The Army (師, Shī) is hexagram 7 of the 64 hexagrams of the I Ching, in
the traditional King Wen order. It is made of Earth (☷) above Water
(☵).
Meaning of hexagram 7
A shared effort needs order, a clear aim and a trusted leader.
Discipline serves a cause; without one it becomes mere force.
Advice
Get organized, keep the goal fair and clear, and avoid needless battles.
The two trigrams
The Army places ☷ Earth (Kūn), yielding, receptive and nourishing,
above ☵ Water (Kǎn), deep, flowing and dangerous. The lower trigram is
the inner side of the situation and the upper one its outer side.
Hexagram
7. The Army
Chinese name
師 Shī
Upper trigram
☷ Earth (Kūn)
Lower trigram
☵ Water (Kǎn)
Lines
1 yang (solid) and 5 yin (broken)
Place in the sequence
7 of 64 (King Wen order)
The six lines of The Army
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(yin, broken): the beginning. The root
of the matter: early stirrings, foundations, and what has not yet
shown itself.
Second line(yang, solid): the inner circle. Your
immediate surroundings and steady supports: how things work at close
range.
Third line(yin, broken): 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.