I Ching OracleHexagrams

I Ching Oracle / Hexagrams / 12

Standstill
否 · pǐ | Lower Kun · Earth · Upper Qian · Heaven
HEX 12
1
2
3
4
5
6

The Judgement

Evil people do not further the perseverance of the noble one. The great departs; the small approaches.

Stagnation and blockage; withdraw, economize, wait it out.

The Image

Heaven and earth do not unite; the noble one falls back on his inner worth in order to escape the difficulties, and does not permit himself to be honored with revenue.

This hexagram on ten matters

WorkCAREER
Heaven and earth do not unite; a blocked season. Advancing does not further — falling back on inner worth to escape difficulty is the correct reading.
LoveRELATIONSHIP
Communication is not landing; you are talking past each other. They bear shame describes the awkwardness of keeping up appearances. Distance beats forcing the conversation.
MoneyFINANCE
The great departs, the small approaches: more goes out than comes in. Do not invest or expand. Preserve cash and cut outflow.
HealthBODY
Stagnant, compressed energy. Sustained suppression finds an outlet somewhere; do not rationalise discomfort as the price of being busy.
StudyLEARNING
Your mind is elsewhere and forcing it is futile. Deal with the thing that is distracting you first.
An examEXAM
Blocked; nothing is going in. Forcing it does not work. Find what is stopping you, and aim to secure the marks you can.
PeopleSOCIAL
There is a barrier in the group. Do not force your way in; step back and wait for the wind to change.
A choiceDECISION
Not the moment to decide. The standstill comes to an end — this passes. Decide after it does.
TravelJOURNEY
Avoid distant travel. If you must go, verify every link in the chain beforehand.
A lost itemLOST ITEM
Hard to find for now. It may be shut away — a drawer, a box, a car. If it cannot be found, accept that and arrange an alternative.
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The Six Lines

Line 1

When ribbon grass is pulled up, the sod comes with it. Perseverance brings good fortune and success.

When ribbon grass is pulled, the sod comes with it — but here it means holding fast. What is linked now is self-protection, not advance.

Line 2

They bear and endure. This means good fortune for inferior people.

They bear and endure; good fortune for inferior people. Lesser people profit in this climate. Do not envy it; your success lies elsewhere.

Line 3

They bear shame.

They bear shame. Endurance has reached humiliation. No verdict is given because the line is itself the warning: stop enduring.

Line 4

He who acts at the command of the highest remains without blame.

He acts at the command of the highest; no blame. Something above has loosened. This is the turning point of the hexagram — follow the opening.

Line 5

Standstill is giving way. Good fortune for the great person. "What if it should fail? " He ties it to a cluster of mulberry shoots.

Standstill is giving way. But: what if it should fail? He ties it to a cluster of mulberry shoots. The most dangerous thought now is that you are already safe.

Line 6

The standstill comes to an end. First standstill, then good fortune.

The standstill comes to an end; first standstill, then good fortune. It turns over. Holding out this far is the win.

Nuclear · Opposite · Reverse

The nuclear hexagram shows the middle stretch of the matter; the opposite is the same situation seen from the reverse position; the reverse is the view from the other party's side.