What this change means
Water on the mountain is the figure when the upper three lines move. Two judgments are in balance. In The Traveler you're on the move, gaining a little at a time and keeping things light. The resulting hexagram, 39 Held Back, says that each time you advance something blocks you, so you stop, step back, and seek help from like-minded people; with their support, obstacles fall one by one until the goal is reached. So the road gets steep. Don't take the delays personally. Each block is a chance to look inward, adjust, and find allies. Keep your load light, so you can turn back and try again without exhaustion. Progress comes in stages here, and persistence wins in the end. Every pause, used well, is part of the climb.
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 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.
- 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 5 of 56 The Traveler
If you can enjoy this passing situation and make the most of it, you'll achieve things.
Shoots a pheasant; one arrow is lost. In the end, renown and a mandate.
- 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
39 Held Back → 56 The Travelerlines 4, 5, 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
- 36Darknesslines 1, 4, 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
Make your own cast
The answer changes with the question. Toss the coins and see which lines move for you.