I Ching Reading

The I Ching, or Book of Changes, has 64 hexagrams: every possible stack of six solid (yang) or broken (yin) lines. Each one pairs two of the eight trigrams, Heaven, Earth, Thunder, Water, Mountain, Wind, Fire and Lake, and stands for a situation and how it tends to change.

They are listed here in the traditional King Wen order, split, as in the classic, into an upper and a lower canon. Choose a hexagram for its meaning, advice, trigrams and lines. For a personal reading, cast a hexagram with three coins; to learn where the I Ching comes from, see about the I Ching.

The Upper Canon

Hexagrams 1 to 30, from The Creative and The Receptive to The Clinging.

1. 1. The Creative · 乾 Qián · Heaven over Heaven Pure creative force.
2. 2. The Receptive · 坤 Kūn · Earth over Earth Yielding strength.
3. 3. Difficulty at the Beginning · 屯 Zhūn · Water over Thunder Something new is straining to grow, and the start is messy and uncertain.
4. 4. Youthful Folly · 蒙 Méng · Mountain over Water You are a beginner, or you are guiding one.
5. 5. Waiting · 需 Xū · Water over Heaven The way ahead is not yet clear or safe.
6. 6. Conflict · 訟 Sòng · Heaven over Water Opposing positions are hardening.
7. 7. The Army · 師 Shī · Earth over Water A shared effort needs order, a clear aim and a trusted leader.
8. 8. Holding Together · 比 Bǐ · Water over Earth People draw together and support one another.
9. 9. Small Taming · 小畜 Xiǎo Chù · Wind over Heaven Small, patient influence accumulates.
10. 10. Treading · 履 Lǚ · Heaven over Lake You are walking close to something powerful.
11. 11. Peace · 泰 Tài · Earth over Heaven Heaven and earth are in communication and things flow.
12. 12. Standstill · 否 Pǐ · Heaven over Earth Communication has broken down and efforts stall.
13. 13. Fellowship · 同人 Tóng Rén · Heaven over Fire People unite around a common purpose beyond narrow interests.
14. 14. Great Possession · 大有 Dà Yǒu · Fire over Heaven You hold a great deal, whether resources, influence or opportunity.
15. 15. Modesty · 謙 Qiān · Earth over Mountain True worth does not need to announce itself.
16. 16. Enthusiasm · 豫 Yù · Thunder over Earth Energy and morale are high and people move together.
17. 17. Following · 隨 Suí · Lake over Thunder Leadership comes through knowing when to follow.
18. 18. Repairing Decay · 蠱 Gǔ · Mountain over Wind Something inherited has been left to spoil.
19. 19. Approach · 臨 Lín · Earth over Lake Something great is approaching and momentum is building.
20. 20. Contemplation · 觀 Guān · Wind over Earth Step back and see the bigger picture.
21. 21. Biting Through · 噬嗑 Shì Kè · Fire over Thunder Something stands in the way and must be dealt with firmly.
22. 22. Grace · 賁 Bì · Mountain over Fire Form and presentation matter, but they adorn substance rather than replace it.
23. 23. Splitting Apart · 剝 Bō · Mountain over Earth Structures wear away and what was built on weak ground falls.
24. 24. Return · 復 Fù · Earth over Thunder The light returns after a dark period.
25. 25. Innocence · 無妄 Wú Wàng · Heaven over Thunder Acting from a pure, unscheming heart is the safest course.
26. 26. Great Taming · 大畜 Dà Chù · Mountain over Heaven Great strength is being held in reserve and built up.
27. 27. Nourishment · 頤 Yí · Mountain over Thunder What you take in, physically, mentally or in what you say, shapes what you become.
28. 28. Great Excess · 大過 Dà Guò · Lake over Wind The load is too heavy for the beam.
29. 29. The Abyss · 坎 Kǎn · Water over Water You are in a deep or dangerous place, but water keeps flowing through it without losing its nature.
30. 30. The Clinging Fire · 離 Lí · Fire over Fire Fire depends on what it burns and clarity depends on what it clings to.

