moving, the clouds over Heaven turn into the image of shedding a skin. The fourth line leads, and it's a hard one. You're waiting in blood, and any action only worsens things; the exit from the pit opens when you stop fighting it. The second line supports this: if people talk, stay calm, since it tends to end well.
The resulting hexagram, 49 Renewal, says a real change is underway, and success lies in taking each step at exactly the right moment. Weigh what needs to change and what doesn't, and let go of what no longer does its job. Here, timing is everything. Don't force the change while you're still in the blood; let the pressure ease, then renew. Watch for acting out of pain rather than clarity.
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 5 Inaction
Any kind of action will only make things worse.
Waiting in blood. Coming out of the pit.
- 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.
- 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 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 → 5 Inactionlines 2 and 4
Other transformations of Inaction
- 39Held Backlines 1 and 2
- 29Waterlines 1 and 3
- 3Initial Obstacleslines 2 and 3
- 28Excesseslines 1 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.