Dun, nine in the third placeHexagram 33, line 3 · Dun (Retreat) · changing to 12
The line
In plain wordsIt is time to leave, yet you are held back by attachments, as if you had fallen ill. Dangerous. At a time like this you are fit only to handle the small things close at hand and look after the people around you; do not plan anything big.
The Image commentary on this line
係遯之厲，有疾憊也。畜臣妾吉，不可大事也。
The danger of "a retreat held back by ties": there is sickness and exhaustion. "Keeping servants and maids brings good fortune": great matters cannot be undertaken.
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
慎Proceed with care. The outcome can be good, but the text carries a warning. Take the warning seriously and the good outcome is yours.
How to read good fortune, misfortune, regret, humiliation and no blame →
Asking about work, love or money
- Work
- You know it is time to go, but obligations, a contract or plain reluctance hold you back, and dragging it out wears you down in body and mind. That is dangerous. For now, just take care of the small things at hand and the people around you, and leave big plans alone.
- Love
- You know you should step back, but old feelings and habits keep you tied, and the longer it drags on, the more tired you get and the more dangerous it becomes. For now, look after yourself and the people close to you, and don't make big decisions in this state.
- Money
- It is time to pull back, but favors owed and unfinished partnerships keep you tied, and dragging it out is both draining and dangerous. For now, just manage everyday spending and your household's needs, and leave large sums alone.
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 Dun.
Line position
A yang line in a yang place: it is in its proper place. Its partner is the top line, which is also yang, so there is no answer from it.
Third place: the top of the lower trigram, a place of risk. A moment of transition. Be on guard.
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 Dun (Retreat); when this line changes it becomes Pi (Standstill): hexagram 33 changing to 12.
Which text to read with several changing lines →
Resulting hexagram · Pi (Standstill)
This is a time when everything is blocked and shut off. It is not a good time to get things done.