Transformation · lines 1, 5, and 6

Overwhelmed becomes Opposites

Starting hexagram
Resulting hexagram

What this change means

Fire above the lake replaces the dry lake as the first, fifth and top lines move. The two judgments share the weight. 47 Overwhelmed speaks of being hemmed in by the wrong people, not believed, leaving you only the light within to rely on as you wait. The resulting hexagram, 38 Opposites, describes a situation where the people around you are different from you and yet you need to share with them, so what you can achieve for now is small. The movement doesn't remove the friction; it reframes it. Those who seemed set against you may simply be unlike you. Don't give in and don't try to make them like you. Keep your own nature, let them keep theirs, and contribute from there to whatever you share. Small results are still results, and joining while staying distinct is the skill this time asks for.

What to read, in order

Marked ● is what Zhu Xi's tradition puts at the center for this number of moving lines.

  1. The judgment of 47 Overwhelmed

    Things are very much against you: the wrong people surround you, no one believes what you say, and obstacles hem you in. All you can do is accept it and wait for better conditions to come. Your only resource is the inner light that lives in you; turn to that strength to hold you up right now.

    Success. For the great person, constancy brings good fortune. No fault. They speak and are not believed.

  2. The judgment of 38 Opposites

    You're in a situation of opposition: the people around you are different from you, yet you need to share with them. This means that what you can achieve for now is small. Even so, don't give in. It matters that both you and they keep your own nature and contribute from there to a shared project.

    In small matters, good fortune.

  3. Line 1 of 47 Overwhelmed

    In these hard times, above all, keep your inner strength: it will be your support.

    Buttocks caught on a tree stump. Goes into a dark valley; for three years, not seen.

  4. Line 5 of 47 Overwhelmed

    Little by little things will improve, thanks to your habit of helping others. Spiritual resources will be a great help now.

    Nose cut off, feet cut off. Hard pressed by the red sash. Little by little relief comes. It is favorable to make sacrifices.

  5. Line 6 of 47 Overwhelmed

    The pressure is nearing its end, and the obstacles will be easy to overcome. If your inner strength is with you as well, success will come much more easily.

    Hard pressed among creeping vines, on what totters. It is said: moving brings regret. If there is regret, setting out brings good fortune.

The trigrams

Below Water Lake
Above Lake Fire

The way back

38 Opposites → 47 Overwhelmed
lines 1, 5, and 6

Other transformations of Overwhelmed

Make your own cast

The answer changes with the question. Toss the coins and see which lines move for you.

Toss the coins