What this change means
Heaven over Heaven: the fourth and top lines move, the Water above clears into sky, and the waiting of 5 Inaction gives way to pure creative force. The top line leads. In the pit, when all seems against you, help arrives uninvited, and respect toward it brings good fortune at last. The fourth line describes what comes before: a painful wait, where any action worsens things, until the way out of the pit opens.
The resulting hexagram, 1 Activity, speaks of new beginnings and of the qualities needed to carry a project through to success. So the deadlock breaks, partly through help you didn't call for. Accept it, then let your own energy take over. Watch for acting too early, while still in the pain, and for overlooking the people who helped you out.
What to read, in order
Marked ● is what Zhu Xi's tradition puts at the center for this number of moving lines.
- Line 6 of 5 Inaction
At a moment when everything seems to be against you, help appears that will resolve the situation.
Into the pit. Three guests come without being called; receiving them with respect brings good fortune at last.
- 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 1 Activity
The creative principle. Activity. New beginnings, flourishing, and the qualities you need to carry any undertaking or project through to success.
Great success. Constancy is favorable.
The trigrams
The way back
1 Activity → 5 Inactionlines 4 and 6
Other transformations of Inaction
- 39Held Backlines 1 and 2
- 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
- 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.