What this change means
The third and fifth lines move, and both trigrams become Thunder: a jolt, then another. The fifth line leads. Renewal comes naturally here, with the confidence of a tiger's plain markings and with trust that doesn't need confirming. The third line tempers that confidence, asking you neither to rush nor to drag things out, and to look for signs before acting. The resulting hexagram, 51 Shock, says unexpected events may arrive that would frighten others. If you keep control and act calmly, without losing your composure, you can get results where others fail. So the change may come with surprises, and how you meet them matters more than the surprises themselves. Stay steady, read what's happening before you respond, and let your sense of direction hold you while things shake around you.
What to read, in order
Marked ● is what Zhu Xi's tradition puts at the center for this number of moving lines.
- 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 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.
- 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.
- The judgment of 51 Shock
When unexpected situations come along that would frighten others, keep control and act calmly, without losing your composure. This attitude will get you results in what you want and let you succeed where others fail.
Success. Thunder comes, and there is dread; then laughter and easy talk. The thunder alarms a hundred leagues around, yet neither the ladle nor the sacrificial wine is let fall.
The trigrams
The way back
51 Shock → 49 Renewallines 3 and 5
Other transformations of Renewal
- 28Excesseslines 1 and 2
- 45Meetinglines 1 and 3
- 58Inner Peacelines 2 and 3
- 39Held Backlines 1 and 4
- 5Inactionlines 2 and 4
- 3Initial Obstacleslines 3 and 4
- 62Success in Small Matterslines 1 and 5
- 34Great Manifestationlines 2 and 5
- 36Darknesslines 4 and 5
- 33Leaving Behindlines 1 and 6
- 1Activitylines 2 and 6
- 25Innocencelines 3 and 6
- 37The Tribelines 4 and 6
- 30The Flamelines 5 and 6
Make your own cast
The answer changes with the question. Toss the coins and see which lines move for you.