What this change means
A lake lies at the foot of a mountain as the first, fifth and top lines move, and the restless double pit becomes a scene of holding back. The judgment of 29 Water urges you to keep moving through obstacles, with sincerity and without being frozen by fear. The resulting hexagram, 41 Decrease, calls for moderation and saving: conserving your resources and energy matters a lot now, and excess of any kind should be avoided while you prepare for bigger things. A period of growth follows. Weighed together, the two say keep going, but light. Spend less, want less, and move carefully through what remains of the danger. Watch for anger or desire that could drain you, the kind of excess the image asks you to curb. What you save now becomes the strength you'll need when growth returns.
What to read, in order
Marked ● is what Zhu Xi's tradition puts at the center for this number of moving lines.
- The judgment of 29 Water
Just as a stream moves through obstacles and gets past them, following its course without stagnating, you're at a time when obstacles will come one after another, but you'll get past them if you can keep moving. Letting fear paralyze you will only leave you stuck.
There is sincere trust. Only the heart gets through. Going earns esteem.
- The judgment of 41 Decrease
It's a time for moderation and saving: conserving your resources and energy matters a great deal now. A period of growth will follow, but for now you need to stay aware and avoid excess of every kind while you get ready to take on big projects.
There is sincere trust. Great good fortune. No fault. Constancy is possible. It is favorable to have somewhere to go. What to offer? Two bowls will do for the offering.
- Line 1 of 29 Water
You won't get results if you keep acting recklessly in the direction you're going, without watching outside circumstances.
Pit upon pit. Entering the bottom of the pit. Misfortune.
- Line 5 of 29 Water
You'll get out of the obstacles now if you follow the path of least resistance and, step by step, head toward your goal.
The pit does not overflow; it fills just to the level. No fault.
- Line 6 of 29 Water
Trying to escape the obstacles, you get more tangled if you keep doing things the wrong way and side with the wrong people.
Bound with braided cords, set among thorn thickets; three years and no way out. Misfortune.
The trigrams
The way back
41 Decrease → 29 Waterlines 1, 5, and 6
Other transformations of Water
- 63After the Endlines 1, 2, and 3
- 17Adaptinglines 1, 2, and 4
- 43Overflowinglines 1, 3, and 4
- 31Attractionlines 2, 3, and 4
- 24Coming Backlines 1, 2, and 5
- 11Well-Beinglines 1, 3, and 5
- 15Simplicitylines 2, 3, and 5
- 54A Subordinate Rolelines 1, 4, and 5
- 16Passionlines 2, 4, and 5
- 32What Lastslines 3, 4, and 5
- 42Increaselines 1, 2, and 6
- 9Small Thingslines 1, 3, and 6
- 53Gradual Progresslines 2, 3, and 6
- 10Treading Carefullylines 1, 4, and 6
- 12Declinelines 2, 4, and 6
- 44Lack of Firmnesslines 3, 4, and 6
- 23The Falllines 2, 5, and 6
- 18Loss, Then Gainlines 3, 5, and 6
- 64Transitionlines 4, 5, and 6
Make your own cast
The answer changes with the question. Toss the coins and see which lines move for you.