Transformation · lines 1 and 6
Right Action becomes Small Things
What this change means
The top line leads and the bottom one follows, so this movement spans the whole well, from muddy floor to open mouth. The top line says you have every ability to act and the wish to contribute, and success is near. The first line warns that low spirits can make everything look bleak, hiding chances and keeping help away. Below, Wind becomes Heaven; above, Water becomes Wind, and the image is wind drifting across the sky, clouds without rain yet. The resulting hexagram, 9 Small Things, says success is promised but not ready; obstacles remain, so take small actions now and wait for the right moment for larger ones. Together they say: don't let a low mood erase what you can do. Your gifts are real. Use them in small, steady ways, refine your character, and be ready when the larger moment comes.
What to read, in order
Marked ● is what Zhu Xi's tradition puts at the center for this number of moving lines.
- Line 6 of 48 Right Action
You have all the talents and abilities to act and seize the moment, and you also want to contribute to those around you: there will be success.
Water is drawn from the well: do not cover it. There is sincere trust. Great good fortune.
- Line 1 of 48 Right Action
Your mood is low, so everything looks bleak to you: you don't see the opportunities and you don't draw help.
A muddy well: no one drinks. No birds come to the old well.
- The judgment of 48 Right Action
You're at a moment when opportunities are on your side. But if you don't know how to use them because you keep putting off decisions and actions, being in the right place at the right time won't do you any good. It's not about looking for new things but about making use of what you have, or there will be loss.
The town is changed, the well is not. Nothing lost, nothing gained. They come and go, and draw from the well. Nearly there, the rope does not yet reach the well; if the jar breaks, misfortune.
- The judgment of 9 Small Things
You're facing a situation that promises success, but it isn't time yet. There are still obstacles on the way that you need to resolve. For now you can take small actions and wait for the right moment to act on a large scale.
Success. Dense clouds and no rain, from my western outskirts.
The trigrams
The way back
9 Small Things → 48 Right Actionlines 1 and 6
Other transformations of Right Action
- 63After the Endlines 1 and 2
- 60Thriftlines 1 and 3
- 8Unionlines 2 and 3
- 43Overflowinglines 1 and 4
- 31Attractionlines 2 and 4
- 47Overwhelmedlines 3 and 4
- 11Well-Beinglines 1 and 5
- 15Simplicitylines 2 and 5
- 7The Armylines 3 and 5
- 32What Lastslines 4 and 5
- 53Gradual Progresslines 2 and 6
- 59Release from Obstacleslines 3 and 6
- 44Lack of Firmnesslines 4 and 6
- 18Loss, Then Gainlines 5 and 6
Make your own cast
The answer changes with the question. Toss the coins and see which lines move for you.