What this change means
Fire above, the Lake below, each going its own way: four moving lines carry Renewal here. The two steady lines of 38 Opposites, the resulting hexagram, carry the counsel. The first says not to join with anyone by force but to accept differences, however large; if someone close pulls away for a while, let them go, since they may return on their own. The fourth says that keeping to yourself in this time of opposition helps you find the people who are truly like you. So the change you've made has put distance between you and others. Don't fight it. Respect the differences, keep your own nature, and let the right connections form naturally. What's meant to come together tends to do so without pressure, and forcing it now would only widen the gap.
What to read, in order
Marked ● is what Zhu Xi's tradition puts at the center for this number of moving lines.
- Line 1 of 38 Opposites, which stays still
Don't try to join with anyone by force; it's important to recognize differences, however large. Even if someone close to you pulls away for a while, let them go: they'll come back on their own.
Regret vanishes. The horse is lost: do not chase it; it comes back by itself. Seeing wicked people: no fault.
- Line 4 of 38 Opposites, which stays still
Keeping to yourself in this time of opposition will help you find people who are truly like you and achieve success.
Alone in opposition, meets a worthy man; they trust each other. Danger. 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 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 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 38 Opposites
You're in a situation of opposition: the people around you are different from you, yet you need to share with them. This means that what you can achieve for now is small. Even so, don't give in. It matters that both you and they keep your own nature and contribute from there to a shared project.
In small matters, good fortune.
The trigrams
The way back
38 Opposites → 49 Renewallines 2, 3, 5, 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
- 20Observinglines 1, 3, 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
- 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.