What this change means
The fifth line is the heart of this reading: the well runs clear, and its cold spring water is drunk. In practical terms, you see the opportunities around you, and you feel motivated and determined to act, which tends to bring success. When this line moves, the Water above becomes Earth, and the figure becomes wind under the ground, a tree sprouting upward. The resulting hexagram, 46 Going Up, describes a rise that comes as the fruit of dedicated work, and encourages you to seek out an important person without fear, since conditions favor it. So this is a moment of clarity turning into ascent. Don't second-guess the motivation you feel. Act on it, ask for the meeting, and let your effort build step by step. Small things piled up patiently tend to grow tall, the way the image of the resulting hexagram suggests.
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 48 Right Action
You recognize the opportunities around you and feel motivated and determined to act, which will bring success.
The well is clear: the cold spring is drunk.
- 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 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 trigrams
The way back
46 Going Up → 48 Right Actionline 5
Other transformations of Right Action
Make your own cast
The answer changes with the question. Toss the coins and see which lines move for you.