What this change means
Fire in the middle of the lake: the fifth and top lines move, and the upper Fire becomes Lake, setting up a real change of skin. The top line leads. Like a king who strikes the chief and spares the followers, deal with the core of what went wrong, and success can follow. The fifth line adds that after a rise comes a decline, perhaps with sorrow, and that standing firm in the knowledge of life's rhythm lets you recover. The resulting hexagram, 49 Renewal, asks you to open yourself to change and new ways of doing things, taking each step at exactly the right moment and weighing what really needs to change. So the correction and the grief both serve renewal. Let go of what has stopped working. Don't be afraid to make room for the new; timing is what makes the change succeed.
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 5 of 30 The Flame
After a rise, expect a decline. If you stand firm and understand that this is life's natural rhythm, you'll recover.
Tears pouring down in streams, sighs of sorrow. Good fortune.
- 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 49 Renewal
You're in a time of renewal, like shedding a skin. Open yourself to change and to new ways of doing things. Success lies in taking each step at exactly the right moment, and in weighing what needs to change and what doesn't, what is no longer doing its job. Don't be afraid to let it go: you need to make room for the new to arrive.
When the day has come, there is trust. Great success. Constancy is favorable. Regret vanishes.
The trigrams
The way back
49 Renewal → 30 The Flamelines 5 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
- 36Darknesslines 4 and 6
Make your own cast
The answer changes with the question. Toss the coins and see which lines move for you.