I Ching hexagram 58

I Ching hexagram 58: Lake

兑 duì · a lake above a lake

Two lakes feeding each other: joy that is open, shared, and honest, and the counterfeit kind it must be told apart from.

The judgment: Success. Firmness pays.
"Tui intimates that (under its conditions) there will be progress and attainment. (But) it will be advantageous to be firm and correct."
James Legge's translation, 1882
What it says to you: Two lakes side by side, feeding each other: an old picture of friends talking and learning together. The figure is joy, open and shared, and the judgment gives it success on one condition, that it stays firm and true. Pleasure is easy to sell and easy to fake, so the lines sort the real kind from the counterfeit. Joy that comes from harmony and from sincerity, lines one and two, brings good fortune. Joy that comes courting you, flattery or an offer that is a little too easy, brings misfortune. Line four keeps weighing pleasures and cannot settle until it cuts off the unhealthy one. Your question likely sits near something pleasant. Ask whether it is honest pleasure that would survive a hard look, then enjoy it fully, and talk it over with a friend.

Matter by matter

Love: Warm, open, talkative affection. Good if sincere; beware charm that comes too easily.
Work: Persuasion, teaching, teamwork. Speak warmly but stay honest; flattery backfires.
Money: Pleasant offers need checking. Gains come through goodwill and honest dealing.
A yes or no question: Yes, with a condition. Only if the pleasure is honest; walk away from anything that flatters you into it.

The six lines of Lake

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

Harmonious joy. Good fortune.

Your contentment needs nothing from anyone. Calm, unforced good humor is your strength now. Keep it simple and free of wanting, and things go well.
Second line, solid

Sincere joy. Good fortune; regret goes away.

Your pleasure comes from honesty, so it cannot be bought. Others may offer easier delights; stay true to yourself, and regrets about compromising will not arise.
Third line, broken

Joy that comes looking for you. Misfortune.

Something pleasant is coming to you too eagerly. Be wary. Pleasure that seeks you out usually wants something in return. Do not let empty diversion pull you off course.
Fourth line, solid

Weighing joys, no peace yet. Keep away from the sickness, and there is gladness.

You are torn between a better and a worse pleasure. The restlessness will last until you choose. Cut off the harmful one decisively, and real contentment follows.
Fifth line, solid

Trusting what wears things away. Danger.

Someone or something is quietly undermining you, and you are trusting it. Pay attention. Charm can erode what you have built. Stay alert and do not give your trust away cheaply.
Top line, broken

Joy that draws you along.

You are being pulled by pleasure, and the line does not say whether it ends well. That is your warning. Notice where you are being led, and decide whether you want to go.

About hexagram 58

What does I Ching hexagram 58 mean?

Hexagram 58, Lake, doubles the trigram for lake. Two lakes feeding each other: joy that is open, shared, and honest, and the counterfeit kind it must be told apart from. Its judgment reads: Success. Firmness pays.

Is hexagram 58 a yes or a no?

Yes, with a condition. Only if the pleasure is honest; walk away from anything that flatters you into it.

What does hexagram 58 mean for love?

Warm, open, talkative affection. Good if sincere; beware charm that comes too easily.

What does hexagram 58 mean for work?

Persuasion, teaching, teamwork. Speak warmly but stay honest; flattery backfires.

Cast the coins for a new question , or for a straight yes or no, throw the moon blocks

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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.