What this change means
Untie your big toe, and the friend arrives: the fourth line, moving alone, is about freeing yourself from what holds you back. Some ties and loyalties can't be trusted, and if anything they slow you down. Letting them go is what lets you move forward freely, and once you do, real trust can form with the right people. When this line changes, the Thunder above becomes Earth, and Clearing Obstacles turns into 7 The Army, water held within the earth. The resulting hexagram asks for discipline and organization: face the situation directly, say clearly what you want, and don't try to impose it. So the release isn't just cutting loose; it's reorganizing. Decide who belongs on your side, speak plainly with them, and build an orderly effort around people you can rely on. A smaller, trustworthy group tends to achieve more than a loose crowd.
What to read, in order
Marked ● is what Zhu Xi's tradition puts at the center for this number of moving lines.
- Line 4 of 40 Clearing Obstacles
It's important to let go of ties and loyalties that can't be trusted and that, if anything, will slow your progress, so you can move forward freely.
Untie your big toe: the friend arrives, and then there is trust.
- The judgment of 40 Clearing Obstacles
The obstacles have been overcome one by one. You're in a time when balance matters: act quickly and decisively as far as you can, without overrating your abilities. If you feel you need a rest, or even to step back before going on, do it.
The southwest is favorable. With nowhere to go, coming back brings good fortune. With somewhere to go, going early brings good fortune.
- The judgment of 7 The Army
Whatever your question, the favorable answer comes from acting with discipline and organization: face the situation head-on and speak clearly, say what you want, without trying to impose it.
The constancy of a seasoned leader brings good fortune. No fault.
The trigrams
The way back
7 The Army → 40 Clearing Obstaclesline 4
Other transformations of Clearing Obstacles
Make your own cast
The answer changes with the question. Toss the coins and see which lines move for you.