In practice
The judgment
You're facing a situation that promises success, but it isn't time yet. There are still obstacles on the way that you need to resolve. For now you can take small actions and wait for the right moment to act on a large scale.
The poetry
Small Restraint
Success. Dense clouds and no rain, from my western outskirts.
The image
Wind moves across the heavens: small restraint. So the noble person refines the beauty of their virtue.
The lines
- Line 6上九
You get what you want thanks to step-by-step work. Still, don't rest on your laurels: you have to stay constant and keep working little by little.
The rain has come, the rest has come. Virtue has piled up like a load. The wife's constancy is in danger. The moon is nearly full. For the noble person, setting out brings misfortune.
- Line 5九五
Allying with others and being loyal in that alliance will bring success.
There is sincere trust, bound together as by a cord. Growing rich alongside the neighbor.
- Line 4六四
If you act fairly, you may meet difficulties at first, but little by little the obstacles will fade until you reach your goal.
There is sincere trust. The blood goes, the fear leaves. No fault.
- Line 3九三
Trying to advance at any cost only brings bigger obstacles from outside.
The spokes come loose from the cart. Husband and wife glare at each other.
- Line 2九二
Even though circumstances push you to advance, for now it's time to go back and prepare to act at a better moment.
Led back. Good fortune.
- Line 1初九
What's called for now is to fall back to situations where you have more control. This isn't a loss: it's a smart move.
Returning by its own way. What fault could there be? Good fortune.
Its 63 transformations
Depending on which lines move in your cast, Small Things turns into another hexagram. Pick the lines from your cast.
One moving line
6
Two moving lines
15
- 53Gradual Progresslines 1 and 2
- 59Release from Obstacleslines 1 and 3
- 42Increaselines 2 and 3
- 44Lack of Firmnesslines 1 and 4
- 13Gathering with Equalslines 2 and 4
- 10Treading Carefullylines 3 and 4
- 18Loss, Then Gainlines 1 and 5
- 22Good Mannerslines 2 and 5
- 41Decreaselines 3 and 5
- 14Wealthlines 4 and 5
- 48Right Actionlines 1 and 6
- 63After the Endlines 2 and 6
- 60Thriftlines 3 and 6
- 43Overflowinglines 4 and 6
- 11Well-Beinglines 5 and 6
Three moving lines
20
- 20Observinglines 1, 2, and 3
- 33Leaving Behindlines 1, 2, and 4
- 6Conflictlines 1, 3, and 4
- 25Innocencelines 2, 3, and 4
- 52Abidinglines 1, 2, and 5
- 4Immaturitylines 1, 3, and 5
- 27Nourishmentlines 2, 3, and 5
- 50The Vessel of Nourishmentlines 1, 4, and 5
- 30The Flamelines 2, 4, and 5
- 38Oppositeslines 3, 4, and 5
- 39Held Backlines 1, 2, and 6
- 29Waterlines 1, 3, and 6
- 3Initial Obstacleslines 2, 3, and 6
- 28Excesseslines 1, 4, and 6
- 49Renewallines 2, 4, and 6
- 58Inner Peacelines 3, 4, and 6
- 46Going Uplines 1, 5, and 6
- 36Darknesslines 2, 5, and 6
- 19Fleeting Successlines 3, 5, and 6
- 34Great Manifestationlines 4, 5, and 6
Four moving lines
15
- 12Declinelines 1, 2, 3, and 4
- 23The Falllines 1, 2, 3, and 5
- 56The Travelerlines 1, 2, 4, and 5
- 64Transitionlines 1, 3, 4, and 5
- 21Bitinglines 2, 3, 4, and 5
- 8Unionlines 1, 2, 3, and 6
- 31Attractionlines 1, 2, 4, and 6
- 47Overwhelmedlines 1, 3, 4, and 6
- 17Adaptinglines 2, 3, 4, and 6
- 15Simplicitylines 1, 2, 5, and 6
- 7The Armylines 1, 3, 5, and 6
- 24Coming Backlines 2, 3, 5, and 6
- 32What Lastslines 1, 4, 5, and 6
- 55Abundancelines 2, 4, 5, and 6
- 54A Subordinate Rolelines 3, 4, 5, and 6
Five moving lines
6
All six lines moving
1
The classical text
小畜：亨。密雲不雨，自我西郊。
象曰：風行天上，小畜，君子以懿文德。
初九：復自道，何其咎，吉。
九二：牽復，吉。
九三：輿說輻，夫妻反目。
六四：有孚，血去惕出，无咎。
九五：有孚攣如，富以其鄰。
上九：既雨既處，尚德載，婦貞厲，月幾望，君子征凶。
Related hexagrams
Make your own cast
The answer changes with the question. Toss the coins and see which lines move for you.