What this change means
Water on the mountain: the third and top lines move, and the way ahead grows steep. The top line leads, lifting your gaze to the great patterns: how things rise, peak and pass. Seeing them, you can act with wisdom. The third line brings that view home: look at your own life alongside the outer signs, and decide whether to advance or withdraw.
The resulting hexagram, 39 Held Back, describes being blocked each time you advance, so that you have to stop, step back and look for support from like-minded people, overcoming the obstacles one by one. The lines give you the right reading of that. Advancing and retreating are part of a larger rhythm, and stepping back isn't failure. Observe when to push and when to pause, and gather allies. Watch for insisting on forward motion when the signs clearly say stop; the final victory comes through patience and company.
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 20 Observing
If you observe the laws that govern the world, the coming and going of things, you'll act wisely.
Contemplating their life. For the noble person, no fault.
- Line 3 of 20 Observing
Observing yourself, along with the signs coming from outside, will give you a full view of the situation and let you decide whether to advance or pull back.
Contemplating my own life: advancing or withdrawing.
- The judgment of 20 Observing
Observe before you act. Right now you're a source of inspiration for others, and at the same time you need to observe those who inspire you. This will let things unfold at the right moment, and perfectly.
Hands washed, the offering not yet made. There is sincere trust, solemn and grave.
- The judgment of 39 Held Back
Every time you advance, something blocks you, forcing you to stop, step back, and look for help from like-minded people who give you their support. That way you'll get past the obstacles one by one until the final victory.
The southwest is favorable; the northeast is not. It is favorable to see the great person. Constancy brings good fortune.
The trigrams
The way back
39 Held Back → 20 Observinglines 3 and 6
Other transformations of Observing
- 61Inner Integritylines 1 and 2
- 37The Tribelines 1 and 3
- 57Gentlenesslines 2 and 3
- 25Innocencelines 1 and 4
- 6Conflictlines 2 and 4
- 33Leaving Behindlines 3 and 4
- 27Nourishmentlines 1 and 5
- 4Immaturitylines 2 and 5
- 52Abidinglines 3 and 5
- 35Advancelines 4 and 5
- 3Initial Obstacleslines 1 and 6
- 29Waterlines 2 and 6
- 45Meetinglines 4 and 6
- 2Passivitylines 5 and 6
Make your own cast
The answer changes with the question. Toss the coins and see which lines move for you.