䷿Before CompletionWèi Jì

The judgment

亨。小狐汔济，濡其尾，无攸利

Fire rises over water and the two have not met yet. The last stretch is the one where the shape is still open, so the finish depends on order, and speed is a separate question.

The image

Fire climbs above water and the crossing has not been made. The last step is the one that decides the direction of the whole.

The six lines

Read from the bottom up. A line that moves is read here, and read again in the hexagram it becomes.

1. 初六Line 1

   濡其尾，吝

   One step in and the tail is already wet—strength ran out before the crossing began.

   Marked in the textnarrow going

2. 九二Line 2

   曳其轮，贞吉

   Hold the wheel while it sticks; staying put costs less than forcing it through.

   Marked in the textauspicious

3. 六三Line 3

   未济，征凶，利涉大川

   Not across yet; forcing the last stretch breaks things, while taking the big river head-on is what opens the way.

   Marked in the textominous

4. 九四Line 4

   贞吉，悔亡，震用伐鬼方，三年有赏于大国

   Hold steady and the regret fades on its own. Yet the thunderous move still comes: the troops drive into the Ghost Land, three years of fighting before they return, and the great state's reward is placed in their hands.

   Marked in the textauspiciousregret clears

5. 六五Line 5

   贞吉，无悔，君子之光，有孚，吉

   At the center, light comes from within; what earns trust is the substance, not the noise.

   Marked in the textauspiciousregretauspicious

6. 上九Line 6

   有孚于饮酒，无咎，濡其首，有孚失是

   At the end, drinking freely is fine until the head goes under and the trust built up drains away.

   Marked in the textno blame

Where each changing line leads

Flip one line and it is a different hexagram. These are the six it becomes.

• 初六→OppositionHexagram 38
• 九二→ProgressHexagram 35
• 六三→The CauldronHexagram 50
• 九四→Youthful FollyHexagram 4
• 六五→ConflictHexagram 6
• 上九→DeliveranceHexagram 40