Transformation · lines 1, 3, 4, 5, and 6
Shock becomes Gradual Progress
What this change means
A tree grows on the mountain now, and five lines move; only the second stays still, so that line of the resulting hexagram is the heart of the reading. In 53 Gradual Progress, advance comes step by step, through stages that make it stable and lasting, and trying to speed it up brings delays. The still second line promises a first success as you move forward: nothing spectacular, but enough to rest and recharge so you can keep going. So let the shaking give way to a steady climb. Take the modest win when it comes, use it to restore your strength, and don't try to skip rungs. Patience isn't passivity here; it's how the progress becomes solid and the next step becomes possible.
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 53 Gradual Progress, which stays still
You'll have a first success as you move forward. Nothing spectacular, but it will let you rest and recharge to keep going.
The wild goose moves by degrees to the boulder. It eats and drinks with joy. Good fortune.
- 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.
- Line 1 of 51 Shock
You see what's coming before it happens. That makes you worry ahead of time, but it also sets you looking for solutions, so when others start to worry, you'll already be focused on solving things.
Thunder comes, and there is dread; afterward, laughter and easy talk. Good fortune.
- Line 3 of 51 Shock
The blows you're taking right now aren't caused by fate. They come more from within, and that makes things harder. Once you realize this, you'll make the corrections and resolve the situation.
Thunder that stuns and stuns. If thunder sets one going, no disaster.
- Line 4 of 51 Shock
You can't see clearly what's holding you back, so the things you do don't settle matters. It's a time to wait until conditions change.
Thunder sinks into the mud.
- Line 5 of 51 Shock
Obstacles come one after another and seem endless. Still, staying connected to your center and true to your purpose will keep you from losses.
Thunder going and coming: danger. Of much, nothing is lost; there is a duty to carry out.
- Line 6 of 51 Shock
Your main enemy now is a lack of calm: catching the worry that fills the air over situations that aren't affecting you. If you can step away from that atmosphere and return to your center, things will settle.
Thunder, shiver upon shiver; the eyes restless and lost. Setting out brings misfortune. The thunder strikes not oneself but the neighbor: no fault. Over the marriage there will be talk.
- The judgment of 53 Gradual Progress
You'll make progress, and it will come step by step, gradually, through stages that make it lasting and stable. Trying to speed things up will bring delays and obstacles. Keep at it, one rung at a time.
The woman goes to be married: good fortune. Constancy is favorable.
The trigrams
The way back
53 Gradual Progress → 51 Shocklines 1, 3, 4, 5, and 6
Other transformations of Shock
Make your own cast
The answer changes with the question. Toss the coins and see which lines move for you.