Darkening of the Light (明夷, Míng Yí) is hexagram 36 of the 64
hexagrams of the I Ching, in the traditional King Wen order. It is made
of Earth (☷) above Fire (☲).
Meaning of hexagram 36
A dark time in which showing your brightness is risky. Preserve your
inner light and stay quiet rather than fight what you cannot beat.
Advice
Keep your integrity private, avoid open confrontation and wait it out.
The two trigrams
Darkening of the Light places ☷ Earth (Kūn), yielding, receptive and
nourishing, above ☲ Fire (Lí), bright, clinging and clear. The lower
trigram is the inner side of the situation and the upper one its outer
side.
Hexagram
36. Darkening of the Light
Chinese name
明夷 Míng Yí
Upper trigram
☷ Earth (Kūn)
Lower trigram
☲ Fire (Lí)
Lines
2 yang (solid) and 4 yin (broken)
Place in the sequence
36 of 64 (King Wen order)
The six lines of Darkening of the Light
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.
First line(yang, solid): the beginning. The root
of the matter: early stirrings, foundations, and what has not yet
shown itself.
Second line(yin, broken): the inner circle. Your
immediate surroundings and steady supports: how things work at close
range.
Third line(yang, solid): the threshold. A point
of tension between inner and outer, often a test or a restless push
forward.
Fourth line(yin, broken): the approach. Stepping
into wider circles or nearer to authority; caution and good
relationships matter here.
Fifth line(yin, broken): the center of power. The
place of influence and clear leadership: where the situation is most
fully expressed.
Sixth line(yin, broken): the culmination. The far
edge of the situation: completion, overreach, or letting go.