| Name | 履 Lǚ, “Treading” |
|---|---|
| Upper trigram | ☰ 乾 Heaven: strength and initiative |
| Lower trigram | ☱ 兑 Lake: openness and exchange |
The Judgment
履虎尾，不咥人，亨。
Treading on the tiger's tail. It does not bite. Success.
You're in a dangerous spot, but you can move through it. Stay calm, stay light-footed, and don't make sudden moves.
The Image
上天下泽，履；君子以辨上下，定民志。
Heaven above, lake below — Treading. The wise distinguish high from low and settle the people's hearts.
Know your place in the room without losing yourself. Clarity about hierarchy creates peace, not shame.
The six lines
If a line changes in your cast, read its text below. Lines are numbered from the bottom.
Line 1 · first (bottom) · Yang
素履，往无咎。
Simple steps. Going forward — no blame.
Stay plain. Don't overdress, don't oversell. The simple version moves cleanest.
Line 2 · second · Yang
履道坦坦，幽人贞吉。
Walking a smooth path. The recluse stays true — fortune.
The road is clear. Stay quietly disciplined and you arrive with no friction.
Line 3 · third · Yin
眇能视，跛能履。履虎尾，咥人，凶。武人为于大君。
A one-eyed man tries to see; a lame man tries to walk. Treading on the tiger's tail — it bites. Misfortune. A warrior plays at being king.
Pretending to be ready for something you're not. The mismatch will get exposed — painfully.
Line 4 · fourth · Yang
履虎尾，愬愬，终吉。
Treading on the tiger's tail. With caution and care, fortune in the end.
You're walking next to real danger. Move slow, stay sharp — you come out fine.
Line 5 · fifth · Yang
夬履，贞厉。
Decisive steps. Stay true — danger.
You're moving with conviction, which is good — but that same boldness can isolate you. Stay grounded.
Line 6 · top · Yang
视履，考祥其旋，元吉。
Look back over the path. Consider the signs. Returning — supreme fortune.
Take stock. Look at what got you here. Reflection at the end of a chapter is where the real win lives.
Related hexagrams
- Inverted (turned upside down): Hexagram 9, Small Taming
- Complement (every line reversed): Hexagram 15, Modesty