I Ching Reading

Hexagram 45: Gathering Together

萃 · Cuì · Lake over Earth

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Gathering Together (萃, Cuì) is hexagram 45 of the 64 hexagrams of the I Ching, in the traditional King Wen order. It is made of Lake (☱) above Earth (☷).

Meaning of hexagram 45

People come together around a shared center. A gathering needs a worthy purpose and good organization to hold.

Advice

Bring people together, stay sincere and be ready for the unexpected.

The two trigrams

Gathering Together places ☱ Lake (Duì), joyful, open and pleasing, above ☷ Earth (Kūn), yielding, receptive and nourishing. The lower trigram is the inner side of the situation and the upper one its outer side.

Hexagram
45. Gathering Together
Chinese name
萃 Cuì
Upper trigram
☱ Lake (Duì)
Lower trigram
☷ Earth (Kūn)
Lines
2 yang (solid) and 4 yin (broken)
Place in the sequence
45 of 64 (King Wen order)

The six lines of Gathering Together

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 (yin, broken): the beginning. The root of the matter: early stirrings, foundations, and what has not yet shown itself.
  2. Second line (yin, broken): the inner circle. Your immediate surroundings and steady supports: how things work at close range.
  3. Third line (yin, broken): 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 (yang, solid): 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