The 64 I Ching Hexagrams
Explore each hexagram, its classical text, and its six lines to understand where change is occurring and what kind of action fits the moment.
All 64 Hexagrams
Find your hexagram in the King Wen sequence, read its brief meaning, and open the full interpretation.
Qián · The Creative
Qian is about creative strength and the discipline required to sustain it. It does not say to push forward at all costs; it asks whether your power should remain hidden, become visible, be refined, be tested, take the lead, or stop before excess sets in.
Read the full guideKūn · The Receptive
Kun is not passive submission. It is the strength to receive, support, and give form to what is emerging. It does not need to lead from the front; it clarifies direction, makes room, and carries change into reality.
Read the full guideZhūn · Difficulty at the Beginning
Zhun describes the difficulty of a new beginning: energy has awakened before a workable order exists. Thunder below wants to move while Water above presents danger. The task is to gather support and establish footing, without mistaking early confusion for a doomed direction or enthusiasm for readiness.
Read the full guideMéng · Youthful Folly
Meng concerns how learning begins when the way is unclear. A spring beneath a mountain has yet to find its course. Likewise, honest questions, practice, and appropriate boundaries help a beginner develop judgment instead of borrowing certainty from others.
Read the full guideXū · Waiting
Xu is the waiting of someone with strength who does not enter danger prematurely. Clouds gather before rain; Heaven below supplies energy while Water above presents risk. Patience means sustaining yourself and knowing which conditions must change before you move.
Read the full guideSòng · Conflict
Song describes a dispute in which each side has a position but neither can readily hear the other. Heaven rises and Water flows downward, carrying them apart. The task is to clarify the disagreement before winning becomes more important than resolving the original matter.
Read the full guideShī · The Army
Shi concerns organizing dispersed strength to meet a shared difficulty. Water within the Earth suggests capacity held among many people. A worthwhile purpose, trustworthy leadership, and clear discipline allow that capacity to act together instead of exhausting itself through disorder.
Read the full guideBǐ · Holding Together
Bi concerns belonging, closeness, and mutual support. Water gathers over the Earth and nourishes it. Lasting connection depends on more than proximity: there must be a trustworthy shared direction and a willingness to keep responding to one another.
Read the full guideXiǎo Xù · Small Accumulating
Xiao Xu describes strength preserved through small accumulations and gentle restraint. Wind moves above Heaven and clouds gather without rain. Conditions are developing; the useful work is refinement and the patient accumulation of trust, rather than forcing a dramatic breakthrough.
Read the full guideLǚ · Treading
Lv concerns conduct where power differs or boundaries matter. The Lake lies below Heaven; treading near a tiger's tail without injury depends on discernment rather than luck. Courage is useful when accompanied by a realistic understanding of your position and limits.
Read the full guideTài · Peace
Tai describes open exchange, moving resources, and different forces working in healthy coordination. Its ease is not static luck; it is a sustainable cycle created by communication, trust, and action.
Read the full guidePǐ · Standstill
Pi describes blocked exchange, misaligned values, and communication that no longer carries meaning. It is not a verdict of failure; it asks you to preserve principles and resources until a genuine channel can reopen.
Read the full guideTóng Rén · Fellowship
Tong Ren concerns a shared purpose that reaches beyond the familiar circle. Heaven and Fire direct light outward. Fellowship does not require identical people; it allows differences to cooperate around an open and worthwhile aim.
Read the full guideDà Yǒu · Great Possession
Da You concerns becoming equal to the resources you hold. Fire above Heaven illuminates widely and makes conduct visible. When ability, opportunity, and support gather, the test is to distinguish what deserves encouragement and share the benefits without becoming ruled by possession.
Read the full guideQiān · Modesty
Qian, Modesty, pictures a mountain held within the Earth: real height without looking down on others. Modesty is not self-erasure. It places ability appropriately, reduces excess, and supports what is lacking so that relationships become more balanced.
Read the full guideYù · Enthusiasm
Yu pictures Thunder emerging from the Earth and awakening shared enthusiasm. Excitement can break stagnation and bring people into action, but without clear judgment it becomes indulgence or display. The task is to give joy a purpose worth pursuing.
