What this change means
Only the top line holds still, and the image becomes Earth over Water: water held within the ground, like a force waiting to be organized. With five lines moving, the one quiet line of the resulting hexagram, 7 The Army, gives the counsel: real achievements and results are within reach, but take care in choosing who you surround yourself with now. The renewal has turned into something that needs discipline and structure. Results depend heavily on the people you work with. Look closely at who's beside you, what they bring, and whether they share your aims. Speak clearly about what you want without imposing it. A well-chosen team, held together by order rather than force, can carry the change a long way; a careless choice of company can undo it. Be selective, and lead with clarity.
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 7 The Army, which stays still
You'll get real achievements and results, but choose carefully who you surround yourself with right now.
The great prince gives his command: founding states, conferring houses. Do not employ the petty person.
- The judgment of 49 Renewal
You're in a time of renewal, like shedding a skin. Open yourself to change and to new ways of doing things. Success lies in taking each step at exactly the right moment, and in weighing what needs to change and what doesn't, what is no longer doing its job. Don't be afraid to let it go: you need to make room for the new to arrive.
When the day has come, there is trust. Great success. Constancy is favorable. Regret vanishes.
- Line 1 of 49 Renewal
Don't rush into changes. Wait until conditions are favorable and you're clear about what you want to renew.
Bound fast with the hide of a yellow ox.
- Line 2 of 49 Renewal
When you've tried several things to solve something and nothing works, it's time for radical change.
When the day has come, the change is made. Setting out brings good fortune. No fault.
- Line 3 of 49 Renewal
Neither dragging things out nor acting in too much of a hurry is the right way to go about it now. Ask for signs, so you act at the right moment.
Setting out brings misfortune. Constancy is in danger. When word of the change has come round three times, there is sincere trust.
- Line 4 of 49 Renewal
Making the right changes at the right time will bring you success, as long as you rest on an inner certainty and your motives seek not only your own good but the well-being of others too.
Regret vanishes. There is sincere trust: the mandate is changed. Good fortune.
- Line 5 of 49 Renewal
Renewal will come naturally, guided by a higher will that shows you the way to act.
The great person changes like the tiger. Before any divining, there is sincere trust.
- The judgment of 7 The Army
Whatever your question, the favorable answer comes from acting with discipline and organization: face the situation head-on and speak clearly, say what you want, without trying to impose it.
The constancy of a seasoned leader brings good fortune. No fault.
The trigrams
The way back
7 The Army → 49 Renewallines 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5
Other transformations of Renewal
Make your own cast
The answer changes with the question. Toss the coins and see which lines move for you.