What this change means
A lake that drowns the trees: when the first, fourth and top lines move, wood lies under water, and the weight on the beam becomes too much. Both judgments carry this three-line reading. Small Things speaks of a success that isn't ready, obstacles still to resolve, and small actions until the right moment. The resulting hexagram, 28 Excesses, describes a situation that needs extraordinary measures to keep what you've built from collapsing. Check and strengthen the foundations, take innovative action, and step out of your comfort zone; otherwise loss can't be avoided. Taken together, they suggest that quiet waiting alone won't hold anymore. The load has grown. You still don't need a grand gesture, but you do need to reinforce what supports everything else. Look at the foundations first, then act boldly enough to protect them.
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 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.
- The judgment of 28 Excesses
You're in a situation that calls for extraordinary measures to keep what you've achieved from collapsing. Check and strengthen the foundations that hold up your projects, take innovative action and step out of your comfort zone. That way your success is assured; otherwise, loss can't be avoided.
The ridgepole sags. It is favorable to have somewhere to go. Success.
- 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 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 6 of 9 Small Things
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.
The trigrams
The way back
28 Excesses → 9 Small Thingslines 1, 4, and 6
Other transformations of Small Things
- 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
- 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
Make your own cast
The answer changes with the question. Toss the coins and see which lines move for you.