Zhongfu, six in the third placeHexagram 61, line 3 · Zhongfu (Inner Truth) · changing to 9
The line
In plain wordsYou have met an opponent, and so one moment you beat the drum and attack, the next you stop; one moment you cry, the next you sing. You have no mind of your own and are led about entirely by the other side.
The Image commentary on this line
或鼓或罷，位不當也。
"Now drumming, now stopping": it is not in its proper place.
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 text gives no verdict, but the picture holds an obstacle and a warning. Slow down and watch the point it warns about.
How to read good fortune, misfortune, regret, humiliation and no blame →
Asking about work, love or money
- Work
- You have run into a rival, and now you are being led around: one moment you want to fight, the next you lose heart; one moment you are glad, the next dejected. Be careful not to lose your stance. Go your own way, and don't follow the other side's every turn.
- Love
- A single word or look from the other person can make you cry one moment and laugh the next; you fight and make up, then fight again. Being led around by your emotions like this hurts most of all. Steady yourself first, then look at the relationship.
- Money
- You have locked horns with someone: when they cut prices, you cut too; when they pull back, you stop too; you laugh when you gain and cry when you lose. Be careful not to let your money be led by what others do. Set your own plan and limits, and follow them.
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 Zhongfu.
Line position
A yin line in a yang place: it is not in its proper place. Its partner is the top line, which is its opposite, so the two answer each other.
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 inscribed sides, old yin), this line is your answer. The primary hexagram is Zhongfu (Inner Truth); when this line changes it becomes Xiaoxu (Small Restraint): hexagram 61 changing to 9.
Which text to read with several changing lines →
Resulting hexagram · Xiaoxu (Small Restraint)
One last push is still missing and it won't come off — the clouds are thick, but the rain hasn't fallen.