The Lower Canon

Hexagrams 31 to 64, from Influence to Before Completion.

1. 31. Influence · 咸 Xián · Lake over Mountain Mutual attraction and sensitivity draw two together.
2. 32. Duration · 恆 Héng · Thunder over Wind Lasting things keep moving within a stable framework.
3. 33. Retreat · 遯 Dùn · Heaven over Mountain When circumstances turn against you, a well-timed retreat is a form of strength.
4. 34. Great Power · 大壯 Dà Zhuàng · Thunder over Heaven You have great power and momentum.
5. 35. Progress · 晉 Jìn · Fire over Earth Like the sun rising over the earth, your progress becomes visible.
6. 36. Darkening of the Light · 明夷 Míng Yí · Earth over Fire A dark time in which showing your brightness is risky.
7. 37. The Family · 家人 Jiā Rén · Wind over Fire The health of the whole grows from the home.
8. 38. Opposition · 睽 Kuí · Fire over Lake Views and directions are pulling apart.
9. 39. Obstruction · 蹇 Jiǎn · Water over Mountain A hard barrier blocks your way.
10. 40. Deliverance · 解 Xiè · Thunder over Water Tension breaks like a storm clearing the air.
11. 41. Decrease · 損 Sǔn · Mountain over Lake Reducing the outer to strengthen the inner.
12. 42. Increase · 益 Yì · Wind over Thunder A favorable time when giving and improving pay off for everyone.
13. 43. Breakthrough · 夬 Guài · Lake over Heaven A long-brewing situation reaches its moment of resolution.
14. 44. Coming to Meet · 姤 Gòu · Heaven over Wind An unexpected meeting arrives, and it may be more forceful than it looks.
15. 45. Gathering Together · 萃 Cuì · Lake over Earth People come together around a shared center.
16. 46. Pushing Upward · 升 Shēng · Earth over Wind Steady, patient effort brings a rise, like a plant pushing through soil.
17. 47. Oppression · 困 Kùn · Lake over Water You are worn down and hemmed in, and words alone will not help.
18. 48. The Well · 井 Jǐng · Water over Wind A well serves everyone and does not run dry, but it needs upkeep.
19. 49. Revolution · 革 Gé · Lake over Fire The old order has outlived its use and change is due.
20. 50. The Cauldron · 鼎 Dǐng · Fire over Wind A vessel that turns raw material into nourishment.
21. 51. The Arousing · 震 Zhèn · Thunder over Thunder Sudden shock, like thunder, jolts you awake.
22. 52. Keeping Still · 艮 Gèn · Mountain over Mountain A time to stop, like a mountain.
23. 53. Gradual Development · 漸 Jiàn · Wind over Mountain Growth that unfolds step by step, like a tree on a hillside.
24. 54. The Marrying Maiden · 歸妹 Guī Mèi · Thunder over Lake A connection made from an awkward or subordinate position.
25. 55. Abundance · 豐 Fēng · Thunder over Fire A moment of fullness and brightness, the height of the cycle.
26. 56. The Wanderer · 旅 Lǚ · Fire over Mountain You are far from home or without firm footing.
27. 57. The Gentle Wind · 巽 Xùn · Wind over Wind Like the wind, gentle but persistent influence gets in everywhere.
28. 58. The Joyous Lake · 兌 Duì · Lake over Lake Joy that comes from real connection and honest exchange.
29. 59. Dispersion · 渙 Huàn · Wind over Water Rigid barriers and tensions dissolve.
30. 60. Limitation · 節 Jié · Water over Lake Limits give shape to freedom.
31. 61. Inner Truth · 中孚 Zhōng Fú · Wind over Lake A sincere, open heart can move even the hard to reach.
32. 62. Small Excess · 小過 Xiǎo Guò · Thunder over Mountain Small matters are favored over large ones.
33. 63. After Completion · 既濟 Jì Jì · Water over Fire Everything is in place, and that is exactly when decline can begin.
34. 64. Before Completion · 未濟 Wèi Jì · Fire over Water Not quite there.

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