I Ching hexagram 40
I Ching hexagram 40: Release
解 xiè · thunder above water
Thunder and rain break the winter's tension: a knot loosens, and the wise move is to settle things quickly and forgive.
- The judgment
- The southwest is favorable. If there is nowhere to go, coming back brings good fortune. If there is somewhere to go, going early brings good fortune.
"In (the state indicated by) Kieh advantage will be found in the south-west. If no (further) operations be called for, there will be good fortune in coming back (to the old conditions). If some operations be called for, there will be good fortune in the early conducting of them."
- What it says to you
- Thunder over water: the spring storm that breaks the frozen season open. Something that has been tight, a conflict, a backlog, a worry, is starting to loosen. The judgment gives oddly practical advice for a moment of relief. If nothing more needs doing, go back to ordinary life, and that is good fortune. If something does need doing, do it early. In other words, don't linger in the drama once it is over, and don't let loose ends sit. The lines show how: catch the three foxes, shake loose the hanger-on at your big toe, and stop riding in a carriage while carrying a load on your back. The last line is a duke shooting a hawk off a high wall in one clean shot. Pick the one remaining problem and settle it today.
Matter by matter
- Love
- Tension eases. Forgive, don't relitigate the past, and let things relax back into normal.
- Work
- Blockages clear. Finish leftovers quickly, cut deadweight, and return to an ordinary rhythm.
- Money
- Relief from pressure. Settle debts and loose ends early rather than waiting.
- A yes or no question
- Yes. Move early if action is needed; otherwise let it rest.
The six lines of Release
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, broken
No mistake.
The tension has just broken. Rest in it for a moment. There is nothing you need to do right now; the line simply says you are in the clear, so don't stir up new trouble.
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Second line, solid
In the field he catches three foxes and gains a yellow arrow. Steadfastness brings good fortune.
You can clear away the sly influences in your situation, the flatterers or the bad habits. Do it straight and steady, like a true yellow arrow, and things go well.
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Third line, broken
Carrying a load on his back yet riding in a carriage, he draws robbers to him. Persisting brings shame.
You are showing off a position you haven't really earned, or carrying more than you can hide. That draws trouble. Drop the pretense before someone takes it from you.
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Fourth line, solid
Free yourself from your big toe; then a friend comes, and you can trust each other.
Something small and close is dragging at you, a hanger-on or a habit. Cut it loose. Once you do, real friends can come, and the trust between you will be genuine.
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Fifth line, broken
Only the noble person can untie this; good fortune. Even petty people come to trust him.
You have the power to untie this knot. Do it with decency, and even the people who caused trouble will see it and either step back or change their ways.
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Top line, broken
The duke shoots at a hawk on top of a high wall. He gets it. Nothing that is not favorable.
One last stubborn problem sits up high, out of easy reach. Prepare properly, take careful aim, and remove it in one shot. After that, the way is clear.
About hexagram 40
What does I Ching hexagram 40 mean?
Hexagram 40, Release, puts thunder above water. Thunder and rain break the winter's tension: a knot loosens, and the wise move is to settle things quickly and forgive. Its judgment reads: The southwest is favorable. If there is nowhere to go, coming back brings good fortune. If there is somewhere to go, going early brings good fortune.
Is hexagram 40 a yes or a no?
Yes. Move early if action is needed; otherwise let it rest.
What does hexagram 40 mean for love?
Tension eases. Forgive, don't relitigate the past, and let things relax back into normal.
What does hexagram 40 mean for work?
Blockages clear. Finish leftovers quickly, cut deadweight, and return to an ordinary rhythm.
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.