The 64 Hexagrams: A Complete Reference

Read hexagram symbols from bottom to top — the lower trigram is the foundation; the upper trigram is the expression.

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Group 1: Creation, Heaven, and Earth (Hexagrams 1–8)

1. ䷀ 乾 (Qián) — The Creative / Heaven

Upper: ☰ Heaven. Lower: ☰ Heaven. Pure Yang creative force. Initiation, strength, persistence, the dragon archetype. The impulse that brings new reality into being. Timing: Begin what you have been preparing.

2. ䷁ 坤 (Kūn) — The Receptive / Earth

Upper: ☷ Earth. Lower: ☷ Earth. Pure Yin receptive form. Nurturance, following, the mare archetype, giving form to creative impulse. Timing: Yield, receive, allow — do not try to lead.

3. ䷂ 屯 (Zhūn) — Difficulty at the Beginning

Upper: ☵ Water. Lower: ☳ Thunder. Birth struggles, initial chaos before order. Like a blade of grass pushing through earth. Persevere; do not act rashly. Timing: Press forward despite obstacles; seek helpers.

4. ䷃ 蒙 (Méng) — Youthful Folly

Upper: ☶ Mountain. Lower: ☵ Water. The student and teacher relationship. Not knowing and needing to learn. Openness to instruction. Timing: Learn before acting; seek a teacher.

5. ䷄ 需 (Xū) — Waiting / Nourishment

Upper: ☵ Water. Lower: ☰ Heaven. Cloud and rain gathering. The strength of patient waiting. Not passivity but confident, nourished waiting. Timing: The time has not yet arrived; nourish yourself.

6. ䷅ 訟 (Sòng) — Conflict

Upper: ☰ Heaven. Lower: ☵ Water. Inner sincerity, outer obstruction. Conflict rising. The wise response is to not pursue litigation to the end; seek compromise. Timing: Withdraw from conflict; do not escalate.

7. ䷆ 師 (Shī) — The Army

Upper: ☷ Earth. Lower: ☵ Water. Organized force, discipline, the people mobilized by a leader. Campaign with clear purpose and just cause. Timing: Organize your resources and move with discipline.

8. ䷇ 比 (Bǐ) — Holding Together / Union

Upper: ☵ Water. Lower: ☷ Earth. Water over Earth — flowing together, finding union. Alliance, bonding, the need to join with others. Timing: Seek partnership; build alliances.

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Group 2: Challenge and Growth (Hexagrams 9–20)

9. ䷈ 小畜 (Xiǎo Chù) — Small Taming / Small Harvest

Upper: ☴ Wind. Lower: ☰ Heaven. Gentle restraint by small forces. Accumulation through patience. Small steps forward when large advance is blocked. Timing: Refine what you have; the major breakthrough awaits.

10. ䷉ 履 (Lǚ) — Treading Carefully

Upper: ☰ Heaven. Lower: ☱ Lake. Treading on the tiger's tail — walking with awareness where danger exists. The power of proper conduct. Timing: Proceed with care and correctness; manners matter.

11. ䷊ 泰 (Tài) — Peace / Prosperity

Upper: ☷ Earth. Lower: ☰ Heaven. Heaven and Earth in dynamic communication. The great arrives, the small departs. Maximum harmony and flourishing. Timing: Act boldly; conditions are favorable.

12. ䷋ 否 (Pǐ) — Standstill / Stagnation

Upper: ☰ Heaven. Lower: ☷ Earth. Heaven and Earth retreating from each other. Communication blocked. The small arrives, the great departs. Timing: Withdraw; do not force progress; wait for reversal.

13. ䷌ 同人 (Tóng Rén) — Fellowship

Upper: ☰ Heaven. Lower: ☲ Fire. Fire rises toward Heaven — the warmth of human community. Fellowship with others, shared purpose, belonging. Timing: Collaborate openly; community supports your aim.

14. ䷍ 大有 (Dà Yǒu) — Great Possession

Upper: ☲ Fire. Lower: ☰ Heaven. The fire of clarity illuminating from above — great clarity over great strength. Abundant possession with the wisdom to steward it. Timing: Abundance arrives; steward it with generosity.

15. ䷎ 謙 (Qiān) — Modesty / Humility

Upper: ☷ Earth. Lower: ☶ Mountain. The mountain beneath the earth — greatness that does not proclaim itself. Modesty brings completion. Timing: Achieve without boasting; let results speak.

16. ䷏ 豫 (Yù) — Enthusiasm / Harmonious Joy

Upper: ☳ Thunder. Lower: ☷ Earth. Thunder emerging from earth — enthusiasm that mobilizes. The leader whose joy inspires others. Timing: Build enthusiasm; music, celebration, and inspiration advance the cause.

