What this change means
As the second and fourth lines move, water settles beneath fire, and the figure becomes 64 Transition. The fourth line leads: adversity is pressing in, close enough to touch your body, and it asks you to protect yourself before anything else. The second line adds that resources and help are short, so waiting for better conditions is wiser than forcing. The resulting hexagram describes a crossing not yet made. Things are coming together for success, but some pieces still haven't fallen into place. That's the danger here: acting out of impatience, making mistakes born of immaturity, or hesitating at the last step. So treat this as a passage. Look after yourself, gather what you lack, and stay alert. Tell things apart carefully and set each one where it belongs before you try to cross.
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 23 The Fall
Adversity is advancing; even your body may be affected.
The bed is stripped down to the skin. Misfortune.
- Line 2 of 23 The Fall
Resources and help aren't enough right now. All you can do is wait for better conditions.
The bed is stripped at the frame. Constancy is destroyed: misfortune.
- The judgment of 23 The Fall
It's a time of obstacles and difficulties when, even if you're right, your words aren't believed. Lesser people who misuse power are on the rise, and you could become their victim. Recognizing this time without trying to push ahead, and being generous and giving toward those beneath you, will help you hold on while circumstances change.
It is not favorable to have somewhere to go.
- The judgment of 64 Transition
Things are coming together so that success can arrive and you can take on great projects, but some things still haven't fallen into place. So stay alert, so you don't make mistakes born of immaturity, or you'll drift from your goals. This can happen even after you've gotten what you want: you stop, you hesitate, and mistakes happen.
Success. The little fox has nearly crossed and wets its tail. Nothing is favorable.
The trigrams
The way back
64 Transition → 23 The Falllines 2 and 4
Other transformations of The Fall
- 41Decreaselines 1 and 2
- 22Good Mannerslines 1 and 3
- 18Loss, Then Gainlines 2 and 3
- 21Bitinglines 1 and 4
- 56The Travelerlines 3 and 4
- 42Increaselines 1 and 5
- 59Release from Obstacleslines 2 and 5
- 53Gradual Progresslines 3 and 5
- 12Declinelines 4 and 5
- 24Coming Backlines 1 and 6
- 7The Armylines 2 and 6
- 15Simplicitylines 3 and 6
- 16Passionlines 4 and 6
- 8Unionlines 5 and 6
Make your own cast
The answer changes with the question. Toss the coins and see which lines move for you.