Read the full guideSuí · Following
Sui concerns adapting to change while discerning what deserves to be followed. Thunder within the Lake recognizes a time for activity and a time for rest. Flexibility means leaving an outdated habit for a sound relationship or rhythm without abandoning independent judgment.
Read the full guideGǔ · Work on the Decayed
Gu concerns repairing what prolonged neglect has damaged. Wind held beneath a mountain suggests stagnation. The trouble often lies in inherited habits, unattended responsibilities, or old compromises. It calls for tracing causes and restoring what is useful, rather than merely blaming predecessors.
Read the full guideLín · Approach
Lin concerns approaching people and situations with strength and goodwill. Earth above the Lake suggests a widening capacity to support and engage. Active care and leadership are timely, provided that growing influence does not turn attention into condescending interference.
Read the full guideGuān · Contemplation
Guan concerns widening your view while recognizing that others also observe you. Wind moves over the Earth without needing to command it. How you live and treat people reveals your direction more clearly than a description of your intentions.
Read the full guideShì Kè · Biting Through
Shi He concerns biting through an obstruction so that separated parts can meet again. Thunder and Lightning bring action together with clarity. When a problem is definite, vague tolerance can do more damage than a proportionate and fair response.
Read the full guideBì · Grace
Bi, Grace, concerns form that illuminates substance. Fire beneath a mountain reveals its contours without changing what it is. Courtesy, expression, and beauty can invite understanding, provided that something real supports the presentation.
Read the full guideBō · Splitting Apart
Bo describes support wearing away from below. A mountain depends on the Earth beneath it; height cannot compensate for a damaged foundation. Notice where strength is being lost and preserve what can support a future, instead of insisting on the previous scale.
Read the full guideFù · Return
Fu is the return to vitality, principle, and right rhythm after a period of drift. It is not repeating the past unchanged; a small but genuine turn begins a new cycle.
Read the full guideWú Wàng · Innocence
Wu Wang concerns sincere motives and action without contrivance. Thunder moves beneath Heaven while living things follow their nature. It does not assume that good people avoid trouble; it asks you to act honestly and recognize that not every unexpected event is caused by your choices.
Read the full guideDà Xù · Great Accumulating
Da Xu concerns cultivating strong energy into usable capability. Heaven is held within the Mountain, where vigor is shaped by restraint. Study, practice, and self-command prepare you for a larger responsibility rather than postpone action forever.
Read the full guideYí · Nourishment
Yi begins with the mouth and nourishment: what you take into life and how you sustain yourself and others. Mountain above contains movement below. Both receiving and speaking require discernment, because worthwhile nourishment supports growth beyond immediate satisfaction.
Read the full guideDà Guò · Great Exceeding
Da Guo describes a burden beyond the ordinary, like a roof beam bending under its load. Four strong inner lines with weaker ends suggest strength that is unevenly supported. An unusual adjustment is needed to bring responsibility and support back into proportion.
Read the full guideKǎn · The Abysmal
Kan addresses recurring risk, pressure, and uncertainty. It does not promise immediate escape; it teaches you to keep direction like water and build a response that can be used through each successive danger.
Read the full guideLí · The Clinging
Li represents illumination, discernment, and conscious attachment. Fire needs fuel to continue, so clarity is not isolated seeing; it is choosing the relationships, principles, and structures that let light endure without burning out of control.
Read the full guideXián · Influence
Xian is about influence, attraction, and mutual responsiveness. Genuine influence is not control; it remains open as subtle signals move through body, emotion, and language into a connection both sides can answer.
Read the full guideHéng · Duration
Heng is constancy of direction within change, not the freezing of one form forever. Endurance comes from stable principles, adaptable methods, and commitments you remain willing to honor day after day.
Read the full guideDùn · Retreat
Dun concerns preserving yourself when continued contention no longer serves a worthwhile purpose. Heaven and Mountain draw apart. Withdrawal does not deny your value; it stops an unworthy entanglement from directing all your energy and life.
Read the full guideDà Zhuàng · Great Power
Da Zhuang concerns using growing strength appropriately. Thunder above Heaven gives action great force, but being able to do something does not make it right. Courage needs a sound direction so that force does not trap you in an obstacle you could have handled differently.
