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Hexagram 40: Deliverance

䷧ 解 (Xiè) · Release. Tension lifts; forgive and move on swiftly.

release, relief, forgiveness, fresh start

Lower trigram: Water ☵ · Upper trigram: Thunder ☳

The judgment

A storm breaks and the air clears; what was knotted begins to loosen. Return to ordinary life as soon as you can, and if loose ends remain, tidy them quickly. Don't drag out the aftermath; let relief be relief.

The image

Thunder above Water: thunder and rain burst out and clear the sky. Forgive what went wrong and let small offenses go, so the release can be complete.

The six lines

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

• Line 1 (bottom): The tension is gone. Rest a moment and recover; there is nothing here to fix.
• Line 2: In the field you catch three sly foxes and earn a yellow arrow, a sign of straight, honest action. Clearing out deceit with integrity is the right course.
• Line 3: Someone carrying a load on their back yet riding in a fine carriage invites robbers. Putting on airs you haven't earned draws the wrong attention, so keep it simple.
• Line 4: Free yourself from the hangers-on clinging to your big toe. Once you do, a true companion can come near, and trust between you can grow.
• Line 5: Only you can release yourself from what holds you. When you clearly do, even those who doubted you take you seriously.
• Line 6 (top): The prince shoots a hawk perched on a high wall and brings it down. One clean, well-aimed act at the right moment removes the last obstacle.

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