I Ching reading: Zhen (Thunder) changing to Fu (Return)
Zhen: Nine in the fourth place
Thunder, and then stuck in the mud.
震遂泥。
止Hold back
Reading
Not now.A sudden shock will give you a fright, but it will not really hurt you.
Governing text · Zhen: Nine in the fourth place
In plain wordsYou take the shock and plunge straight into the mud, unable to pull yourself out again. Caught in the middle of a heap of troubles, you cannot rouse yourself.
- Now
- One clap of thunder after another: sudden events, scares, upheavals.
- The key
- Only one line is changing: Nine in the fourth place. The answer is in that line. The text gives no verdict, but the picture is a bad one. Carry on as you are and you will lose by it. Stop, step aside, or change your approach.
- Where it is heading
- Things are moving toward Fu (Return): The worst is over, and the turn has come.
- What to do
- Being afraid is normal; use the occasion to check and correct yourself. Above all, do not drop the most important thing you are holding. Steady yourself, and afterward you will still be able to talk and laugh.
Read more closely
Which text applies
One changing line: read that line of the primary hexagram.
Your six throws, bottom to top: 1: 7 yang · 2: 8 yin · 3: 8 yin · 4: 9 yang (changing) · 5: 8 yin · 6: 8 yin
Line position
Not in its proper place · not answered by the first line
Fourth place: next to the ruler, a place of caution. Serve those above with care.
Nuclear hexagram · Jian (Obstruction)
The road ahead is very hard. Do not force your way forward yet.
The nuclear hexagram is formed from the four inner lines. It shows what is going on inside the situation.
Full texts
One who truly knows the Changes does not need to divine. The text is for reflection; what you do is up to you.