What this change means
The fourth and top lines move, and the upper Fire sinks into Earth: light goes down into the ground. First comes the top line: name what you got wrong and set it right, aiming at the cause, not at whoever happened to be nearby. The fourth line warns of the opposite pattern, a sudden blaze with no inner fuel that dies as fast as it came. The resulting hexagram, 36 Darkness, describes a dark time in which you may have to live alongside the wrong people. Protect yourself, hold on to your integrity, and don't display your light or your talents openly. So the correction asked for now is quiet. Fix what's wrong without fanfare, and avoid any flashy move that would draw attention. Keep your light inside, and you'll stay safe. Hard times pass, too.
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 30 The Flame
If you recognize the mistakes in what you've done and make the corrections needed, you'll succeed.
The king sets out on campaign. There is merit: the chief's head is cut off, and the captives are not the chief's own people. No fault.
- Line 4 of 30 The Flame
A quick rise, unless your inner strength and steadiness feed it, will be short-lived.
Suddenly, so it comes: blazing, dying, cast away.
- The judgment of 30 The Flame
There's clarity in what you do: your inner self guides you toward your goals. A generous attitude helps you, one that leads you to share your light, and this will increase your gains and achievements.
Constancy is favorable. Success. Raising a cow brings good fortune.
- The judgment of 36 Darkness
It's a dark time: circumstances force you to live alongside the wrong people. If you know how to protect yourself, hold on to your integrity, and go unnoticed, without openly showing your light and your talents, you'll stay safe until better times come. However hard they seem, hard times pass too.
Constancy in hardship is favorable.
The trigrams
The way back
36 Darkness → 30 The Flamelines 4 and 6
Other transformations of The Flame
- 50The Vessel of Nourishmentlines 1 and 2
- 35Advancelines 1 and 3
- 38Oppositeslines 2 and 3
- 52Abidinglines 1 and 4
- 26Great Achievementslines 2 and 4
- 27Nourishmentlines 3 and 4
- 33Leaving Behindlines 1 and 5
- 1Activitylines 2 and 5
- 25Innocencelines 3 and 5
- 37The Tribelines 4 and 5
- 62Success in Small Matterslines 1 and 6
- 34Great Manifestationlines 2 and 6
- 51Shocklines 3 and 6
- 49Renewallines 5 and 6
Make your own cast
The answer changes with the question. Toss the coins and see which lines move for you.