17. ䷐ 隨 (Suí) — Following

Upper: ☱ Lake. Lower: ☳ Thunder. Joyful thunder — following without inner resistance. Adapting to conditions, yielding to what the time requires. Timing: Follow the current; release the need to lead this moment.

18. ䷑ 蠱 (Gǔ) — Work on the Decayed

Upper: ☶ Mountain. Lower: ☴ Wind. What has been neglected or corrupted must be restored. Addressing inherited problems, ancestral patterns. Timing: Repair what has been neglected; transformation is possible.

19. ䷒ 臨 (Lín) — Approach / Overseeing

Upper: ☷ Earth. Lower: ☱ Lake. The great approaching from above — benevolent oversight. Growth, advance, the spring energy of incoming abundance. Timing: Spring forward; opportunity is arriving.

20. ䷓ 觀 (Guān) — Contemplation / View

Upper: ☴ Wind. Lower: ☷ Earth. The wind moving over the earth, surveying all. The sage who sees clearly and is seen. Perspective-taking, observation, teaching by example. Timing: Step back and observe; clarity comes through witnessing.

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Group 3: Community and Connection (Hexagrams 21–35)

21. ䷔ 噬嗑 (Shì Kè) — Biting Through

Upper: ☲ Fire. Lower: ☳ Thunder. The penetrating action that removes obstacles — biting through the obstruction between the teeth. Justice, decisive action, removing what blocks forward movement. Timing: Act decisively to remove the obstruction.

22. ䷕ 賁 (Bì) — Grace / Adornment

Upper: ☶ Mountain. Lower: ☲ Fire. The fire at the mountain's foot — beauty that illuminates the form. Aesthetic refinement, but not at the expense of substance. Timing: Attend to form and presentation, but do not mistake beauty for content.

23. ䷖ 剝 (Bō) — Splitting Apart

Upper: ☶ Mountain. Lower: ☷ Earth. The mountain eroding, falling back to earth. Things falling apart, the inferior breaking down the superior. Timing: Do not act; wait for the turning point.

24. ䷗ 復 (Fù) — Return / The Turning Point

Upper: ☷ Earth. Lower: ☳ Thunder. The first Yang returning after the depth of Yin — the solstice, the seed, the beginning of light's return. Timing: The turning point arrives; the new impulse is fragile but real.

25. ䷘ 無妄 (Wú Wàng) — Innocence / No Error

Upper: ☰ Heaven. Lower: ☳ Thunder. Creative Heaven over initiating Thunder — action aligned with heavenly order. Sincerity, naturalness, acting without self-interested calculation. Timing: Proceed with sincerity; calculation will mislead.

26. ䷙ 大畜 (Dà Chù) — Great Taming

Upper: ☶ Mountain. Lower: ☰ Heaven. The mountain containing Heaven — great accumulated potential held in reserve. Storing creative power until the right moment. Timing: Do not act yet; the stored power is accumulating.

27. ䷚ 頤 (Yí) — Nourishment

Upper: ☶ Mountain. Lower: ☳ Thunder. The mouth and jaw — what you take in and what you speak. Nourishment of body and mind; attend to what you consume and what you express. Timing: Examine your diet, your words, your inputs; nourish wisely.

28. ䷛ 大過 (Dà Guò) — Preponderance of the Great

Upper: ☱ Lake. Lower: ☴ Wind. The ridgepole buckling under too much weight. Excess that tests structural integrity; the extraordinary situation requiring extraordinary response. Timing: Act independently if you must; the situation requires unusual courage.

29. ䷜ 坎 (Kǎn) — The Abysmal / Water

Upper: ☵ Water. Lower: ☵ Water. Double danger — water flowing into the abyss. Yet water flows on without stopping; the way through danger is to keep moving. Timing: Do not stop in the danger; flow through it.

30. ䷝ 離 (Lí) — The Clinging / Fire

Upper: ☲ Fire. Lower: ☲ Fire. Double flame — brightness clinging to what it illuminates. Clarity, vision, illuminating the truth. Fire that must have something to cling to. Timing: Clarity is needed; illuminate the situation.

31. ䷞ 咸 (Xián) — Influence / Wooing

Upper: ☱ Lake. Lower: ☶ Mountain. The lake above the mountain — mutual influence, attraction, the feeling between young man and young woman. Openness to the other, genuine receptivity. Timing: Openness and genuine receptivity creates connection.

32. ䷟ 恆 (Héng) — Duration

Upper: ☳ Thunder. Lower: ☴ Wind. Thunder and wind strengthen each other — enduring movement, lasting relationship. Perseverance in the path. Timing: Maintain consistency; endurance is the virtue needed now.

