Gou, nine in the fourth placeHexagram 44, line 4 · Gou (Encounter) · changing to 57
The line
In plain wordsThe fish in the kitchen is gone — the one who should have been yours was taken first by someone else. To rise up and fight over it now brings misfortune.
The Image commentary on this line
无魚之凶，遠民也。
The misfortune of "no fish": one has kept far from the people.
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
止Hold back. This text describes a bad outcome. Carry on as you are and you will lose by it. Stop, step aside or change your approach. Do not force it.
How to read good fortune, misfortune, regret, humiliation and no blame →
Asking about work, love or money
- Work
- The opportunity or the people that should have been yours were taken by someone else first. Stepping up to fight or making a scene now will only make things worse; accept it, let it go, and don't make enemies over it.
- Love
- If the person you care about has already been won by someone else, or their heart is no longer with you, then fighting, confronting, or trying to take them back will only hurt you more; stop, and let go.
- Money
- The deal or the client you thought was yours has already been taken by someone else. Don't fight for it and don't turn ugly, because fighting brings misfortune; look back and ask whether you had long since drifted away from your clients.
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 Gou.
Line position
A yang line in a yin place: it is not in its proper place. Its partner is the first line, which is its opposite, so the two answer each other.
Fourth place: next to the ruler, a place of caution. Serve those above with care.
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 Gou (Encounter); when this line changes it becomes Xun (The Gentle Wind): hexagram 44 changing to 57.
Which text to read with several changing lines →
Resulting hexagram · Xun (The Gentle Wind)
Enter gently, going with the current, and there will be a small gain.