I Ching Oracle / Hexagrams / 54
The Judgement
Undertakings bring misfortune. Nothing that would further.
An ill-defined arrangement; forcing it forward brings trouble.
The Image
Thunder over the lake; the noble one understands the transitory in the light of the eternity of the end.
This hexagram on ten matters
- WorkCAREER
- An ill-defined position; forcing it forward brings misfortune. Undertakings bring misfortune, nothing furthers — one of the few hexagrams whose judgement is unreservedly unfavourable. Hold, do not move.
- LoveRELATIONSHIP
- The positions are unequal. The woman holds the basket but there are no fruits; the man stabs the sheep but no blood flows: the form is complete and the substance is empty. That is what must be faced.
- MoneyFINANCE
- Do not commit. A partnership without proper standing produces disputes later.
- HealthBODY
- Understand the transitory in light of the end — see how this will break. On health, do not keep avoiding the part you have been avoiding.
- StudyLEARNING
- The direction may have been wrong from the start. Rather than pushing, re-verify the goal.
- An examEXAM
- Unequal terms; sitting this under pressure puts you at a disadvantage. Check whether your preparation is genuinely ready.
- PeopleSOCIAL
- A situation of accommodating at your own expense. The marrying maiden draws out the allotted time — waiting is not necessarily worse.
- A choiceDECISION
- Do not decide. Terms are against you; signing now leads to regret.
- TravelJOURNEY
- Do not travel far. Travelling while your position is undefined lands you in lopsided arrangements. Re-check both the itinerary and the company.
- A lost itemLOST ITEM
- Not easy to recover, and possibly somewhere it should not be. If it cannot be found, accept it and deal with the aftermath.
The Six Lines
The marrying maiden as a concubine. A lame man who is able to tread. Undertakings bring good fortune.
The marrying maiden as a concubine; a lame man who is able to tread. Not complete, yet undertakings bring good fortune: accepting the lower place is what allows movement.
A one-eyed man who is able to see. The perseverance of a solitary man furthers.
A one-eyed man who is able to see; the perseverance of a solitary man furthers. Partial sight, but sight. Suited to those who keep quietly to themselves.
The marrying maiden as a slave. She marries as a concubine.
The marrying maiden as a slave; she marries as a concubine. No verdict, but the descent is written into the words.
The marrying maiden draws out the allotted time. A late marriage comes in due course.
The marrying maiden draws out the allotted time; a late marriage comes in due course. The wisest line here: better to wait than to settle.
The sovereign gives his daughter in marriage. The embroidered garments of the princess were not as gorgeous as those of the servingmaid. Good fortune.
The sovereign gives his daughter in marriage; her garments were not as fine as the servingmaid's. The moon nearly full, good fortune. The fortune comes from not displaying.
The woman holds the basket, but there are no fruits in it. The man stabs the sheep, but no blood flows. Nothing that acts to further.
The woman holds the basket but there are no fruits; the man stabs the sheep but no blood flows. The conclusion: the form complete, the substance entirely absent.
The governing line
Nuclear · Opposite · Reverse
The nuclear hexagram shows the middle stretch of the matter; the opposite is the same situation seen from the reverse position; the reverse is the view from the other party's side.