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Hexagram 49: Revolution

䷰ 革 (Gé) · Revolution. Change is due; time it well.

change, renewal, timing, trust

Lower trigram: Fire ☲ · Upper trigram: Lake ☱

The judgment

Something has outgrown its old shape, and a real change is coming due. It only takes hold when the moment is ripe and people can see why it is needed. Prepare it carefully, explain it honestly, and when the day comes, act. Regret fades once the change proves itself.

The image

Fire below and Lake above: water and flame push against each other until one transforms the other. Watch how the seasons turn and keep track of your own timing, so you know when a change belongs.

The six lines

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

• Line 1 (bottom): Hold steady for now, wrapped in patience like tough hide. The change you sense is real, but its hour has not arrived.
• Line 2: The ground is prepared and the time is right. Begin the change now; you have earned the trust it needs.
• Line 3: Rushing ahead would go badly, and so would endless hesitation. Talk it through, listen until the same answer comes back three times, then commit.
• Line 4: You act from conviction, not grievance, and others can feel it. Changing the way things are run now brings good results.
• Line 5: Change like a tiger: bold, clear and plain for everyone to see. People believe in it before any proof is needed.
• Line 6 (top): The great change is done; now refine the details, as a leopard's coat settles into its pattern. Don't push for more upheaval, but let things settle and hold to what has been won.

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