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Hexagram 24: Return

䷗ 復 (Fù) · Return. A fresh turning point; begin again gently.

return, turning point, renewal, rest

Lower trigram: Thunder ☳ · Upper trigram: Earth ☷

The judgment

After the darkest point, the light comes back. A turning has arrived by itself; don't hurry it. Let things return in their own time, welcome friends who come back, and move gently in the new direction.

The image

Thunder sleeps inside the earth: new life is stirring underground. At the turn of the year, people of old rested and kept quiet so the fresh energy could grow without being spent.

The six lines

Read only the lines that changed in your casting, counting from the bottom.

• Line 1 (bottom): You turn back after only a short way off course. There is nothing to regret; great good fortune.
• Line 2: You return quietly, encouraged by good people nearby. Coming back with grace brings good fortune.
• Line 3: You keep returning and then straying again. It is unsettled, yet each return is better than staying lost; no blame.
• Line 4: You walk with a crowd but turn back alone toward what you know is right. It may be lonely, and it is the true way.
• Line 5: You return with an open heart and own your mistakes. No regret.
• Line 6 (top): You miss the moment to turn back and press on stubbornly. Trouble comes from inside and out; take a long pause before trying again.

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