64 Hexagrams of the I Ching

Hexagram 1 is pure creative power. This is the force that initiates, that drives forward, that refuses to yield. When you draw The Creative, the cosmos favors bold action, original thinking, and decisive leadership. You are not meant to wait or follow — you are meant to begin. The dragon moves through its six stages: hidden, appearing, active, leaping, flying, and ultimately knowing when to rest. Even pure yang contains the wisdom of restraint. Lead with strength, but avoid arrogance. The Creative succeeds through persistence, not force.

Hexagram 2 is pure receptive power. This is not weakness but the profound strength of the earth itself — the force that receives the seed and transforms it into life. When The Receptive appears, your role is to support, to nurture, to allow things to develop in their natural time. Do not force outcomes. Do not lead aggressively. Instead, respond to what arises with devotion and care. The mare symbolizes strength combined with gentleness — she is not passive but chooses her path with quiet intelligence.

Every great endeavor begins in confusion. Hexagram 3 describes the moment of birth — messy, painful, chaotic, but carrying within it the seed of everything that follows. The energy is present but disorganized. Plans exist but the path is unclear. This is not failure; this is genesis. The key is to not give up during the struggle of emergence. Seek allies, organize your resources, and accept that the early stages of any venture are inherently difficult.

You are in a period of learning. This is not an insult but an honest assessment — there is something you do not yet understand, and the path forward requires humility. Seek a teacher, a mentor, or at minimum, seek the lesson hidden in your current situation. The hexagram warns against asking the same question repeatedly in hopes of a different answer. Ask once, listen carefully, then act on what you receive. Naivety is not a crime, but willful ignorance is.

The situation requires patience. What you want is coming, but it is not yet time. Forcing the issue now will only create complications. Hexagram 5 is not about passive resignation but about active waiting — nourishing yourself, preparing your resources, maintaining your strength for the moment when action becomes appropriate. Like clouds that must gather before rain can fall, conditions must ripen before your plans can succeed.

You are in a dispute or will be soon. Both sides believe they are right, and both have some justification. The hexagram warns against pursuing this conflict to its bitter end — even if you win, the cost will exceed the reward. Seek a mediator or a wise authority. Better still, find the compromise that allows both parties to preserve their dignity. Conflict drains creative energy that could be better spent elsewhere.

This hexagram speaks of organized collective effort under disciplined leadership. Whether you are the leader or a member of the collective, the message is the same: success requires structure, discipline, and a clear chain of command. The army is not a mob — it moves with purpose, follows strategy, and serves a cause larger than any individual. If you must mobilize resources or people, do so with integrity.

This is a time for forming alliances and strengthening bonds. People are drawn together by shared purpose, mutual need, or natural affinity. The hexagram asks you to examine whether you are fit to be the center of such a union — or whether you should seek someone who is. True holding together requires sincerity and constancy; those who join half-heartedly or too late find themselves on the outside.

You have the vision but not yet the power to fully realize it. Small, gentle actions can achieve what force cannot. The clouds are gathering but the rain has not yet come — conditions are building toward something, but the moment of release has not arrived. In the meantime, attend to details, refine your approach, and exercise gentle influence where you can.

You are in a situation that requires careful conduct — like walking near a tiger. The danger is real but not inevitable. If you proceed with proper respect, good humor, and awareness of your position, you will pass through safely. This hexagram is about knowing how to behave when the stakes are high and the power differential is real. Neither cower nor provoke — walk with quiet confidence and correct behavior.

This is one of the most favorable hexagrams. Heaven and earth are in harmony — creative force rises to meet receptive nurturing, and all things flourish as a result. This is springtime, prosperity, and social harmony. Enjoy this period but don't take it for granted; peace is a dynamic state that requires attention to maintain. Use this fortunate time to build, to connect, and to lay foundations for the future.

The opposite of Peace. Heaven and earth move apart, communication fails, and stagnation sets in. This is not a time for grand initiatives — they will be blocked. Instead, withdraw into yourself, maintain your integrity, and wait for conditions to change. The small-minded may seem to be in ascendance, but their time is limited. Preserve your values and your energy for better days.

