I Ching hexagram 11
I Ching hexagram 11: Peace
泰 tài · earth above heaven
Heaven below, earth above, the two meeting in the middle: a season of harmony when good things arrive.
- The judgment
- The small departs, the great arrives. Good fortune and success.
"In Thâi (we see) the little gone and the great come. (It indicates that) there will be good fortune, with progress and success."
- What it says to you
- The picture looks upside down until you see the logic: heaven's energy rises, earth's weight sinks, and with heaven below and earth above, the two meet and mix. This is the hexagram of the first spring month, when the small goes out and the great comes in. Things flow; people above and below understand each other. Enjoy it, and use it. The first line says pull up a clump of grass and its neighbors' roots come with it, so advance with your allies. The third line adds the sober clause: no level ground without a slope, no going without a return. Peace is a season, and the top line shows the city wall sliding back into its moat. Use the good stretch to strengthen ties and fix foundations, and don't assume the weather holds forever.
Matter by matter
- Love
- Harmonious, mutual, warm. A good time to deepen commitment; keep tending it.
- Work
- Cooperation flows and plans advance. Push forward with allies, and shore up foundations while it's easy.
- Money
- Favorable conditions for growth; set something aside, since prosperity runs in seasons.
- A yes or no question
- Yes. The small departs and the great arrives; move ahead, with allies.
The six lines of Peace
A hexagram is built from the bottom up, so the first line is the lowest. You read a line's text only when your cast made it a moving line.
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Bottom line, solid
Pulling up the reed grass, its roots come with it, by kind. Setting out brings good fortune.
Your move pulls others up with you, the way roots come up in a clump. Act now and bring your people along. Advancing together is the fortunate kind of advance here.
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Second line, solid
Bearing with the wild. Fording the river on foot. Not neglecting the distant, setting aside cliques. Praise for walking the middle way.
Be generous with the unpolished, bold where boldness is needed, mindful of people far away, and free of favoritism. That broad, balanced conduct is what keeps the peace going.
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Third line, solid
No level without a slope, no going without return. Hard work and steadiness, no mistake. Don't fret over the truth; enjoy the blessing of your meal.
Things change, and good times turn. Knowing that, stay steady and keep working. Don't let the worry spoil the present. Eat well and appreciate what you have.
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Fourth line, broken
Fluttering down, not relying on wealth, with neighbors. Unwarned, yet trusting.
You come down to meet others without leaning on your wealth or rank. People respond out of sincerity, with no prodding needed. Mutual trust is enough right now.
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Fifth line, broken
King Di Yi, a Shang ruler, gives his younger sister in marriage. Blessing and great good fortune.
Someone of higher rank chooses to join a worthy partner as an equal or lower. Humble alliances built across status lines bring real blessing. Offer yours.
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Top line, broken
The city wall collapses back into the moat. Don't use the army. Give orders only in your own town. Steadiness brings regret.
The peace is ending, and force won't stop it. Keep your efforts close to home, accept the change, and don't escalate. Holding on too stubbornly leads to regret.
About hexagram 11
What does I Ching hexagram 11 mean?
Hexagram 11, Peace, puts earth above heaven. Heaven below, earth above, the two meeting in the middle: a season of harmony when good things arrive. Its judgment reads: The small departs, the great arrives. Good fortune and success.
Is hexagram 11 a yes or a no?
Yes. The small departs and the great arrives; move ahead, with allies.
What does hexagram 11 mean for love?
Harmonious, mutual, warm. A good time to deepen commitment; keep tending it.
What does hexagram 11 mean for work?
Cooperation flows and plans advance. Push forward with allies, and shore up foundations while it's easy.
Cast the coins for a new question , or for a straight yes or no, throw the moon blocks
The I Ching reads a moment. For the years of your own life, cast your birth chart; on your chart page you can ask three questions of your own, answered against it, for $2.99.
The judgment and lines are rendered from the Chinese text; the quoted judgment is Legge's 1882 translation, and every other English line is Jade Almanac's own. A cast is a prompt for reflection, not advice about health, money or the law.