Read the full guideJìn · Progress
Jin pictures light rising above the Earth as ability becomes visible. It concerns progress and recognition, together with the clarity needed when attention increases. An opening still asks for conduct worthy of the trust being offered.
Read the full guideMíng Yí · Darkening of the Light
Ming Yi describes light being obscured or wounded. It teaches the protection of inner judgment under unsafe conditions, misunderstanding, or unequal power: do not extinguish the light, but choose when and to whom it is shown.
Read the full guideJiā Rén · The Family
Jia Ren concerns a dependable shared life built through everyday responsibilities. Wind emerges from Fire, carrying influence from within outward. Affection is supported by consistent conduct, fair participation, and boundaries that respect each person.
Read the full guideKuí · Opposition
Kui concerns preserving workable connection between different directions. Fire rises while the Lake settles below; each has its nature. Difference does not automatically mean hostility. A modest shared action can accomplish more than a demand for complete agreement.
Read the full guideJiǎn · Obstruction
Jian describes an obstructed passage with danger ahead and a need for secure footing. Water stands above the Mountain; going straight on may not provide a way through. Reflect on your position and seek help, separating the purpose from insistence on the original route.
Read the full guideXiè · Deliverance
Jie concerns making release real after pressure begins to lift. Thunder and rain disperse what was pent up, allowing misunderstandings, burdens, and old ties to loosen. Relief still requires addressing what remains before returning to ordinary life.
Read the full guideSǔn · Decrease
Sun concerns a sincere, measured reduction that preserves strength for what matters. The Lake beneath the Mountain evokes an exchange of support. It does not make greater sacrifice more virtuous; it asks which desires, expenditures, and commitments should change with the circumstances.
Read the full guideYì · Increase
Yi concerns growth created through practical contribution. Wind and Thunder strengthen one another as resources move toward need. It asks you to use opportunity for a tangible benefit rather than simply wait to receive more.
Read the full guideGuài · Breakthrough
Guai concerns a clear decision when a problem can no longer remain ambiguous. The Lake above Heaven suggests accumulated pressure needing release. Resolution calls for stated facts and responsibility, while keeping a legitimate clarification from becoming anger or domination.
Read the full guideGòu · Coming to Meet
Gou concerns an unexpected encounter entering your life. Wind beneath Heaven suggests an influence that may spread quickly from a small beginning. Attraction, opportunity, or a new idea deserves attention, together with an assessment of how it could change your boundaries.
Read the full guideCuì · Gathering Together
Cui concerns people, resources, and intentions gathering together. The Lake upon the Earth can nourish, but concentration also brings pressure and uncertainty. What matters is why people gather, whom they trust, and how they will carry their shared strength.
Read the full guideShēng · Pushing Upward
Sheng is steady upward growth, like a plant moving through soil toward the light. It emphasizes accumulation, trust, and well-placed support: real advancement is often quiet, continuous, and rooted.
Read the full guideKùn · Oppression
Kun, Oppression, concerns preserving yourself when resources are constrained and words cannot readily change the situation. The Lake lacks water. It does not glorify hardship; it asks which principles can be kept, what help is available, and which futile efforts should stop.
Read the full guideJǐng · The Well
Jing concerns a dependable source of nourishment and the conditions that make its value available. Water is drawn upward to sustain people. A well can remain through many changes, but maintenance and access matter: water that never reaches anyone has not yet served its purpose.
Read the full guideGé · Revolution
Ge is necessary transformation: an old form can no longer carry reality and a new order must be established at the right time. Change needs cause, trust, and preparation, followed by rapid stabilization of the new rules.
Read the full guideDǐng · The Cauldron
Ding concerns transforming available ingredients into something that nourishes. Fire above Wood needs a sound vessel and appropriate heat. After change, the task is to establish a dependable form in which ability, roles, and responsibility can work together.
Read the full guideZhèn · The Arousing
Zhen concerns a sudden shock and the clarity that can return afterward. Repeated Thunder interrupts a familiar rhythm. Fear may be the first response; what follows is the task of protecting what matters without letting fear direct every action.
Read the full guideGèn · Keeping Still
Gen concerns stopping where stopping is appropriate. Two Mountains each hold their place. Stillness does not require forcing feelings and movement into submission; it returns attention to the boundary of what is yours to do now.