True fellowship is built on shared principles, not private agreements. This hexagram calls for open association — gathering people around a common vision in broad daylight, not in back rooms. The fellowship that succeeds is the one that includes anyone who shares the cause, regardless of personal ties. If you are forming a group, a partnership, or a community, make your criteria principled rather than personal.

This is a hexagram of supreme abundance and success. Everything aligns — talent, resources, timing, and support. You are in a position of great wealth (material, spiritual, or both) and the cosmos supports your endeavors. The key is to handle this abundance with grace and generosity rather than hoarding it. Share your gifts, support those beneath you, and use your position to further what is good.

The mountain is great, but it places itself beneath the earth. This is true modesty — having real substance and choosing not to display it. Hexagram 15 is the only hexagram where all six lines are favorable, because modesty works in every situation. The full are emptied and the empty are filled; the proud are brought low and the humble are raised up. This is the natural balancing force of the universe.

True enthusiasm is infectious and creates momentum. When energy aligns with purpose, people are naturally inspired to follow and support. This is the time to rally others, to launch initiatives, and to let your genuine passion carry the day. The hexagram specifically references music — the rhythm that moves hearts and bodies alike. Find the rhythm of your endeavor and let it carry everyone forward.

There is a time to lead and a time to follow. This is the time to follow — to adapt to circumstances, to listen to others, and to go where the energy naturally flows. Following does not mean blind obedience; it means recognizing when someone else's direction serves the situation better than your own insistence. To gain a genuine following, one must first know how to follow.

Something has been neglected or corrupted and must now be repaired. This may be an inherited problem — something passed down from parents, predecessors, or your own past decisions. The good news is that decay creates the conditions for renewal. Work on the problem is not only possible but supremely successful. Take three days to plan, then act, then take three days to consolidate. This is careful, deliberate reform.

Your influence is growing. Like spring approaching, yang energy enters from below and begins to assert itself. This is a favorable time to advance, to teach, to lead, and to build. But the hexagram warns: prepare for the reversal that will come in the eighth month. All growth eventually gives way to decline. Use this period of increasing power wisely and don't assume it will last forever.

Step back and observe. Like a tower rising above the landscape, gain perspective on your situation before acting. Contemplation is not inaction — it is the deep seeing that precedes wise action. This hexagram also speaks of setting an example: others are watching you, and your conduct teaches more than your words. The moment between ablution and offering — between preparation and action — is sacred. Honor it.

Something stands between the teeth and must be bitten through. An obstacle blocks union, and decisive action is required to remove it. This hexagram often relates to legal matters, justice, and the need to enforce rules fairly. The obstacle will not dissolve on its own — it must be actively broken through. Be firm, be fair, and act with the clear force of lightning followed by thunder.

Grace is the beauty of form applied to substance. This hexagram speaks of aesthetics, presentation, and the art of making things beautiful. But it warns: grace is for small matters, not great decisions. You cannot solve a structural problem with a coat of paint. Attend to form and presentation where appropriate, but don't mistake beauty for truth or style for substance.

Things are falling apart, and there is little you can do to stop it. This is not the time for action but for acceptance. Like leaves falling from a tree in autumn, what is being lost must be lost so that renewal can eventually come. The inferior forces are in ascendance and the superior person can only wait. Do not act rashly or try to hold together what is naturally dissolving.

After the darkness of Splitting Apart comes the Return. A single yang line appears at the bottom — the first stirring of new life after winter's darkest point. This is the turning point, the moment when decline gives way to growth. Don't rush it. The new energy is fragile and needs time to strengthen. Rest, recover, and allow the natural renewal to take hold.

Act from genuine inner truth, not calculation. Innocence here means acting spontaneously in accord with your nature — not naively, but sincerely. When your actions arise from authentic inner prompting rather than strategic maneuvering, heaven supports them. The hexagram also warns of the unexpected: things may happen that you did not plan for. Meet them with natural, unforced responses.