33. ䷠ 遯 (Dùn) — Retreat

Upper: ☰ Heaven. Lower: ☶ Mountain. Heaven retreating as the mountain grows. The strategic withdrawal of the sage — not defeat but intelligent positioning. Timing: Retreat; let go of what cannot be held.

34. ䷡ 大壯 (Dà Zhuàng) — Great Power

Upper: ☳ Thunder. Lower: ☰ Heaven. Great strength in motion — but the ram butting against the fence loses his horns. Power must be guided by righteousness. Timing: Great power is available; use it correctly or it turns against you.

35. ䷢ 晉 (Jìn) — Progress

Upper: ☲ Fire. Lower: ☷ Earth. The sun rising over the earth — advancing, emerging, being recognized. Progress rewarded, advancement granted. Timing: Step forward; recognition is available.

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Group 4: Inner Development (Hexagrams 36–50)

36. ䷣ 明夷 (Míng Yí) — Darkening of the Light

Upper: ☷ Earth. Lower: ☲ Fire. The sun beneath the earth — brilliance hidden, genius concealed to survive adverse conditions. Enduring the dark time by protecting your light within. Timing: Conceal your light; endure.

37. ䷤ 家人 (Jiā Rén) — The Family

Upper: ☴ Wind. Lower: ☲ Fire. Wind and fire — the hearth fire feeding the wind of the household. Family structure, proper roles, the foundation of order. Timing: Tend to family and household foundations.

38. ䷥ 睽 (Kuí) — Opposition / Misunderstanding

Upper: ☲ Fire. Lower: ☱ Lake. Fire and water facing away from each other — opposition, estrangement, apparent contradiction. Yet opposites can complement if understood rightly. Timing: Do not force agreement; small matters can proceed.

39. ䷦ 蹇 (Jiǎn) — Obstruction

Upper: ☵ Water. Lower: ☶ Mountain. Water on the mountain — the path is obstructed. The wise response: turn back, seek allies, look within. Timing: Do not force forward; seek the inner obstacle.

40. ䷧ 解 (Xiè) — Deliverance

Upper: ☳ Thunder. Lower: ☵ Water. Thunder over water — release after tension, the storm that clears the air. Liberation from obstruction. Timing: The release has arrived; move swiftly to clear the old.

41. ䷨ 損 (Sǔn) — Decrease

Upper: ☶ Mountain. Lower: ☱ Lake. The lake below the mountain — decrease of the lower to benefit the upper. Simplification, voluntary reduction, sacrifice that leads to increase. Timing: Decrease willingly now to enable later increase.

42. ䷩ 益 (Yì) — Increase

Upper: ☴ Wind. Lower: ☳ Thunder. Wind and Thunder intensifying each other — increase, augmentation, the time to advance. Timing: Act; conditions support growth.

43. ䷪ 夬 (Guài) — Breakthrough / Resoluteness

Upper: ☱ Lake. Lower: ☰ Heaven. The lake overflowing — decisive resolution, bringing the truth to light. Announcing the fault at court. Timing: Resolutely name the problem; do not compromise with the inferior.

44. ䷫ 姤 (Gòu) — Coming to Meet

Upper: ☰ Heaven. Lower: ☴ Wind. The wind beneath Heaven — the unexpected encounter, something new appearing from below. Meeting the seductive force that tempts from abandonment of principle. Timing: Be cautious of apparently harmless new influences.

45. ䷬ 萃 (Cuì) — Gathering Together

Upper: ☱ Lake. Lower: ☷ Earth. The lake above the earth — gathering, assembly, congregation. The power of collective intention. Timing: Call your people together; gather forces.

46. ䷭ 升 (Shēng) — Pushing Upward

Upper: ☷ Earth. Lower: ☴ Wind. Wood growing upward through earth — gradual, persistent ascent. Pushing upward step by step. Timing: Advance steadily; seek out superiors who can further you.

47. ䷮ 困 (Kùn) — Oppression / Exhaustion

Upper: ☱ Lake. Lower: ☵ Water. The lake above the abyss — the water is drained, the superior man is exhausted. Words are not believed; action alone speaks. Timing: Do not speak; act through perseverance.

48. ䷯ 井 (Jǐng) — The Well

Upper: ☵ Water. Lower: ☴ Wind. Wind below, water above — the inexhaustible resource that serves all who draw from it. The well that cannot be exhausted but must be properly maintained. Timing: Return to your fundamental resource; draw from what is inexhaustible.

49. ䷰ 革 (Gé) — Revolution / Molting

Upper: ☱ Lake. Lower: ☲ Fire. Lake and Fire — mutual destruction and transformation. Fundamental change, revolution, the snake shedding its skin. Timing: The time for transformation has come; a complete change is needed.

