What this change means
Lines two and three move, the third in front. It speaks of talent left idle, a well cleaned and full that no one draws from, while the opportunities wait. The second line adds that you've let yourself go slack, so even what you gain is hard to keep. Below, Wind becomes Earth, and the figure becomes water spread across the land. The resulting hexagram, 8 Union, places success in joining people aligned with your project, while making sure you have the qualities to carry it. Taken together, these lines suggest that you've been holding your gifts apart, out of use. Bring them into a shared effort. Look for people whose aims match yours, offer what you can do, and let the commitment of the group help you keep up your own effort. Ask yourself honestly, too, whether you're ready for the part you want.
What to read, in order
Marked ● is what Zhu Xi's tradition puts at the center for this number of moving lines.
- Line 3 of 48 Right Action
You aren't using all your talents, and you have many, so the opportunities are there but you don't take them.
The well is cleaned, and no one drinks: my heart aches. Water could be drawn. If the king were clear-sighted, all would share in the blessing.
- Line 2 of 48 Right Action
You have good qualities for success, but you've grown slack and stopped pushing yourself; this makes it hard to hold on to what you achieve.
Down in the well, shooting at minnows. The jar is broken and leaks.
- 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 8 Union
Right now success lies in joining with people who are aligned with your project and who are a support for you. But it's important that you, too, have the qualities needed to carry it out; that's why you can toss the coins once more to find out whether you have those qualities.
Good fortune. Consult the oracle again: great and lasting constancy. No fault. The restless come from every side. The one who comes late: misfortune.
The trigrams
The way back
8 Union → 48 Right Actionlines 2 and 3
Other transformations of Right Action
- 63After the Endlines 1 and 2
- 60Thriftlines 1 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
- 9Small Thingslines 1 and 6
- 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.