Great creative power is being accumulated and held in check. This is not suppression but storage — like a dam holding back a river's force until it can be channeled productively. Study the wisdom of the past. Build your reserves. Develop your inner strength. The time for release will come, and when it does, you will need every ounce of what you have stored.

What you take in shapes what you become. This hexagram asks two questions: What are you feeding yourself (body, mind, spirit)? And what are you feeding others? The quality of your nourishment — physical food, information, relationships, media — directly determines your health and development. Be as careful about what enters your mind as what enters your mouth.

The situation is extreme and the structure is under extraordinary pressure. The ridgepole — the central support — is sagging. This requires extraordinary measures. Normal rules do not apply in extraordinary times. You may need to act alone, to take unusual steps, to accept that the comfortable middle path is not available. The hexagram promises success if you have somewhere to go — a clear direction amid the excess.

You face repeated danger or deep, abysmal challenges. The water trigram doubled means danger upon danger — there is no easy escape. But water itself teaches the way: it flows sincerely, without hesitation, filling every depression it encounters before moving on. The key is sincerity of heart and the willingness to face danger directly rather than trying to evade it. Like water, flow through the danger rather than fighting against it.

Fire illuminates but has no substance of its own — it must cling to fuel to exist. This hexagram speaks of clarity, awareness, and the nature of consciousness itself. You are in a period of illumination and insight. But remember that clarity depends on what it attaches to. Cling to what is worthy and your light will be steady and warm. Cling to the unworthy and you will flare and die.

Mutual influence and attraction. This hexagram describes the natural pull between complementary forces — traditionally courtship, but applicable to any situation where genuine connection draws people together. The key is openness and receptivity. Influence here is not manipulation but the natural resonance between compatible energies. Keep your heart open and be willing to be affected by others.

What endures is not rigid but adaptive — like thunder and wind, which constantly move yet maintain their essential nature. Duration is not about clinging stubbornly to one position but about maintaining your essential direction while adapting your methods. Marriage, long-term projects, career paths — all require this dynamic constancy. Stay true to your core purpose while remaining flexible in how you pursue it.

Retreat is not defeat. When inferior forces advance, the wise person withdraws with dignity rather than engaging in a losing battle. This is strategic withdrawal — choosing the time and manner of your departure rather than being driven out. Retreat requires more character than advance, because it means accepting that the current conditions do not favor you. Small efforts can still be maintained during retreat, but grand ambitions must wait.

You have great power at your disposal. The question is whether you will use it wisely. True power operates through righteousness, not brute force. The ram that butts against a hedge and gets its horns tangled wastes its strength. Channel your power toward worthy goals and ensure that your strength serves justice rather than ego. Power without principle is just force.

The sun rises above the earth, illuminating everything. This is a time of rapid, visible progress. You will be recognized, promoted, or rewarded. Advancement comes not through scheming but through the natural brightness of your virtue becoming visible to those in authority. Like the sun, you do not need to announce yourself — your light is self-evident.

Your light must be hidden. The environment is hostile to brightness — whether that means incompetent leadership, dangerous circumstances, or a culture that punishes excellence. The task is to maintain your inner light while veiling your outer brilliance. This is survival strategy, not surrender. Keep your wisdom and virtue alive within you, but do not display them where they will be attacked.

This hexagram addresses the fundamental unit of society — the family or household. Order within the home radiates outward into the world. When roles are clear, communication is honest, and each member fulfills their responsibilities, the family thrives. This applies equally to literal families and to any close-knit group that functions like one. Start with getting your inner circle right, and outer success follows.

You face opposition or estrangement. Two forces or people move in opposite directions, and forcing them together will not work. But opposition is not always bad — it reveals different perspectives that, when recognized, can enrich understanding. Grand reconciliation may not be possible now, but small, careful steps toward understanding can succeed. Don't try to solve the big conflict; solve the small pieces.

