What this change means
Rain at last: in the sixth line the clouds of Small Things finally open, and what you've worked for arrives through steady, step-by-step effort. Yet this top line is the heart of the reading, and it carries a caution with the reward. Virtue has piled up like a load; the moon is nearly full, and setting out now brings misfortune. Don't rest on your laurels, and don't launch something new on the strength of this success. Stay constant and keep working little by little. As the line moves, Wind becomes Water, clouds rising to the sky, and the result is 5 Inaction. That resulting hexagram says it's time to wait, not to act, though waiting isn't standing still: prepare for the active period ahead, look at conditions without fooling yourself, and stay calm and alert. Enjoy the rain, and keep your feet where they are.
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 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 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 5 Inaction
It's time to wait, not to act. Waiting doesn't mean standing still, though: it's a good time to prepare for the active period that's coming. A calm, relaxed attitude will lead you to success: look at the conditions without lying to yourself, and stay alert so you know when it's time to act. Destiny follows its own course.
There is sincere trust. Shining success. Constancy brings good fortune. It is favorable to cross the great river.
The trigrams
The way back
5 Inaction → 9 Small Thingsline 6
Other transformations of Small Things
Make your own cast
The answer changes with the question. Toss the coins and see which lines move for you.