Daguo, nine in the fifth placeHexagram 28, line 5 · Daguo (Great Excess) · changing to 32
The line
In plain wordsA withered poplar bursts into flower, an old woman marries a young husband. The blossom won't last long and will bear no fruit: no blame, but nothing worth praising either.
The Image commentary on this line
枯楊生華，何可久也。老婦士夫，亦可醜也。
"A withered poplar blooms": how could it last? "An old woman" and "a young husband": this too can be shameful.
The small Image commentary is the earliest explanation of the line texts. It usually explains a line from its position: where it stands, whether it holds the center, and which line answers it.
Verdict
平Neutral. Neither good nor bad. Do your part, correct mistakes, and nothing will go wrong.
How to read good fortune, misfortune, regret, humiliation and no blame →
Asking about work, love or money
- Work
- An old project or an old connection suddenly stirs again, but it is only a brief flurry and won't last. Just do your part properly; there is no need to stake your future on it. You earn no blame, and no credit either.
- Love
- A burst of warmth looks lovely, but it won't last long and may not bear fruit. Enjoy it by all means, but don't rush to treat it as where you will settle for life; see it for what it is, and you will not go wrong.
- Money
- The upturn in front of you is like a withered tree in bloom: pretty, but it won't last and won't bear fruit. Don't treat it as your chance to turn things around and pour money in. Take it steadily; not going wrong is enough.
This is how to read it when this is the only changing line. With several changing lines, first see which text governs; for the hexagram as a whole, see Daguo.
Line position
A yang line in a yang place: it is in its proper place; it holds the center of its trigram. Its partner is the second line, which is also yang, so there is no answer from it.
Fifth place: the center of the upper trigram, the ruler's seat, a place of achievement. This is where things are decided.
When you get this line
If this is the only changing line in your cast (three backs, old yang), this line is your answer. The primary hexagram is Daguo (Great Excess); when this line changes it becomes Heng (Endurance): hexagram 28 changing to 32.
Which text to read with several changing lines →
Resulting hexagram · Heng (Endurance)
This one is won by lasting.