Transformation · line 5
Lack of Firmness becomes The Vessel of Nourishment
What this change means
Willow branches wrapped around a melon, beauty held within: the fifth line is the center of this reading. Thanks to your inner worth, you're able right now to transform the unsuitable people around you, and even your own harmful habits. That's a rare strength in Lack of Firmness, where the usual danger is being taken over by influences you underestimate. Here, the influence can run the other way. As Heaven above becomes Fire, the figure becomes fire over wood, and the resulting hexagram, 50 The Vessel of Nourishment, describes change that happens naturally, without upheaval, the way food cooks. Keep the flame of your motivation lit and be clear about your resources. Don't force a transformation or announce it. Let your steady example work slowly on others and on yourself, and the change can come little by little.
What to read, in order
Marked ● is what Zhu Xi's tradition puts at the center for this number of moving lines.
- Line 5 of 44 Lack of Firmness
Right now, thanks to your inner worth, you're able to transform unsuitable people and even your own harmful habits.
Willow branches wrap the melon. Beauty kept within: something falls from heaven.
- The judgment of 44 Lack of Firmness
You're surrounded by unsuitable people or situations. You know it, but you think you have the power to control them and don't take them very seriously; it may even be a bad habit. If you don't pay attention and set firm limits, they'll take control over you and you won't be able to pull away.
The woman is strong. Do not take her as a wife.
- The judgment of 50 The Vessel of Nourishment
It's a time of change and adjustment, and it will happen naturally, without great upheaval, the way food cooks. Keep the flame lit: it's the enthusiasm that gives you the strength to keep going. And be clear about the resources you have, the way a cook chooses the ingredients. The change will come about little by little.
Great good fortune. Success.
The trigrams
The way back
50 The Vessel of Nourishment → 44 Lack of Firmnessline 5
Other transformations of Lack of Firmness
Make your own cast
The answer changes with the question. Toss the coins and see which lines move for you.