Hexagram 17
Following
Lake over Thunder
The judgment
元亨。利贞。无咎Thunder rests under the lake and the strong line takes the lower place. Choosing what to follow is the whole job; speed is a later question.
The image
The lake settles over the thunder and the sound goes quiet. A following that lasts adjusts its speed to the ground.
The six lines
Read from the bottom up. A line that moves is read here, and read again in the hexagram it becomes.
- 初九Line 1
官有渝，贞吉。出门交有功
At the start, before position is settled, replace the old approach; going out to meet others is what opens things up.
Marked in the textauspicious
- 六二Line 2
系小子，失丈夫
Clinging to the small figure at hand leaves the weightier one standing aside.
- 六三Line 3
系丈夫，失小子。随，有求得利，居贞
Tethered to the weightier side, the small one slips free. Following brings what you seek, yet the feet must hold their original place, not lose themselves along the way.
- 九四Line 4
随有获，贞凶。有孚在道，以明，何咎
Near the seat of power the gains are real, but the gains themselves draw suspicion; let your path be seen clearly.
Marked in the textominous
- 九五Line 5
孚于嘉，吉
In the central seat, placing trust in someone genuinely worthy lets things run smoothly.
Marked in the textauspicious
- 上六Line 6
拘系之，乃从维之。王用亨于西山
Binding someone fast, then winding the rope tighter and tighter. At this point, carry that binding to the western mountain and hand it to the sacrificial fire.
Where each changing line leads
Flip one line and it is a different hexagram. These are the six it becomes.
This page is for reference. To get a hexagram from six throws, cast your own.
The classical text is the Zhouyi, public domain, checked against a Wikisource transcript. The readings are ours. Daily hexagram