What this change means
The first line is the root of this whole return: you haven't gone far, so coming back costs no regret, and the old text calls it great good fortune. In practice it's about timing. Success lies in doing things at the right moment, so watch the signs closely and act on them when they appear. As the line changes, the thunder below goes quiet and the figure becomes 2 Passivity, earth over earth. That shapes how you act. The signs you watch for may come through other people, and this isn't the time to force the initiative yourself. Let those who can guide you do so, keep at your projects patiently, and respond rather than push. A small correction made early, with a receptive attitude, tends to carry further than a bold move made on your own.
What to read, in order
Marked ● is what Zhu Xi's tradition puts at the center for this number of moving lines.
- Line 1 of 24 Coming Back
Success lies in doing things at the perfect time: watch the signs and act on them.
Returning from not far, without coming to regret. Great good fortune.
- The judgment of 24 Coming Back
After a period of adversity and darkness, the return comes. Still, be aware of the mistakes that led you into the dark, because if you repeat them you could fall again. People will come to help you, and your undertakings and projects will be favored.
Success. Going out and coming in without harm; friends arrive, no fault. Back and forth along its way: in seven days comes the return. It is favorable to have somewhere to go.
- The judgment of 2 Passivity
This is not the time to take the initiative to achieve things. It's better to let others guide you and to keep at your projects with patience.
Great success. The constancy of a mare is favorable. The noble person has somewhere to go: going ahead, they lose the way; following behind, they find someone to guide them. It is favorable to find friends in the southwest and to lose them in the northeast. Calm constancy brings good fortune.
The trigrams
The way back
2 Passivity → 24 Coming Backline 1
Other transformations of Coming Back
Make your own cast
The answer changes with the question. Toss the coins and see which lines move for you.