Transformation · lines 1, 3, 4, 5, and 6
A Subordinate Role becomes Gentleness
What this change means
Wind follows wind as all lines but the second change, and the Thunder above and Lake below both turn gentle. The second line of 57 Gentleness carries the counsel: you may be held back by dark forces you can't name, and it can be wise to turn to people whose spiritual or magical practices can help you move forward. In A Subordinate Role, this suggests that what blocks you may not be visible or rational. Seek help from someone with a practice you trust. Meanwhile, keep a gentle, persistent approach, not pressure or force. Choose a direction and keep to it. Small steps, steady effort and the support of others above you can carry you past what you can't see.
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 57 Gentleness, which stays still
You're being held back by dark forces you can't identify. So it's wise to turn to people who, through magical practices, can help you move forward.
Yielding beneath the bed. Scribes and diviners are called in great numbers. Good fortune. No fault.
- The judgment of 54 A Subordinate Role
You're in a situation where you have to take second place to others; any personal initiative will lead to failure. Recognizing the moment and acting in keeping with it is all you can do until things change and you're in a better position.
Setting out brings misfortune. Nothing is favorable.
- Line 1 of 54 A Subordinate Role
If you know how to hold your subordinate place and stay in the background, helping from there however you can without seeking the spotlight, things will go well.
The young woman marries as a second wife. The lame can walk. Setting out brings good fortune.
- Line 3 of 54 A Subordinate Role
Given the present circumstances, it's better to stay in a subordinate position than to be alone.
The young woman marries as a servant; she comes back and marries as a second wife.
- Line 4 of 54 A Subordinate Role
If you know how to wait, you'll get what you want, and get it perfectly.
The young woman lets the time for her wedding pass. A late marriage has its hour.
- Line 5 of 54 A Subordinate Role
Calmly accepting a subordinate position right now will bring you success. Your talent will show in spite of a situation that seems unfavorable.
Emperor Yi gives his younger sister in marriage. The lady's sleeves were not as fine as the second wife's. The moon is nearly full. Good fortune.
- Line 6 of 54 A Subordinate Role
Holding a subordinate position with resentment or unease only makes you lose the rewards you'd find if you did it wholeheartedly.
The woman holds the basket, and there is nothing in it; the man cuts the sheep, and there is no blood. Nothing is favorable.
- The judgment of 57 Gentleness
It's a time when you'll gain and succeed through gentleness. This isn't the time for big actions, or for using pressure or force. It's a time to choose a path and stay on it steadily. Even if you don't see much progress, success will show itself through the build-up of small actions and through seeking the support of those above you.
Small success. It is favorable to have somewhere to go. It is favorable to see the great person.
The trigrams
The way back
57 Gentleness → 54 A Subordinate Rolelines 1, 3, 4, 5, and 6
Other transformations of A Subordinate Role
Make your own cast
The answer changes with the question. Toss the coins and see which lines move for you.