I Ching Reading

Hexagram 34: Great Power

大壯 · Dà Zhuàng · Thunder over Heaven

strengthmomentumrestraintrighteousness

Great Power (大壯, Dà Zhuàng) is hexagram 34 of the 64 hexagrams of the I Ching, in the traditional King Wen order. It is made of Thunder (☳) above Heaven (☰).

Meaning of hexagram 34

You have great power and momentum. Strength is only worthwhile when it is guided by principle, so it needs restraint.

Advice

Use your strength for the right things, avoid bullying and do not overreach.

The two trigrams

Great Power places ☳ Thunder (Zhèn), arousing, sudden and energetic, above ☰ Heaven (Qián), strong, creative and persistent. The lower trigram is the inner side of the situation and the upper one its outer side.

Hexagram
34. Great Power
Chinese name
大壯 Dà Zhuàng
Upper trigram
☳ Thunder (Zhèn)
Lower trigram
☰ Heaven (Qián)
Lines
4 yang (solid) and 2 yin (broken)
Place in the sequence
34 of 64 (King Wen order)

The six lines of Great Power

A hexagram is read from the bottom line up. In a reading, a changing line (a 6 or a 9 in the three-coin method) draws attention to its position.

  1. First line (yang, solid): the beginning. The root of the matter: early stirrings, foundations, and what has not yet shown itself.
  2. Second line (yang, solid): the inner circle. Your immediate surroundings and steady supports: how things work at close range.
  3. Third line (yang, solid): the threshold. A point of tension between inner and outer, often a test or a restless push forward.
  4. Fourth line (yang, solid): the approach. Stepping into wider circles or nearer to authority; caution and good relationships matter here.
  5. Fifth line (yin, broken): the center of power. The place of influence and clear leadership: where the situation is most fully expressed.
  6. Sixth line (yin, broken): the culmination. The far edge of the situation: completion, overreach, or letting go.

Related hexagrams