What this change means
Earth below and Wind above: that's where four moving lines take Renewal, a breeze passing over the whole landscape. The resulting hexagram, 20 Observing, speaks through the two lines that don't move. The second warns that a subjective view will keep you on the surface, never reaching the heart of the matter. The fifth says that if you look responsibly, you'll see how similar situations turned out before and can make corrections now. So the change you're working on calls for a clear look before the next move. Set aside what you want to see and study what's actually there. Look back at what's happened before in similar cases and learn from it. Then adjust. The renewal will go better guided by honest observation than by your first impressions or your hopes.
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 20 Observing, which stays still
If your perception is subjective, you'll stay on the surface and never reach the heart of the situation.
Peeking through a crack. A woman's constancy is favorable.
- Line 5 of 20 Observing, which stays still
If you observe responsibly, you'll see how similar situations turned out in the past and can apply the corrections now.
Contemplating my own life. For the noble person, no 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 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 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 20 Observing
Observe before you act. Right now you're a source of inspiration for others, and at the same time you need to observe those who inspire you. This will let things unfold at the right moment, and perfectly.
Hands washed, the offering not yet made. There is sincere trust, solemn and grave.
The trigrams
The way back
20 Observing → 49 Renewallines 1, 3, 4, and 6
Other transformations of Renewal
- 29Waterlines 1, 2, 3, and 4
- 40Clearing Obstacleslines 1, 2, 3, and 5
- 46Going Uplines 1, 2, 4, and 5
- 2Passivitylines 1, 3, 4, and 5
- 19Fleeting Successlines 2, 3, 4, and 5
- 6Conflictlines 1, 2, 3, and 6
- 57Gentlenesslines 1, 2, 4, and 6
- 61Inner Integritylines 2, 3, 4, and 6
- 50The Vessel of Nourishmentlines 1, 2, 5, and 6
- 35Advancelines 1, 3, 5, and 6
- 38Oppositeslines 2, 3, 5, and 6
- 52Abidinglines 1, 4, 5, and 6
- 26Great Achievementslines 2, 4, 5, and 6
- 27Nourishmentlines 3, 4, 5, and 6
Make your own cast
The answer changes with the question. Toss the coins and see which lines move for you.