I Ching hexagram 48

I Ching hexagram 48: The Well

井 jǐng · water above wind

A bucket draws from a source that never moves: it serves everyone, if the rope is long and the jar sound.

The judgment: You can move a town but not its well. It never runs dry or overflows; people come and go and draw from it. If the rope falls short and the jar breaks: misfortune.
"(Looking at) Zing, (we think of) how (the site of) a town may be changed, while (the fashion of) its wells undergoes no change. (The water of a well) never disappears and never receives (any great) increase, and those who come and those who go can draw and enjoy the benefit. If (the drawing) have nearly been accomplished, but, before the rope has quite reached the water, the bucket is broken, this is evil."
James Legge's translation, 1882
What it says to you: Wood under water: a wooden bucket going down into the well and coming back up full. The judgment's first image is one of the best in the whole book. You can move a town, but you cannot move its well. Towns rise and fall, rulers change, and the source stays where it is, never dry, never overflowing, serving whoever comes. The question this hexagram asks is about your own source: the skill, the habit, the relationship, the inner reserve people draw from. Is it clean, or muddy? Is your rope long enough to reach it? The warning is the bucket that breaks just before it reaches the water, effort lost on the last stretch. So check your equipment before you lower it. Line the well with brick, clean what has gone stale, and make the clear water easy to reach.

Matter by matter

Love: Tend the steady source between you. Old foundations matter; clean up what's gone stale.
Work: Your core skill is valuable. Maintain your tools and finish the last stretch carefully.
Money: Rely on steady, lasting resources. Don't let a project fail at the final step.
A yes or no question: Yes, with a condition: check your rope and jar first, then draw.

The six lines of The Well

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, broken

The well is muddy; no one drinks from it. At the old well, not even birds come.

Your resource has gone stale or been neglected, so no one uses it. Clean it up, or accept that it is abandoned. Effort spent on a muddy well is wasted until you clear it.
Second line, solid

At the well hole, he shoots at minnows. The jar is cracked and leaking.

You are spending your gifts on tiny things, and your tools are leaking. Mend the vessel first, then aim your effort at something worth the water you have.
Third line, solid

The well is cleaned, but no one drinks. This grieves my heart. Water could be drawn. If the king were clear-sighted, all would share the blessing.

You are ready and capable, yet overlooked. It hurts. Keep yourself clear and available; when someone with good judgment notices, everyone benefits from what you offer.
Fourth line, broken

The well is being lined with brick. No mistake.

This is a time to repair and reinforce, not to serve. Working on yourself or your foundations now isn't idle; it is what makes the well useful for years to come.
Fifth line, solid

The well is clear: cold spring water to drink.

Your work is clean and refreshing, and people are drinking from it. This is you at your best. Keep the source pure, and keep showing up so the water stays fresh.
Top line, broken

Water is drawn from the well; do not cover it. With sincerity, great good fortune.

Your resource is out there serving many people. Don't close it off or hoard it. Generous, reliable access, honestly offered, is what makes this greatly fortunate.

About hexagram 48

What does I Ching hexagram 48 mean?

Hexagram 48, The Well, puts water above wind. A bucket draws from a source that never moves: it serves everyone, if the rope is long and the jar sound. Its judgment reads: You can move a town but not its well. It never runs dry or overflows; people come and go and draw from it. If the rope falls short and the jar breaks: misfortune.

Is hexagram 48 a yes or a no?

Yes, with a condition: check your rope and jar first, then draw.

What does hexagram 48 mean for love?

Tend the steady source between you. Old foundations matter; clean up what's gone stale.

What does hexagram 48 mean for work?

Your core skill is valuable. Maintain your tools and finish the last stretch carefully.

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.