What this change means
Thunder rolls twice: the second and fourth lines move, and both trigrams become Thunder. The fourth line leads, asking you to stand with those beneath you and back them, since that's where your stability comes from. The second line steadies the inner side: every situation passes, so you can go through each phase trusting what you have rather than reacting out of fear.
The resulting hexagram, 51 Shock, speaks of unexpected events that would frighten others. Keep control, act calmly and hold your composure, and you can succeed where others fail. Together, the lines prepare you for that jolt. Accepting impermanence keeps panic at bay, and the people you've supported become a steady base when the ground shakes. Don't assume the good period will run smoothly to its end. Watch for surprise turning into fear; the calm you practice now is what lets you respond well when the shake comes.
What to read, in order
Marked ● is what Zhu Xi's tradition puts at the center for this number of moving lines.
- Line 4 of 19 Fleeting Success
Joining with the people under you and supporting them will help you stay stable.
Drawing near all the way. No fault.
- Line 2 of 19 Fleeting Success
Recognizing that every situation is impermanent will let you move through each phase not from fear, but trusting that you have what you need to get through it.
Drawing near together. Good fortune; nothing that is not favorable.
- The judgment of 19 Fleeting Success
A period of luck, fortune and well-being is coming. Make the most of it, because it will last only eight months; after that, conditions will change. If you can pay attention, read the signs and take care and precautions before the decline arrives, you won't avoid it, but you will lessen its effects while circumstances change.
Great success. Constancy is favorable. When the eighth month comes, misfortune.
- The judgment of 51 Shock
When unexpected situations come along that would frighten others, keep control and act calmly, without losing your composure. This attitude will get you results in what you want and let you succeed where others fail.
Success. Thunder comes, and there is dread; then laughter and easy talk. The thunder alarms a hundred leagues around, yet neither the ladle nor the sacrificial wine is let fall.
The trigrams
The way back
51 Shock → 19 Fleeting Successlines 2 and 4
Other transformations of Fleeting Success
- 2Passivitylines 1 and 2
- 46Going Uplines 1 and 3
- 36Darknesslines 2 and 3
- 40Clearing Obstacleslines 1 and 4
- 34Great Manifestationlines 3 and 4
- 29Waterlines 1 and 5
- 3Initial Obstacleslines 2 and 5
- 5Inactionlines 3 and 5
- 58Inner Peacelines 4 and 5
- 4Immaturitylines 1 and 6
- 27Nourishmentlines 2 and 6
- 26Great Achievementslines 3 and 6
- 38Oppositeslines 4 and 6
- 61Inner Integritylines 5 and 6
Make your own cast
The answer changes with the question. Toss the coins and see which lines move for you.