初六：旅琐琐，斯其所取灾。
Petty disputes or careless conduct create friction in unfamiliar surroundings. Attend to the larger needs and preserve basic dignity.
I Ching Hexagram 56
Lǚ · The Wanderer
旅 · Hexagram 56
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.
Upper trigram: Fire/Lí
Lower trigram: Mountain/Gèn
The situation you may be in
Travel, relocation, new work, or an unsettled transition may reduce familiar support. Protect your needs while learning the terms of the new setting instead of assuming old arrangements still apply.
How to respond
Secure everyday needs and essential resources while remaining courteous and independent. Keep commitments within your stay and capacity, value dependable help, and preserve options for where you go next.
Judgment and Image
Judgment
旅：小亨，旅贞吉。
The Wanderer. Success through smallness. Perseverance brings good fortune to the wanderer.
Image
山上有火，旅；君子以明慎用刑，而不留狱。
Fire on the mountain: The Wanderer. The superior person is clear-minded and cautious in imposing penalties, and protracts no lawsuits.
Applying it to real life
Love & relationships
In a temporary, distant, or undefined relationship, clarify timing and expectations. A meaningful encounter can be valued without implying a lasting commitment that has not been made.
Career & work
In a new team or temporary role, learn routines, responsibilities, and support. Earn trust through contribution rather than using previous status to bypass respect for the new setting.
Choice & decisions
Consider your foothold, portable resources, and next destination. Avoid resting your whole life on an unsettled arrangement; a choice can fit this stage without deciding permanent belonging.
Timing & pace
During transition, settle basic needs before expanding. Modest achievements suit a temporary foundation better than large irreversible commitments made after an initially easy arrival.
The six changing lines
The lines unfold from the bottom upward, describing one pattern of change from its first appearance to its extreme. If your reading has a changing line, begin with that position.
六二：旅即次，怀其资，得童仆贞。
A suitable place, available resources, and dependable assistance create a sound temporary base. Value these simple but essential conditions.
九三：旅焚其次，丧其童仆，贞厉。
Overbearing or careless conduct can damage shelter and support. Do not take a temporary arrangement for granted; correct the conduct that threatens it.
九四：旅于处，得其资斧，我心不快。
Resources and temporary shelter may be present without an inward sense of belonging. Allow time to understand your direction beyond practical arrangements.
六五：射雉一矢亡，终以誉命。
An appropriate cost of participation can lead to recognition through ability and conduct. A modest loss need not cancel the wider progress.
上九：鸟焚其巢，旅人先笑后号咷。丧牛于易，凶。
Forgetting a fragile foothold in a moment of triumph can damage the last support. Return attention to the relationships and responsibilities that sustain you.
A common misreading
Lv does not instruct you to travel or predict permanent wandering. It describes limited belonging and asks for respect, ability, and clear commitments while the transition unfolds.
Related hexagrams
Text and interpretation
Updated 12 September 2026Reviewed by MysticEast Research
This page preserves the Chinese Judgment, Image, and line texts of the received Zhouyi. MysticEast's modern explanations are newly written to emphasize stages of change and practical judgment rather than fixed good-or-bad predictions.
Read the Zhouyi at the Chinese Text ProjectLet the hexagram meet your actual question
A guide gives you the map. A cast made with a clear question can help locate the exact stage of change you are experiencing.