What this change means
All three lower lines move, and the water under the earth becomes fire buried in it: the light goes down into the ground. Two situations stand side by side here. In 7 The Army, good fortune comes from order: you look the problem in the eye, name your aim out loud, and still leave others free to agree. That's the constancy of someone who has led before.
The resulting hexagram, 36 Darkness, describes a hard time when circumstances may force you to live alongside the wrong people. Its advice is to protect yourself, keep your integrity, and avoid making a show of your talents until better days come. Held together, the two judgments ask for an inner discipline rather than an outer campaign. Stay organized and clear in yourself, but choose carefully when to speak. Hard stretches tend to pass, and steadiness is what carries you through them intact.
What to read, in order
Marked ● is what Zhu Xi's tradition puts at the center for this number of moving lines.
- The judgment of 7 The Army
Whatever your question, the favorable answer comes from acting with discipline and organization: face the situation head-on and speak clearly, say what you want, without trying to impose it.
The constancy of a seasoned leader brings good fortune. No fault.
- The judgment of 36 Darkness
It's a dark time: circumstances force you to live alongside the wrong people. If you know how to protect yourself, hold on to your integrity, and go unnoticed, without openly showing your light and your talents, you'll stay safe until better times come. However hard they seem, hard times pass too.
Constancy in hardship is favorable.
- Line 1 of 7 The Army
There has to be a just cause for you to move in the direction you want.
The army sets out under discipline. Without good order: misfortune.
- Line 2 of 7 The Army
Keep up your activity and discipline to reach what you want, and you'll get it.
In the midst of the army: good fortune. No fault. Three times the king bestows his charge.
- Line 3 of 7 The Army
If you don't keep up the conditions needed for success and you slacken in your task, there will be misfortune.
Perhaps the army hauls corpses on its carts. Misfortune.
The trigrams
The way back
36 Darkness → 7 The Armylines 1, 2, and 3
Other transformations of The Army
- 51Shocklines 1, 2, and 4
- 34Great Manifestationlines 1, 3, and 4
- 62Success in Small Matterslines 2, 3, and 4
- 3Initial Obstacleslines 1, 2, and 5
- 5Inactionlines 1, 3, and 5
- 39Held Backlines 2, 3, and 5
- 58Inner Peacelines 1, 4, and 5
- 45Meetinglines 2, 4, and 5
- 28Excesseslines 3, 4, and 5
- 27Nourishmentlines 1, 2, and 6
- 26Great Achievementslines 1, 3, and 6
- 52Abidinglines 2, 3, and 6
- 38Oppositeslines 1, 4, and 6
- 35Advancelines 2, 4, and 6
- 50The Vessel of Nourishmentlines 3, 4, and 6
- 61Inner Integritylines 1, 5, and 6
- 20Observinglines 2, 5, and 6
- 57Gentlenesslines 3, 5, and 6
- 6Conflictlines 4, 5, and 6
Make your own cast
The answer changes with the question. Toss the coins and see which lines move for you.