What this change means
Heaven below and Earth above: with three lines moving, the hard climb under the water turns into the image of heaven and earth meeting. Both judgments carry equal weight here. Held Back is the stage of obstacles that stop you every time you move, where you learn to step back and look for people who'll stand with you. The resulting hexagram, 11 Well-Being, opens onto a period of harmony and understanding, when people and situations that weren't good for you drift away and better ones arrive in their place. Read together, they describe a passage: the patience and alliances built during the hard part tend to be what make the good stretch possible. Don't drop the habits that got you here. Keep the friends who helped, stay honest about conditions, and enjoy the easing. Let what you learned while blocked shape how you use the peace.
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 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 judgment of 11 Well-Being
A period of well-being, harmony and understanding is coming, and you can enjoy it. People and situations that weren't good for you are moving away, and in their place come people and situations that bring blessings and support. Heaven grants its gifts.
The small goes, the great comes. Good fortune. Success.
- Line 1 of 39 Held Back
A strategic retreat in the face of obstacles will help you reflect, come up with new strategies, and act when conditions are right.
Going: hardship. Coming: praise.
- Line 2 of 39 Held Back
It's time to face the difficulties, which seem to grow as you advance. Still, if your actions go hand in hand with inner integrity, you'll succeed in the end.
The king's servant, in hardship upon hardship, and not of their own doing.
- Line 5 of 39 Held Back
You have great conviction and clear goals, which let you keep going despite the obstacles. Your inner strength will draw help to you.
Great hardship: friends arrive.
The trigrams
The way back
11 Well-Being → 39 Held Backlines 1, 2, and 5
Other transformations of Held Back
- 60Thriftlines 1, 2, and 3
- 43Overflowinglines 1, 2, and 4
- 17Adaptinglines 1, 3, and 4
- 47Overwhelmedlines 2, 3, and 4
- 24Coming Backlines 1, 3, and 5
- 7The Armylines 2, 3, and 5
- 55Abundancelines 1, 4, and 5
- 32What Lastslines 2, 4, and 5
- 16Passionlines 3, 4, and 5
- 9Small Thingslines 1, 2, and 6
- 42Increaselines 1, 3, and 6
- 59Release from Obstacleslines 2, 3, and 6
- 13Gathering with Equalslines 1, 4, and 6
- 44Lack of Firmnesslines 2, 4, and 6
- 12Declinelines 3, 4, and 6
- 22Good Mannerslines 1, 5, and 6
- 18Loss, Then Gainlines 2, 5, and 6
- 23The Falllines 3, 5, and 6
- 56The Travelerlines 4, 5, and 6
Make your own cast
The answer changes with the question. Toss the coins and see which lines move for you.