I Ching hexagram 13

I Ching hexagram 13: Fellowship

同人 tóng rén · heaven above fire

Fire burning upward toward the sky: people gathered in the open, joined by a common aim instead of family or faction.

The judgment: Fellowship in the open country: success. It pays to cross the great river. The noble one's steadiness pays.
"Thung Zăn (or 'Union of men') appears here (as we find it) in the (remote districts of the) country, indicating progress and success. It will be advantageous to cross the great stream. It will be advantageous to maintain the firm correctness of the superior man."
James Legge's translation, 1882
What it says to you: Fire rises to meet heaven, two things moving the same direction, and that's the image of people joining. The judgment sets the meeting in the open country, outside the village gates, where nobody belongs to anyone's clan. Fellowship there can cross the great river. The lines grade how wide your circle is. At the gate it's fine; inside the clan, there's regret. In the middle, the rivalry turns sour: one man hides troops in the tall grass and climbs a hill to watch, and for three years nothing happens. Another climbs the wall and decides not to attack, which is wise. At the fifth line, partners weep first and laugh afterward when they finally meet. Widen your group beyond your usual people, state the shared goal plainly, and drop the hidden agenda.

Matter by matter

Love: Partnership built on shared values works; keep it open and free of suspicion or cliquishness.
Work: Teamwork and broad alliances. Recruit outside your usual circle and keep motives transparent.
Money: Joint ventures with clear shared goals favor you; avoid narrow insider deals.
A yes or no question: Yes. Fellowship in the open succeeds; involve others and keep it transparent.

The six lines of Fellowship

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.

Bottom line, solid

Fellowship at the gate. No mistake.

You're just stepping out your front door to meet people. Start openly and without favorites, before any faction forms. This beginning has nothing wrong with it.
Second line, broken

Fellowship within the clan. Regret.

You're sticking with your own small group, your family or faction, and it's narrowing you. Favoritism brings regret. Widen the circle to include people who share the aim.
Third line, solid

Troops hidden in the thicket, climbing the high hill. For three years, no rising.

You're suspicious and quietly preparing for a fight. You won't act on it, and the standoff drags on. Drop the hidden agenda; it's wasting years.
Fourth line, solid

Mounting the city wall, yet not attacking. Good fortune.

You climbed up ready to fight, then saw the attack was wrong. Backing down is the right call. Holding off, even with the advantage, turns a conflict into a good outcome.
Fifth line, solid

Fellowship: first wailing and crying, then laughter. The great armies meet and join.

Getting to your people is hard and painful, and others stand in the way. Those obstacles are overcome. The reunion brings joy after the tears, so keep going toward it.
Top line, solid

Fellowship in the outskirts. No regret.

You're on the edge, with a connection that's loose rather than close. Nothing great comes of it, and nothing goes wrong. It's fine to stay a little apart for now.

About hexagram 13

What does I Ching hexagram 13 mean?

Hexagram 13, Fellowship, puts heaven above fire. Fire burning upward toward the sky: people gathered in the open, joined by a common aim instead of family or faction. Its judgment reads: Fellowship in the open country: success. It pays to cross the great river. The noble one's steadiness pays.

Is hexagram 13 a yes or a no?

Yes. Fellowship in the open succeeds; involve others and keep it transparent.

What does hexagram 13 mean for love?

Partnership built on shared values works; keep it open and free of suspicion or cliquishness.

What does hexagram 13 mean for work?

Teamwork and broad alliances. Recruit outside your usual circle and keep motives transparent.

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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.