What this change means
The two bottom lines move, and Fire sinks beneath the earth where Wind had been: light going underground. The second line leads. It says your success depends on sincere words and good manners, on a plain, honest offering rather than a show. The first line supports it: you're only beginning to rise, and confidence will carry you. Yet the resulting hexagram, 36 Darkness, sets that early climb in a hard season. Circumstances may force you to live alongside the wrong people, and showing your talents openly could put you at risk. So rise, but quietly. Keep your words truthful and your manners good, especially with people you don't trust. Don't advertise your progress. Protect your integrity and let your light work out of sight for a while. Hard times pass, and an ascent that stays humble and hidden is the one that survives them.
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 46 Going Up
If your words are sincere and you keep good manners in your dealings with others, you'll succeed.
If there is sincere trust, it is favorable to make the simple offering. No fault.
- Line 1 of 46 Going Up
You're only beginning to rise, but if you do it with confidence you'll get what you want.
An ascent that is welcomed. Great good fortune.
- The judgment of 46 Going Up
You're in a time of rising, and this rise is the fruit of work you've done with dedication. Seeking the help of an important person will bring great success; don't be afraid of that meeting, because everything is favorable now.
Great success. Seeing the great person is of use. Do not worry. Setting out southward brings good fortune.
- The judgment of 36 Darkness
It's a dark time: circumstances force you to live alongside the wrong people. If you know how to protect yourself, hold on to your integrity, and go unnoticed, without openly showing your light and your talents, you'll stay safe until better times come. However hard they seem, hard times pass too.
Constancy in hardship is favorable.
The trigrams
The way back
36 Darkness → 46 Going Uplines 1 and 2
Other transformations of Going Up
- 19Fleeting Successlines 1 and 3
- 2Passivitylines 2 and 3
- 34Great Manifestationlines 1 and 4
- 62Success in Small Matterslines 2 and 4
- 40Clearing Obstacleslines 3 and 4
- 5Inactionlines 1 and 5
- 39Held Backlines 2 and 5
- 29Waterlines 3 and 5
- 28Excesseslines 4 and 5
- 26Great Achievementslines 1 and 6
- 52Abidinglines 2 and 6
- 4Immaturitylines 3 and 6
- 50The Vessel of Nourishmentlines 4 and 6
- 57Gentlenesslines 5 and 6
Make your own cast
The answer changes with the question. Toss the coins and see which lines move for you.