What this change means
Water now sits on the mountain as the fourth and top lines move, and the open sky above turns into a hard climb. The top line leads. You're placed to close a chapter that has run its course, and if you do it with conviction and no lament, it goes well. The fourth line looks at the heart of the matter: part with affection, not with clinging, or a sorrowful heart will keep the door to the new shut. The resulting hexagram, 39 Held Back, describes the road after the exit. Each time you advance, something may stop you, and you'll need to pause, step back, and look for support from like-minded people. Obstacles can be passed one by one. Lightness is what makes these repeated stops bearable; carry as little grief as you can.
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 33 Leaving Behind
You're in the right position to leave behind what has run its course. You can do it knowing it's right and without mourning the loss, and this will bring you great success.
A retreat at ease. Nothing that is not favorable.
- Line 4 of 33 Leaving Behind
You need to leave this road behind without clinging and without regret, sure that it's the right thing. Otherwise, even if you let go, a grieving heart will keep you from opening up to what's new.
A retreat with affection. For the noble person, good fortune; for the petty person, not so.
- The judgment of 33 Leaving Behind
Leaving a path behind or stepping back right now isn't a bad thing. On the contrary, it will help you recover your strength and think carefully about the situation and how to set it right. Sometimes what looks like a loss turns into a gain, if you can let go of what isn't good for you and then pick up again in the right direction.
Success. In small things, constancy is favorable.
- The judgment of 39 Held Back
Every time you advance, something blocks you, forcing you to stop, step back, and look for help from like-minded people who give you their support. That way you'll get past the obstacles one by one until the final victory.
The southwest is favorable; the northeast is not. It is favorable to see the great person. Constancy brings good fortune.
The trigrams
The way back
39 Held Back → 33 Leaving Behindlines 4 and 6
Other transformations of Leaving Behind
- 1Activitylines 1 and 2
- 25Innocencelines 1 and 3
- 6Conflictlines 2 and 3
- 37The Tribelines 1 and 4
- 57Gentlenesslines 2 and 4
- 20Observinglines 3 and 4
- 30The Flamelines 1 and 5
- 50The Vessel of Nourishmentlines 2 and 5
- 35Advancelines 3 and 5
- 52Abidinglines 4 and 5
- 49Renewallines 1 and 6
- 28Excesseslines 2 and 6
- 45Meetinglines 3 and 6
- 62Success in Small Matterslines 5 and 6
Make your own cast
The answer changes with the question. Toss the coins and see which lines move for you.