What this change means
Water on the mountain: the second and fifth lines move, and the climb grows steep. The fifth leads, asking you to go one stair at a time and not let success or power go to your head. The second says sincerity and good manners are what make you succeed. The resulting hexagram, 39 Held Back, describes a path where every advance meets a block, forcing you to stop, step back and look for support among like-minded people. The two lines fit this terrain well. Slow, careful steps are the only kind that work now, and the help you need comes through honest words and courteous dealings. Don't push against the obstacle or try to impress your way past it. Pause, ask, and let others lend a hand. One obstacle at a time, the way opens.
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 46 Going Up
Don't let success cloud your judgment. Go step by step, enjoying each moment, without rushing or being dazzled by power.
Constancy brings good fortune. Ascends by the steps.
- 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.
- 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 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 trigrams
The way back
39 Held Back → 46 Going Uplines 2 and 5
Other transformations of Going Up
- 36Darknesslines 1 and 2
- 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
- 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.