Transformation · lines 1, 2, 4, and 6

Renewal becomes Gentleness

Starting hexagram
Resulting hexagram

What this change means

Both trigrams become Wind when lines one, two, four and six move: one gust following another, steady and penetrating. The counsel comes from two quiet lines of the resulting hexagram, 57 Gentleness. The third says that turning things over without deciding to act will only push success further off. The fifth says it's time to change course: reflect before setting out, and once you know what you want, acting will make success sure. So the renewal has become a question of resolve. You've probably weighed the options long enough. Take a little more time to be clear, then commit and follow through, gently but without wavering. Pressure and force aren't needed; persistence is. Small, consistent steps along a chosen path will do more now than endless deliberation.

What to read, in order

Marked ● is what Zhu Xi's tradition puts at the center for this number of moving lines.

  1. Line 3 of 57 Gentleness, which stays still

    Thinking about what to do without making up your mind to do what needs doing will only delay your success.

    Yielding again and again. Distress.

  2. Line 5 of 57 Gentleness, which stays still

    It's time to change course. Reflect before you set out; once you know what you want, taking action will make your success certain.

    Constancy brings good fortune. Regret vanishes. Nothing that is not favorable. No beginning, yet an end. Three days before the geng day, three days after the geng day: good fortune.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

  5. 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.

  6. 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.

  7. 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.

  8. The judgment of 57 Gentleness

    It's a time when you'll gain and succeed through gentleness. This isn't the time for big actions, or for using pressure or force. It's a time to choose a path and stay on it steadily. Even if you don't see much progress, success will show itself through the build-up of small actions and through seeking the support of those above you.

    Small success. It is favorable to have somewhere to go. It is favorable to see the great person.

The trigrams

Below Fire Wind
Above Lake Wind

The way back

57 Gentleness → 49 Renewal
lines 1, 2, 4, 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.

Toss the coins