What this change means
Only the top line moves, and the Wind above becomes Water over the Mountain. This line is the most hopeful in Gradual Progress: the goose reaches the high plain, and its feathers are fit for the ritual dance. You're moving successfully toward your goal, you can get what you want, and you may even inspire others. The resulting hexagram, 39 Held Back, adds realism to the joy. Obstacles may still appear at each step, forcing you to stop, step back and ask for help from people who share your aims. That doesn't cancel the success; it shapes it. Expect a path with pauses, and use each one to gather support. Your example matters here: others can learn from how you handle the blocks as much as from what you achieve. Arrival comes one cleared obstacle at a time.
What to read, in order
Marked ● is what Zhu Xi's tradition puts at the center for this number of moving lines.
- Line 6 of 53 Gradual Progress
You're moving successfully toward your goal. You'll get what you want and may even inspire others.
The wild goose moves by degrees to the high plain. Its feathers can serve in the ritual dance. Good fortune.
- 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 judgment of 39 Held Back
Every time you advance, something blocks you, forcing you to stop, step back, and look for help from like-minded people who give you their support. That way you'll get past the obstacles one by one until the final victory.
The southwest is favorable; the northeast is not. It is favorable to see the great person. Constancy brings good fortune.
The trigrams
The way back
39 Held Back → 53 Gradual Progressline 6
Other transformations of Gradual Progress
Make your own cast
The answer changes with the question. Toss the coins and see which lines move for you.