What this change means
Both trigrams turn to Fire as the first, third and fifth lines move, and Decline brightens into 30 The Flame. The two judgments are held in balance. Decline speaks of adverse surroundings, of the great going and the small coming, and of withdrawal into your own virtue. 30 The Flame speaks of clarity: your inner self guides you toward your goals, and a generous attitude that shares your light increases what you achieve. Read together, they say that the virtue you protected during the stagnation becomes the light you now carry. What was kept inside can begin to show. Don't hide it out of habit once conditions allow it to shine. Share what you've understood with the people around you, generously. Keep feeding the inner flame, too, so it burns steadily rather than flaring and dying out when the first warmth returns.
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 12 Decline
You're surrounded by adverse people and situations. Avoid getting involved with those people, no matter what they offer you. Circumstances aren't good for acting or making decisions; it's time to withdraw to a safe place and wait for conditions to change. It's time to keep a low profile.
Stagnation: these are not worthy people. The constancy of the noble person is not favorable. The great goes, the small comes.
- The judgment of 30 The Flame
There's clarity in what you do: your inner self guides you toward your goals. A generous attitude helps you, one that leads you to share your light, and this will increase your gains and achievements.
Constancy is favorable. Success. Raising a cow brings good fortune.
- Line 1 of 12 Decline
If you recognize the decline and withdraw in time, warning others about it, you'll succeed later on.
The grass is pulled up, and its tangled roots come too, each with its clump. Constancy brings good fortune. Success.
- Line 3 of 12 Decline
Little by little things will improve; it's a matter of waiting patiently for justice to be done.
Embracing shame.
- Line 5 of 12 Decline
The stagnation is ending, but you still need to act with caution until the situation is fully stable.
Stagnation comes to rest. For the great person, good fortune. “It may be lost, it may be lost”: tied to the leafy mulberry.
The trigrams
The way back
30 The Flame → 12 Declinelines 1, 3, and 5
Other transformations of Decline
- 1Activitylines 1, 2, and 3
- 61Inner Integritylines 1, 2, and 4
- 37The Tribelines 1, 3, and 4
- 57Gentlenesslines 2, 3, and 4
- 38Oppositeslines 1, 2, and 5
- 50The Vessel of Nourishmentlines 2, 3, and 5
- 27Nourishmentlines 1, 4, and 5
- 4Immaturitylines 2, 4, and 5
- 52Abidinglines 3, 4, and 5
- 58Inner Peacelines 1, 2, and 6
- 49Renewallines 1, 3, and 6
- 28Excesseslines 2, 3, and 6
- 3Initial Obstacleslines 1, 4, and 6
- 29Waterlines 2, 4, and 6
- 39Held Backlines 3, 4, and 6
- 51Shocklines 1, 5, and 6
- 40Clearing Obstacleslines 2, 5, and 6
- 62Success in Small Matterslines 3, 5, and 6
- 2Passivitylines 4, 5, and 6
Make your own cast
The answer changes with the question. Toss the coins and see which lines move for you.