What this change means
The fifth line moves and the upper Wind becomes Mountain, wind now blowing at the foot of a mountain. This line is the heart of the reading: it's time to change course. Reflect before you set out, and once you know what you want, acting on it tends to bring success. The old text speaks of no beginning yet a good end, and of three days before and three days after a turning day: think it through before, review it after. The resulting hexagram, 18 Loss, Then Gain, names what makes the change necessary. Mistakes have led to decline, but admitting them and making the needed corrections can lead back to success. Take time to understand what caused the loss, act, and then give the results time to come. A bad start doesn't decide the ending.
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.
- 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 18 Loss, Then Gain
You've made mistakes that have brought you into decline; still, admitting it and making the corrections needed will lead you back to success. Take time to reflect on what caused the loss and, once you've acted, give success time to arrive.
Great success. It is favorable to cross the great river. Three days before the first day, three days after the first day.
The trigrams
The way back
18 Loss, Then Gain → 57 Gentlenessline 5
Other transformations of Gentleness
Make your own cast
The answer changes with the question. Toss the coins and see which lines move for you.