Transformation · lines 1, 2, 4, and 5
Small Things becomes The Traveler
What this change means
Fire on the mountain, a camp for one night: with four lines moving, only the third and sixth stay put, and the guidance comes from those still lines of 56 The Traveler. The third warns that if you lose your kindness now and become irritable or aggressive, you'll bring trouble on yourself. The top line warns against relaxing too much, forgetting you're only passing through, and neglecting your ultimate purpose. So Small Things, with its patient restraint, opens onto a period of transition: new places or situations, small achievements, and a need to adapt while things settle. The risks lie in your attitude. Stay gracious with the people you meet, even when the unfamiliar wears on you, and keep your real aim in view so comfort doesn't make you drift. Travel light, hold your attachments loosely, and remember where you're going.
What to read, in order
Marked ● is what Zhu Xi's tradition puts at the center for this number of moving lines.
- Line 3 of 56 The Traveler, which stays still
If you lose your kindness now and turn irritable and aggressive, you'll bring on trouble.
The traveler burns down the inn and loses the young servant. Constancy is in danger.
- Line 6 of 56 The Traveler, which stays still
If you relax too much, forgetting that you're only passing through, and stop tending to your ultimate purpose, you'll run into problems.
The bird burns its nest. The traveler laughs first and wails aloud after. Loses the ox at Yi. Misfortune.
- The judgment of 9 Small Things
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.
Success. Dense clouds and no rain, from my western outskirts.
- Line 1 of 9 Small Things
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.
- Line 2 of 9 Small Things
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 4 of 9 Small Things
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 5 of 9 Small Things
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.
- The judgment of 56 The Traveler
It's a time of small achievements. Keep a light, flexible attitude. You may be facing a period of change, new places or situations that ask you to adapt while they settle: let go of attachments and be gracious as you make new connections and your situation takes hold.
Small success. For the traveler, constancy brings good fortune.
The trigrams
The way back
56 The Traveler → 9 Small Thingslines 1, 2, 4, and 5
Other transformations of Small Things
- 12Declinelines 1, 2, 3, and 4
- 23The Falllines 1, 2, 3, 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
Make your own cast
The answer changes with the question. Toss the coins and see which lines move for you.