What this change means
A tree grows on a mountain as the third and top lines move, and the gathering slows to a gradual climb. The top line leads: if you wait too long to seek alliances, help may arrive too late. The third line warns about the opposite mistake, joining the wrong people too quickly, in alliances too shallow to bear fruit.
The resulting hexagram, 53 Gradual Progress, describes advancing in stages, each one making the progress sturdier, while any attempt to hurry tends to bring setbacks. So the reading asks for balance between hurry and delay. Begin looking for allies now, but take time to see who's genuine before committing deeply. Build trust one stage at a time. Watch for both errors: waiting until it's too late, and grabbing whoever is nearest. Patient, early, careful steps lead somewhere solid.
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 8 Union
If you're slow to seek alliances, by the time you realize you need help it will be too late.
Joining with no head. Misfortune.
- Line 3 of 8 Union
You tend to choose badly the people you join with. Avoid shallow alliances that won't bear good fruit.
Joining with those who are not the right ones.
- The judgment of 8 Union
Right now success lies in joining with people who are aligned with your project and who are a support for you. But it's important that you, too, have the qualities needed to carry it out; that's why you can toss the coins once more to find out whether you have those qualities.
Good fortune. Consult the oracle again: great and lasting constancy. No fault. The restless come from every side. The one who comes late: misfortune.
- The judgment of 53 Gradual Progress
You'll make progress, and it will come step by step, gradually, through stages that make it lasting and stable. Trying to speed things up will bring delays and obstacles. Keep at it, one rung at a time.
The woman goes to be married: good fortune. Constancy is favorable.
The trigrams
The way back
53 Gradual Progress → 8 Unionlines 3 and 6
Other transformations of Union
- 60Thriftlines 1 and 2
- 63After the Endlines 1 and 3
- 48Right Actionlines 2 and 3
- 17Adaptinglines 1 and 4
- 47Overwhelmedlines 2 and 4
- 31Attractionlines 3 and 4
- 24Coming Backlines 1 and 5
- 7The Armylines 2 and 5
- 15Simplicitylines 3 and 5
- 16Passionlines 4 and 5
- 42Increaselines 1 and 6
- 59Release from Obstacleslines 2 and 6
- 12Declinelines 4 and 6
- 23The Falllines 5 and 6
Make your own cast
The answer changes with the question. Toss the coins and see which lines move for you.