What this change means
Walking among the others, then returning alone: the fourth line describes a quiet break from the crowd. Take a clear look at the company you keep, and quietly leave anyone who isn't right for you, even if that leaves you without company for a while. In that solitude you'll find guidance and help. As the line moves, the upper Earth turns into Thunder, and the figure becomes 51 Shock, thunder upon thunder. Leaving a group can feel like a jolt, and it may bring unexpected reactions that would rattle most people. Keep your composure. Act calmly, look inward, and don't let fear send you back where you don't belong. The steadiness you show now is what lets you succeed where others, caught in panic, may not.
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 24 Coming Back
If you notice who the people around you really are and step away from those you see aren't right, even if you're left without company for a while, you'll find guidance and help.
Walking in the middle of the others, returning alone.
- 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 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 → 24 Coming Backline 4
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.