What this change means
Waiting in blood is the image of the fourth line, and then: coming out of the pit. As it moves, the Water above becomes Lake, and the danger that loomed overhead starts to spill. This is a hard place. Any kind of action now only makes things worse, so the counsel is to hold still and let the way out appear rather than forcing one. Getting out of the pit comes from not thrashing.
The resulting hexagram, 43 Overflowing, describes a buildup that's close to bursting, personally and in your relationships. What's happening needs to come into the open, but not by blunt words; choose them carefully so you don't provoke reactions, and act generously to ease the tension. So: don't act rashly, but don't bottle it up forever. Watch for the moment when silence turns into pressure, and speak before it does.
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.
- 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 43 Overflowing
It's a time of excessive buildup: some situations are about to get out of control and overwhelm you, both personally and in your relationships. You need to bring what's happening into the open, but without speaking about it directly; watch your words so you don't provoke reactions. It's a time to act generously to ease the tension that's there.
It is proclaimed in the king's court. A sincere cry: there is danger. Word comes from one's own city. It is not favorable to take up arms. It is favorable to have somewhere to go.
The trigrams
The way back
43 Overflowing → 5 Inactionline 4
Other transformations of Inaction
Make your own cast
The answer changes with the question. Toss the coins and see which lines move for you.