What this change means
Light sinks into the earth when the first, fourth and top lines change. Both judgments apply. The Traveler pictures you in unfamiliar territory, where it pays to travel light. The resulting hexagram, 36 Darkness, is harsher. Circumstances may force you to live alongside the wrong people; protecting yourself, keeping your integrity, and not showing your light openly will keep you safe until better times arrive. On foreign ground, discretion matters doubly. Don't draw attention to your gifts or your resources. Be polite, quiet and careful, and keep your values intact inside. Hard stretches pass, however long they seem. Until then, the low profile is not cowardice but good sense. Let your light burn steadily, just out of sight, until the season turns.
What to read, in order
Marked ● is what Zhu Xi's tradition puts at the center for this number of moving lines.
- The judgment of 56 The Traveler
It's a time of small achievements. Keep a light, flexible attitude. You may be facing a period of change, new places or situations that ask you to adapt while they settle: let go of attachments and be gracious as you make new connections and your situation takes hold.
Small success. For the traveler, constancy brings good fortune.
- The judgment of 36 Darkness
It's a dark time: circumstances force you to live alongside the wrong people. If you know how to protect yourself, hold on to your integrity, and go unnoticed, without openly showing your light and your talents, you'll stay safe until better times come. However hard they seem, hard times pass too.
Constancy in hardship is favorable.
- Line 1 of 56 The Traveler
It's a time to act with dignity and focus on what really matters right now. Relaxing too much and not taking things seriously will bring trouble.
The traveler, small and niggling: so disaster is brought on.
- Line 4 of 56 The Traveler
Even though you can gain material rewards and comfort, avoid living in constant distrust and worry.
The traveler finds a place to stay and gets their goods and their axe. My heart is not glad.
- Line 6 of 56 The Traveler
If you relax too much, forgetting that you're only passing through, and stop tending to your ultimate purpose, you'll run into problems.
The bird burns its nest. The traveler laughs first and wails aloud after. Loses the ox at Yi. Misfortune.
The trigrams
The way back
36 Darkness → 56 The Travelerlines 1, 4, and 6
Other transformations of The Traveler
- 38Oppositeslines 1, 2, and 3
- 26Great Achievementslines 1, 2, and 4
- 27Nourishmentlines 1, 3, and 4
- 4Immaturitylines 2, 3, and 4
- 1Activitylines 1, 2, and 5
- 25Innocencelines 1, 3, and 5
- 6Conflictlines 2, 3, and 5
- 37The Tribelines 1, 4, and 5
- 57Gentlenesslines 2, 4, and 5
- 20Observinglines 3, 4, and 5
- 34Great Manifestationlines 1, 2, and 6
- 51Shocklines 1, 3, and 6
- 40Clearing Obstacleslines 2, 3, and 6
- 46Going Uplines 2, 4, and 6
- 2Passivitylines 3, 4, and 6
- 49Renewallines 1, 5, and 6
- 28Excesseslines 2, 5, and 6
- 45Meetinglines 3, 5, and 6
- 39Held Backlines 4, 5, and 6
Make your own cast
The answer changes with the question. Toss the coins and see which lines move for you.