| Name | 归妹 Guī Mèi, “The Marrying Maiden” |
|---|---|
| Upper trigram | ☳ 震 Thunder: sudden movement |
| Lower trigram | ☱ 兑 Lake: openness and exchange |
The Judgment
征凶，无攸利。
Going forward — misfortune. Nothing benefits.
Wrong move at the wrong moment. Pulling toward something that isn't aligned. Stop.
The Image
泽上有雷，归妹；君子以永终知敝。
Thunder over the lake — The Marrying Maiden. The wise understand the transitory in light of the eternity of the end.
Everything's temporary. Knowing that, don't let short-term impulse decide long-term outcomes.
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
归妹以娣。跛能履，征吉。
The maiden marries as a secondary. A lame man who can still tread. Going on — fortune.
Coming in second, not center stage. Limited — but movement is still possible. Make peace with the role.
Line 2 · second · Yang
眇能视，利幽人之贞。
A one-eyed man able to see. Wise for a recluse to stay true.
Partial vision, but you see enough. In a quiet life, this is sufficient. Don't reach for more than the moment allows.
Line 3 · third · Yin
归妹以须，反归以娣。
The maiden marries as a slave. She turns back and marries as a secondary.
Tried for too much too low, then settled for less. The pattern of overreach into underreach. Recognize it.
Line 4 · fourth · Yang
归妹愆期，迟归有时。
The maiden marries — postponed. A late marriage comes in its time.
The right thing wasn't ready when you wanted it. Now it's arriving — actually on time.
Line 5 · fifth · Yin
帝乙归妹，其君之袂，不如其娣之袂良。月几望，吉。
King Yi gave his sister in marriage. Her embroidered garments were not as gorgeous as those of the servingmaid. The moon nearly full. Fortune.
The real one dresses simpler than the imitator. Quiet substance over loud surface. Almost-full moon — close to peak, not yet over.
Line 6 · top · Yin
女承筐无实，士刲羊无血，无攸利。
The woman holds the basket — but no fruits. The man stabs the sheep — but no blood. Nothing benefits.
Going through the motions of something with no substance left. Empty ritual. Stop pretending.
Related hexagrams
- Inverted (turned upside down): Hexagram 53, Development
- Complement (every line reversed): Hexagram 53, Development