What this change means
Only the second line holds firm, and the figure becomes Mountain over Earth, a peak slowly wearing down. That second line of the resulting hexagram, 23 The Fall, is the one that holds, and its counsel is plain: resources and help aren't enough right now, and waiting for better conditions is all that's left to do. The renewal you hoped for has met a time of stripping away, when even being right may not get you heard. Don't push ahead against it. Recognize the moment, protect what you can, and be generous toward those who depend on you. That generosity is part of what helps you hold on. The change hasn't failed; it's waiting. Keep your footing, spend little, and let circumstances turn before you try again.
What to read, in order
Marked ● is what Zhu Xi's tradition puts at the center for this number of moving lines.
- Line 2 of 23 The Fall, which stays still
Resources and help aren't enough right now. All you can do is wait for better conditions.
The bed is stripped at the frame. Constancy is destroyed: misfortune.
- 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 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.
- 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 23 The Fall
It's a time of obstacles and difficulties when, even if you're right, your words aren't believed. Lesser people who misuse power are on the rise, and you could become their victim. Recognizing this time without trying to push ahead, and being generous and giving toward those beneath you, will help you hold on while circumstances change.
It is not favorable to have somewhere to go.
The trigrams
The way back
23 The Fall → 49 Renewallines 1, 3, 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.