Transformation · lines 1, 2, 4, 5, and 6
Renewal becomes Loss, Then Gain
What this change means
Only the third line holds, and the image becomes Mountain over Wind, air trapped and going stale at the foot of a hill. The third line of 18 Loss, Then Gain, the resulting hexagram, stays fixed and speaks for the whole: past rigidity has led to loss, and holding on to that same rigidity to repair it won't work either. The renewal you've been through has shown you a mistake. Admit it plainly, then correct it, but not with the same stiffness that caused it. Loosen your grip on how things must be done. Take time to reflect on what led to the loss, make the needed corrections, and then give the improvement time to come. Repair here asks for flexibility as much as for effort, and patience once the work is done.
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 18 Loss, Then Gain, which stays still
Acting too rigidly in the past has led you to loss, but holding on to that rigidity to fix it won't help either.
Setting right what the father spoiled. A little regret; no great fault.
- 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 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.
- Line 6 of 49 Renewal
Take stock of the changes you can actually make now, given the circumstances. A change that's too ambitious has to wait for a better time.
The noble person changes like the leopard; the petty person changes face. Setting out brings misfortune. Abiding in constancy brings good fortune.
- The judgment of 18 Loss, Then Gain
You've made mistakes that have brought you into decline; still, admitting it and making the corrections needed will lead you back to success. Take time to reflect on what caused the loss and, once you've acted, give success time to arrive.
Great success. It is favorable to cross the great river. Three days before the first day, three days after the first day.
The trigrams
The way back
18 Loss, Then Gain → 49 Renewallines 1, 2, 4, 5, and 6
Other transformations of Renewal
Make your own cast
The answer changes with the question. Toss the coins and see which lines move for you.