What this change means
Both Wind trigrams become Mountain when the second and fifth lines move: mountain on mountain, nothing drifting anymore. The fifth line leads with a call to change course, reflecting before you set out so that, once you know what you want, your action can succeed. The second line adds that something unseen has been holding you back, and that people who know rites and signs can help you get free. The resulting hexagram, 52 Abiding, may seem a strange partner for a change of direction, but it shapes how to make it: stay centered and steady, stop when stopping is right, and wait calmly for outer conditions to show you the moment to act. Don't go beyond what's actually happening. Choose your new course in stillness, clear what binds you, and move only when it's clear.
What to read, in order
Marked ● is what Zhu Xi's tradition puts at the center for this number of moving lines.
- Line 5 of 57 Gentleness
It's time to change course. Reflect before you set out; once you know what you want, taking action will make your success certain.
Constancy brings good fortune. Regret vanishes. Nothing that is not favorable. No beginning, yet an end. Three days before the geng day, three days after the geng day: good fortune.
- Line 2 of 57 Gentleness
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 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 judgment of 52 Abiding
It's a time of stillness, of staying centered and steady: that's the best way forward in your present situation. Sometimes you need to stop, calm and confident, and wait for outer conditions to show you it's time to act. Don't go beyond what's happening now. There's no action, only a harmonious stillness, and staying that way brings success.
Still at the back; the body is not reached. Walking in the courtyard; its people are not seen. No fault.
The trigrams
The way back
52 Abiding → 57 Gentlenesslines 2 and 5
Other transformations of Gentleness
- 37The Tribelines 1 and 2
- 61Inner Integritylines 1 and 3
- 20Observinglines 2 and 3
- 1Activitylines 1 and 4
- 33Leaving Behindlines 2 and 4
- 6Conflictlines 3 and 4
- 26Great Achievementslines 1 and 5
- 4Immaturitylines 3 and 5
- 50The Vessel of Nourishmentlines 4 and 5
- 5Inactionlines 1 and 6
- 39Held Backlines 2 and 6
- 29Waterlines 3 and 6
- 28Excesseslines 4 and 6
- 46Going Uplines 5 and 6
Make your own cast
The answer changes with the question. Toss the coins and see which lines move for you.