The path forward is blocked and the way back is difficult. Rather than pushing harder against the obstruction, turn inward. Examine what within you might be contributing to the difficulty. Seek the counsel of a wise person or mentor. The hexagram advises going southwest (the direction of the receptive, of yielding) rather than northeast (the direction of keeping still). Yield, adapt, and seek help.

The tension breaks. The obstruction clears. Relief arrives like a thunderstorm that cleanses the heavy, oppressive air. If the problem is fully resolved, return to normal life quickly — don't linger in crisis mode. If there is still work to do, act swiftly while the energy of release is fresh. Either way, this is a time for forgiveness and letting go of grudges.

Something must be reduced or sacrificed. This may be material resources, time, comfort, or ego. But decrease undertaken with sincerity is not loss — it is investment. When you simplify, when you give up what is unnecessary, what remains is more concentrated and powerful. Even a small offering made with genuine sincerity outweighs a lavish gift given grudgingly.

This is the complement to Decrease — here, those in power share their abundance with those below, and everyone prospers. Increase arrives, and the wise person seizes it for ambitious undertakings. This is the time to launch projects, cross dangerous waters, and attempt what seemed impossible. But remember: true increase comes from generosity. What you give away multiplies.

The tension has built to the point where breakthrough is inevitable. Five strong forces have gathered against one remaining weakness, and the resolution is at hand. But the hexagram warns: be truthful, not forceful. Announce the truth publicly rather than using violence. The breakthrough succeeds through moral clarity and openness, not through aggression. Even in victory, remain on guard.

Something or someone approaches that appears attractive but carries danger. A single inferior force enters from below and, if not checked early, will grow to corrupt the whole structure. This may be a tempting opportunity, an alluring person, or an easy shortcut that leads to trouble. The hexagram counsels early recognition and firm boundaries — not cruelty, but clarity about what should and should not be admitted.

People gather together around a central purpose or leader. This is a time of assembly — for community, for worship, for collective action. But gathering also brings risk: where many come together, conflict can arise, and the unprepared are vulnerable. Make offerings (of effort, of commitment, of resources) and prepare for the unexpected. The gathering succeeds when it has a worthy center.

Steady, persistent upward movement. Like a tree that grows by adding ring after ring, your advancement comes through consistent effort rather than dramatic leaps. This is not the flash of sudden success but the deep satisfaction of earned progress. Every step you take builds on the last. The environment supports your growth — obstacles yield to steady pressure. Keep climbing.

You are exhausted, confined, or oppressed. Resources are depleted. Worse, words fail you — even if you speak the truth, others will not believe you. This is one of the most difficult hexagrams, yet it promises success for the great person. Why? Because oppression tests character. The one who maintains their integrity and cheerfulness even in the depths of exhaustion emerges stronger. This is the crucible that forges greatness.

The well represents an unchanging source of nourishment — physical, spiritual, or communal. Towns change, people come and go, but the well remains. You are being directed toward something fundamental and enduring, a source of truth or sustenance that does not change with fashion or circumstance. The hexagram also warns: if the rope does not reach the water, or if the jug breaks, the well is useless. Access to the source matters as much as the source itself.

The time has come for radical change. Not change for its own sake, but change that is necessary, overdue, and aligned with the natural order. Revolution succeeds only when the time is right and the people believe in the one who leads it. Like a snake that must shed its old skin to grow, you must release the old form to assume the new one. There will be resistance, but if the change is genuine and the timing is right, remorse disappears.

The cauldron is civilization itself — the vessel in which raw materials are transformed into culture, nourishment, and wisdom. This is one of the most favorable hexagrams, suggesting that your efforts at transformation and refinement will succeed supremely. What you are creating has lasting value. Like a sacred vessel used for offerings, your work serves something higher than yourself.

A sudden shock strikes — frightening at first, but ultimately beneficial. Thunder clears the air, shakes loose what is stagnant, and awakens what has been asleep. The initial terror gives way to laughter when you realize the shock has not harmed you but woken you up. The key is to maintain your composure during the shock (not dropping the sacrificial implements) and then use the cleared energy to examine and reorganize your life.

