I Ching Oracle / Hexagrams / 28
The Judgement
The ridgepole sags to the breaking point. It furthers one to have somewhere to go. Success.
Excessive load; extraordinary times demand extraordinary measures.
The Image
The lake rises above the trees; the noble one, when he stands alone, is unconcerned, and if he has to renounce the world, he is undaunted.
This hexagram on ten matters
- WorkCAREER
- The load is too great; the ridgepole sags. Extraordinary times require extraordinary measures — but be clear which beam is bending.
- LoveRELATIONSHIP
- A visible gap in age, stage or circumstance. A dry poplar sprouts at the root, everything furthers: an unusual pairing is not necessarily wrong, but go in prepared.
- MoneyFINANCE
- A financial structure carrying more than it can. The ridgepole sags to breaking: shed what cannot hold rather than waiting for it to snap.
- HealthBODY
- The clearest warning in this hexagram. One goes through the water and it goes over the head — pushing past your limit has a cost. Please ask for help.
- StudyLEARNING
- The pressure exceeds what you can carry. Standing alone unconcerned is courage, not an excuse for enduring alone.
- An examEXAM
- Too much pressure. When the load exceeds what you can carry, cut it back deliberately, or it will give way in the exam.
- PeopleSOCIAL
- You may be the one holding it all up by yourself. Renouncing the world undaunted — stepping back for a while is no disgrace.
- A choiceDECISION
- An extraordinary decision for an extraordinary time. Spreading white rushes underneath: prepare exhaustively before committing.
- TravelJOURNEY
- No. This hexagram carries the image of going under; the risk is high.
- A lost itemLOST ITEM
- Pinned under something heavy, or in an unusual place. You may need to move large items to see it.
The Six Lines
To spread white rushes underneath. No blame.
To spread white rushes underneath; no blame. Caution close to excess. In a time of great excess, over-preparation is exactly right.
A dry poplar sprouts at the root. An older man takes a young wife. Everything furthers.
A dry poplar sprouts at the root; an older man takes a young wife. The line concedes the pairing is unusual and states plainly that everything furthers.
The ridgepole sags to the breaking point. Misfortune.
The ridgepole sags to breaking; misfortune. The worst line here: knowing the load is beyond you and still carrying it alone.
The ridgepole is braced. Good fortune. If there are ulterior motives, it is humiliating.
The ridgepole is braced; good fortune. If there are ulterior motives, it is humiliating. The good fortune is conditional on your motive.
A withered poplar puts forth flowers. An older woman takes a husband. No blame. No praise.
A withered poplar puts forth flowers. Impressive bloom, no fruit. No blame and no praise: not wrong, but pointless.
One must go through the water. It goes over one's head. Misfortune. No blame.
One must go through the water and it goes over the head; misfortune, no blame. Drowned. The misfortune is the outcome, the absence of blame is the motive. Whether it was worth it is yours to judge.
The governing line
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.