Yi Jing Hexagram 57 — The Gentle (Wind) (Xùn 巽): meaning and lines

Upper trigram: ☴ Wind · lower trigram: ☴ Wind

The Judgment

Gentle, repeated penetration; the wind that bends without breaking. Have a goal and a guide.

The ancient ideogram

The archaic ideogram shows two official seals of functionaries laid on a sacred altar, toward which hands are stretched, ready to receive them as a sign of voluntary acceptance of the mission. "Xun" symbolises flexibility, the secret power of the supple, capable of moulding itself to the shapes of obstacles the better to dissolve them, like the wind or invisible roots.

The situation it describes

Continuous adaptation and subtle influence

This hexagram describes a phase in which brute force or thunderous self-assertion are totally ineffective. Success depends on your capacity to mould yourself to the constraints of the situation, to adapt with suppleness to the demands of an authority or a project. It is the moment of invisible, penetrating influence, which changes the terrain over the long term and without violence.

The counsel of the figure

Clarify one's goals and persevere with suppleness

The strategy consists in agreeing to bend voluntarily the better to carry one's ideas through: "Small opening. It is profitable to have somewhere to go; it is profitable to see someone of stature". Never lose sight of your initial course; use gentleness and continuous persuasion to work around the rigidities of those around you. By repeating your efforts with clarity, you will transform the situation in depth.

The energetic composition

From a structural point of view, the figure results from the doubling of the trigram Xun (the Wind, the Root-Wood). The movement is fluid, subtle and penetrating. The major danger is remaining stuck in indecision or permanent hesitation through an excess of adaptation. The stake is to lean on enlightened counsel (the Great Being) in order to set firm acts at the right moment.

The six lines, from bottom to top

Each line is read only if it is changing in your cast. A changing line transforms the figure: the link under each text shows which hexagram it leads to.

Line 1 — yin (bottom line) Advancing and retreating; advantageous to persevere like a warrior. If it changes, this line leads to hexagram 9 — The Small Taming.

Line 2 — yang Penetration beneath the bed; diviners and exorcists are employed in great number: good fortune, no blame. If it changes, this line leads to hexagram 53 — Gradual Progress.

Line 3 — yang Repeated, forced penetration: humiliation. If it changes, this line leads to hexagram 59 — Dispersion.

Line 4 — yin Regret vanishes; in the hunt, a threefold catch. If it changes, this line leads to hexagram 44 — Coming to Meet.

Line 5 — yang Persevere, good fortune; regret vanishes; nothing that does not profit; a bad beginning, a good end. If it changes, this line leads to hexagram 18 — Work on the Decayed.

Line 6 — yang (top line) Penetration beneath the bed; one loses one's goods and one's axe; persevering, misfortune. If it changes, this line leads to hexagram 48 — The Well.

Ask the oracle your question — free consultation

Three-coin or yarrow-stalk cast, changing lines, outlook figure — computed on your device, no account.