50. ䷱ 鼎 (Dǐng) — The Cauldron

Upper: ☲ Fire. Lower: ☴ Wind. Fire fanned by wind — the sacred cauldron, transformation through spiritual nourishment. The cooking vessel that transforms raw into refined. Timing: Refine your offering; prepare the highest quality of what you bring.

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Group 5: Completion and Transition (Hexagrams 51–64)

51. ䷲ 震 (Zhèn) — The Arousing / Shock

Upper: ☳ Thunder. Lower: ☳ Thunder. Double thunder — shock upon shock. The terror of the thunderclap that ultimately brings fearless clarity. Timing: The shock has arrived; maintain inner composure.

52. ䷳ 艮 (Gèn) — Keeping Still / Mountain

Upper: ☶ Mountain. Lower: ☶ Mountain. Double stillness — the mountain within and without. The practice of stopping the mind. Knowing when to act and when not to. Timing: Stop. Be still. The action for now is non-action.

53. ䷴ 漸 (Jiàn) — Development / Gradual Progress

Upper: ☴ Wind. Lower: ☶ Mountain. Wind over mountain — gradual, steady advance. The wild geese flying in formation, each step proper and secure. Timing: Advance step by step; do not rush.

54. ䷵ 歸妹 (Guī Mèi) — The Marrying Maiden

Upper: ☳ Thunder. Lower: ☱ Lake. Thunder over lake — the impulse that propels the subordinate forward without proper foundation. Acting from inferior position; the secondary role. Timing: Proceed carefully in secondary role; avoid overreaching.

55. ䷶ 豐 (Fēng) — Abundance / Fullness

Upper: ☳ Thunder. Lower: ☲ Fire. Thunder and lightning together — peak fullness, the midday sun. Do not grieve that the sun must decline from its zenith. Timing: Act at the peak; fullness will not last forever.

56. ䷷ 旅 (Lǚ) — The Wanderer

Upper: ☲ Fire. Lower: ☶ Mountain. Fire on the mountain — the traveler without home. Finding clarity through movement, the stranger's perspective. Timing: Travel light; be the stranger who sees clearly.

57. ䷸ 巽 (Xùn) — The Gentle / Wind

Upper: ☴ Wind. Lower: ☴ Wind. Double penetration — the gentle but persistent influence of wind. Small influences that gradually penetrate. Timing: Proceed gently and persistently; gradual penetration succeeds.

58. ䷹ 兌 (Duì) — The Joyous / Lake

Upper: ☱ Lake. Lower: ☱ Lake. Double joy — sincere joy that perseveres. The open, expressive quality that draws others. Timing: Express genuine joy; allow others to contribute.

59. ䷺ 渙 (Huàn) — Dispersion / Dissolution

Upper: ☴ Wind. Lower: ☵ Water. Wind over water — dispersing, dissolving rigidity, melting hardness. The spring floods that dissolve the ice. Timing: Dissolve rigidity; let the blocks flow away.

60. ䷻ 節 (Jié) — Limitation

Upper: ☵ Water. Lower: ☱ Lake. Water in the lake — limitation and boundaries that create form. Joyful acceptance of necessary limitation. Timing: Define the proper limits; structure enables rather than restricts.

61. ䷼ 中孚 (Zhōng Fú) — Inner Truth

Upper: ☴ Wind. Lower: ☱ Lake. Wind over lake — the resonance of inner truth. Connecting to others through genuine sincerity. Pigs and fish yield to genuine truth. Timing: Be genuinely sincere; inner truth penetrates all resistance.

62. ䷽ 小過 (Xiǎo Guò) — Small Exceeding

Upper: ☳ Thunder. Lower: ☶ Mountain. Thunder over mountain — the small bird's flight. Exceeding in small matters; the time calls for smallness, not greatness. Timing: Stay modest; exceed in small corrections, not grand gestures.

63. ䷾ 既濟 (Jì Jì) — After Completion

Upper: ☵ Water. Lower: ☲ Fire. Fire below, Water above — all in order. Complete configuration. Yet: the seed of disorder is already germinating. Vigilance at the peak. Timing: Celebrate completion, but remain attentive; the next disruption begins now.

64. ䷿ 未濟 (Wèi Jì) — Before Completion

Upper: ☲ Fire. Lower: ☵ Water. Fire above, Water below — all lines in their incorrect positions. Yet the crossing is nearly complete. The fox almost across the river. Attention and care at the threshold. Timing: The completion is close; do not relax attention now.

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The I Ching ends at Before Completion — because the completion of one cycle is always the beginning of another. The Book of Changes describes not a destination but an eternal wave of transformation, with wisdom available at every point on the arc.