I Ching hexagram 44
I Ching hexagram 44: Coming to Meet
姤 gòu · heaven above wind
Wind blows beneath heaven, touching everything: an unexpected encounter has more pull than it looks, so meet it carefully.
- The judgment
- The woman is powerful. Do not take this woman in marriage.
"Kau shows a female who is bold and strong. It will not be good to marry (such) a female."
- What it says to you
- Wind moves under heaven and touches everything it passes. The structure says the same thing: one yielding line slips in at the bottom beneath five strong ones, an unexpected arrival with outsized influence. The judgment is blunt, in the voice of its age: the woman is powerful, do not marry her. Read it today as a warning about any attractive newcomer, an offer, a person, an idea, that arrives suddenly and quietly starts rearranging everything. The meeting isn't wrong. Binding yourself to it too fast is. The first line gives the practical tool: tie it to a bronze brake. Slow the encounter down. Keep it wrapped like the fish in the second line, contained instead of served to everyone. So if something new has walked in and you are tempted to commit, enjoy the meeting and wait before you sign anything.
Matter by matter
- Love
- A sudden attraction. Enjoy meeting, but don't commit quickly; this pull is stronger than it looks.
- Work
- A new player or offer appears. Contain its influence and don't hand over control.
- Money
- A tempting deal shows up suddenly. Hold back and check it before you are bound to it.
- A yes or no question
- No. The text says not to bind yourself to this; meet it, but don't commit.
The six lines of Coming to Meet
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
Tie it to a bronze brake. Steadfastness brings good fortune. If it goes anywhere, misfortune appears. A lean pig is restless and sure to roam.
Something small is starting to pull you somewhere, a temptation or a habit. Brake it now, firmly. Left loose, it roams like a hungry pig and grows into real trouble.
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Second line, solid
There is a fish in the wrapper. No mistake. It is not good for the guests.
You have the situation contained, like a fish wrapped up in your own kitchen. Keep it there. Don't serve this one to outsiders or let it spread beyond your control.
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Third line, solid
No skin on his buttocks, he walks haltingly. Danger, but no great mistake.
You want to approach, but something keeps you awkward and uncomfortable. That restraint is actually protecting you. It is a nervous moment, and it is not a disaster.
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Fourth line, solid
No fish in the wrapper. Rising to act brings misfortune.
You have lost touch with the people who should be with you; the wrapper is empty. Forcing action now goes badly. Reconnect first, quietly, before you try anything bigger.
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Fifth line, solid
A medlar tree shelters the melon beneath it. He keeps his brilliance hidden. Something drops from heaven.
Protect what is growing under your care without showing off. Keep your talents in the shade for a while. Good fortune you couldn't have arranged yourself arrives on its own.
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Top line, solid
Meeting with the horns. Regret, but no mistake.
You meet people with a prickly, aloof stance. That causes some embarrassment, but it keeps you out of entanglements. Decide whether that distance is worth what it costs you.
About hexagram 44
What does I Ching hexagram 44 mean?
Hexagram 44, Coming to Meet, puts heaven above wind. Wind blows beneath heaven, touching everything: an unexpected encounter has more pull than it looks, so meet it carefully. Its judgment reads: The woman is powerful. Do not take this woman in marriage.
Is hexagram 44 a yes or a no?
No. The text says not to bind yourself to this; meet it, but don't commit.
What does hexagram 44 mean for love?
A sudden attraction. Enjoy meeting, but don't commit quickly; this pull is stronger than it looks.
What does hexagram 44 mean for work?
A new player or offer appears. Contain its influence and don't hand over control.
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.