Be still. Stop moving, stop thinking, stop planning. Like a mountain that simply is, without effort or motion, you are called to absolute stillness. This is not paralysis but meditation — the profound rest that allows true clarity to emerge. When you still the body, the mind follows. When you still the mind, perception deepens beyond the personal self. This is the hexagram of meditation and inner peace.

Progress comes gradually and naturally, like a tree growing on a mountainside. Each stage must be completed before the next begins — you cannot skip steps. This hexagram traditionally relates to marriage, the most important relationship that must develop through proper stages: meeting, courtship, engagement, wedding. Whatever you are developing, honor the natural sequence and don't rush.

This is one of the most difficult hexagrams. You are in a situation where you lack power, where the terms are not ideal, and where undertaking new initiatives will fail. The traditional image is of a secondary wife — loved, perhaps, but without the full standing of the primary partner. The advice is stark: accept the limitations of your current position, make the best of imperfect circumstances, and do not pretend your situation is other than what it is.

You are at the peak. Like the sun at midday, your power and influence are at their maximum. This is a magnificent moment, but it is also fleeting — the sun at noon can only descend. Do not be sad about this. Instead, use this peak moment to its fullest. Make the important decisions now, while clarity is greatest and power is strongest. Tomorrow the light will begin to fade.

You are a traveler, an outsider, someone passing through. This is not your home territory and you must behave accordingly — with caution, courtesy, and an awareness that you lack the power and standing of a permanent resident. Keep your ambitions modest, your behavior correct, and your disputes short. The wanderer succeeds through adaptability and by not overstaying their welcome.

The gentlest force can penetrate where the strongest cannot. Wind enters every crevice, bends the mightiest trees over time, and shapes landscapes through persistent, gentle pressure. You are called to exercise this kind of influence — subtle, consistent, and penetrating. Grand gestures and forceful actions will not work here. Instead, apply gentle, steady influence over time.

True joy comes from within and is shared with others. Like two connected lakes that nourish each other, joy multiplies when shared through genuine communication and fellowship. This is not shallow pleasure but the deep satisfaction of connection, learning, and mutual encouragement. The hexagram encourages discussion, practice, and the pleasure of working alongside others toward shared understanding.

Rigidity must be dissolved. The barriers that separate people — selfishness, ego, frozen attitudes — must be melted like ice in spring. This dissolution is not destruction but transformation. Through sacrifice, worship, or shared purpose, the walls between people dissolve and unity becomes possible. The king approaches his temple: find a higher purpose that dissolves the petty divisions.

Limits are necessary and beneficial — up to a point. A lake without shores is a swamp. But limits that are too severe become galling and should not be maintained. The art is in finding the right measure: enough structure to give your life shape and meaning, not so much that it becomes a prison. Examine what limits you accept and whether they serve your growth or merely constrain it.

Inner truth has the power to reach and transform even the most resistant. When you operate from genuine sincerity, your influence extends to places that force and cleverness cannot reach. The hexagram mentions pigs and fishes — the most obtuse and unreachable creatures — to emphasize that true sincerity penetrates everywhere. Be authentic, be empathetic, and trust that your inner truth will communicate itself.

This is a time when small matters take precedence over great ones. Like a bird that should not fly too high but stay close to earth, keep your ambitions modest and your actions careful. Attend to details. Be more humble than necessary, more frugal than required, more reverent than expected. Exceeding in small virtues is better than falling short in great ambitions.

Everything has come to completion. Every line is in its proper place — a rare state of perfect order. But the hexagram warns: this perfection is unstable. From the summit, the only direction is down. At the beginning, good fortune; at the end, disorder. Use this moment of completion not for celebration but for preparation. Secure what you have achieved and prepare for the inevitable transitions ahead.

The final hexagram of the I Ching — and it is one of incompletion. This is deliberate: the Book of Changes teaches that completion is never final, that every ending contains a new beginning. You are almost there but not quite. Like a young fox crossing a frozen river who gets cocky at the last moment and dips his tail, carelessness at this stage can undo everything. Exercise extreme care in the final steps.