What this change means
Thunder stirs below and the lake above turns to Water: clouds and thunder, the look of hard beginnings. The fourth line leads this movement. When you act without selfish aims, for the sake of someone above you, the reward tends to follow. The first line adds the hesitation of someone who knows they need allies but hasn't yet decided to ask. The resulting hexagram, 3 Initial Obstacles, explains why that pairing matters: this isn't the time to act directly yourself. Find people who can speak and act on your behalf, trustworthy representatives, and stay alert for the moment to take the initiative back. So make up your mind, reach out, and put your effort at the service of a larger aim. Your selflessness is what makes others willing to stand in for you. Things may feel tangled at first; they're tangled because they're new, not because they're wrong.
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 45 Meeting
When you act without selfish aims and on behalf of someone above you, you're rewarded.
Great good fortune. No fault.
- Line 1 of 45 Meeting
You know you need to meet with people who will support you, but you're unsure whether to do it. If you finally make up your mind and act, you'll get help.
There is sincere trust, but not to the end: now disorder, now gathering. If you cry out, one clasp of the hand and laughter returns. Do not worry. Going: no fault.
- The judgment of 45 Meeting
A very favorable situation is coming, with everything ready for you to take the next step toward your goals. You can ask for help and meet with those who will support you. It's a time to take on important things, do some kind of spiritual practice, and prepare in case anything unexpected happens.
Success. The king comes to his temple. It is favorable to see the great person. Success. Constancy is favorable. Offering large animals brings good fortune. It is favorable to have somewhere to go.
- The judgment of 3 Initial Obstacles
This isn't the time to act directly: look for people who can act for you, allies who represent you. Still, stay alert so you know when the time comes to take back the initiative and control.
Great success. Constancy is favorable. Having somewhere to go is of no use yet. It is favorable to install lords.
The trigrams
The way back
3 Initial Obstacles → 45 Meetinglines 1 and 4
Other transformations of Meeting
- 58Inner Peacelines 1 and 2
- 49Renewallines 1 and 3
- 28Excesseslines 2 and 3
- 29Waterlines 2 and 4
- 39Held Backlines 3 and 4
- 51Shocklines 1 and 5
- 40Clearing Obstacleslines 2 and 5
- 62Success in Small Matterslines 3 and 5
- 2Passivitylines 4 and 5
- 25Innocencelines 1 and 6
- 6Conflictlines 2 and 6
- 33Leaving Behindlines 3 and 6
- 20Observinglines 4 and 6
- 35Advancelines 5 and 6
Make your own cast
The answer changes with the question. Toss the coins and see which lines move for you.