What this change means
Running into your lord in a back lane: the second line suggests that the right connection may come through an unexpected route. It moves alone here, so it carries the reading. You can reach agreements with people who are like you, even if you aren't in touch with them yet, as long as you find skillful ways to bring those meetings about. A side door works when the front one is closed. With the lower Lake turning to Thunder, the figure becomes 21 Biting, thunder and lightning together. The resulting hexagram adds energy and resolve. Once you've found the opening, act on it firmly, set clear limits, and don't let fear stop you from moving. In a time of opposition, the informal path plus a decisive step tends to clear what blocks the way to allies.
What to read, in order
Marked ● is what Zhu Xi's tradition puts at the center for this number of moving lines.
- Line 2 of 38 Opposites
You can reach agreements with people like you whom you're not in touch with, using skillful means to bring those meetings about.
Meets their lord in a back lane. No fault.
- The judgment of 38 Opposites
You're in a situation of opposition: the people around you are different from you, yet you need to share with them. This means that what you can achieve for now is small. Even so, don't give in. It matters that both you and they keep your own nature and contribute from there to a shared project.
In small matters, good fortune.
- The judgment of 21 Biting
It's a time for firm, decisive action to overcome obstacles, even legal action if needed. Success is within reach if you act with energy and set limits. Don't be afraid: act.
Success. It is favorable to bring things to judgment.
The trigrams
The way back
21 Biting → 38 Oppositesline 2
Other transformations of Opposites
Make your own cast
The answer changes with the question. Toss the coins and see which lines move for you.