Read the full guideJiàn · Development
Jian is gradual development, especially in relationships, identity, and long-term work. Each stage needs an appropriate place to land; steady movement is not timidity but time given for results to grow roots.
Read the full guideGuī Mèi · The Marrying Maiden
Gui Mei examines entering a relationship when position, timing, or responsibility is unequal. Attraction and opportunity may be real, but joining too quickly under unclear roles or imbalanced commitment creates lasting problems.
Read the full guideFēng · Abundance
Feng concerns a peak where illumination and action are abundant together. Thunder and Lightning bring opportunity, activity, and attention. The height can be appreciated without expecting noon to last forever; greater activity makes clear sight more necessary.
Read the full guideLǚ · The Wanderer
Lv, The Traveler, concerns transition and conduct in unfamiliar surroundings. Fire on the Mountain does not remain in one place. Portable ability, basic shelter, and appropriate relationships matter, without mistaking a temporary foothold for a place you can rule.
Read the full guideXùn · The Gentle
Xun concerns a gentle, sustained influence that reaches deeply, like repeated Wind. Direction needs clear communication and action that continues over time. Gentleness can be strong, but endless yielding and hesitation remove the ground from which influence works.
Read the full guideDuì · The Joyous
Dui concerns joy arising from sincere exchange. Two Lakes replenish one another. Pleasure can invite closeness and shared learning, while the need to be liked or continually entertained can turn connection into appeasement and dependency.
Read the full guideHuàn · Dispersion
Huan concerns dispersing obstruction to recover a wider connection. Wind moves across Water, loosening stagnation and the boundaries of small groups. Fear, estrangement, and rigid attachment may need dissolving while a shared purpose still holds people together.
Read the full guideJié · Limitation
Jie, Limitation, concerns a fitting measure for finite resources and daily life. Water above the Lake needs a containing boundary. Good limits sustain what matters; excessive restriction creates bitterness. Need, capacity, and freedom must be considered together.
Read the full guideZhōng Fú · Inner Truth
Zhong Fu concerns trust arising from inward sincerity. Wind touches the Lake and receives a response without force. When motives, words, and conduct agree, people can connect deeply, while everyday facts continue to establish whether that confidence is deserved.
Read the full guideXiǎo Guò · Small Exceeding
Xiao Guo concerns giving small matters extra care when major advance does not fit. Thunder above the Mountain and the bird that should descend suggest modest reach. The slight excess belongs to attentiveness, not arbitrary boundary crossing or taking on an oversized aim.
Read the full guideJì Jì · After Completion
Ji Ji means the crossing has been completed and order appears established. Its strongest message is not celebration but the hidden risk after success: closure, maintenance, and vigilance determine whether the result survives.
Read the full guideWèi Jì · Before Completion
Wei Ji is a crossing not yet completed: the direction is clear and the essential parts are moving, but final order has not formed. It asks for judgment near the finish, where almost done can easily be mistaken for already safe.
Read the full guideCommon questions about reading the hexagrams
What is the difference between a trigram and a hexagram?
A trigram has three lines. A hexagram combines an upper and lower trigram, producing eight times eight, or 64, possible figures.
Do I read the six lines from the top or bottom?
Begin at the bottom with Line 1 and move upward to Line 6. If your cast has changing lines, start with those positions.
What should I read when there are no changing lines?
Begin with the overall situation, Judgment, and Image, then relate the pattern to the practical area your question concerns.
Does a hexagram predict a fixed outcome?
No. It is better used to examine a stage of change, its relationships, and fitting action—not as a substitute for professional advice or evidence.
How to use these guides
Begin with the hexagram's overall situation, then use changing lines to locate the stage of change. These reflections help you frame a question and are not a substitute for medical, legal, financial, or other professional advice.
Classical passages follow the received Zhouyi text. MysticEast's modern explanations are newly written to preserve nuance instead of reducing each hexagram to a simple good-or-bad verdict.
Read the Zhouyi at the Chinese Text ProjectAsk a specific question
If you are facing a decision now, return to the oracle and let a cast connect the hexagram to your actual situation.
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