I Ching hexagram 63

I Ching hexagram 63: After Completion

既济 jì jì · water above fire

Water above fire, every line in its place: the job is done, and the real work now is keeping it from slipping.

The judgment: Success in small things. Firmness pays. Good fortune at the start, disorder at the end.
"Ki Zi intimates progress and success in small matters. There will be advantage in being firm and correct. There has been good fortune in the beginning; there may be disorder in the end."
James Legge's translation, 1882
What it says to you: Water sits above fire, and every line is in its proper place: the pot is on the boil and everything is exactly where it should be. That is why this is the most fragile figure in the book. The judgment gives success only in small things and warns that good fortune at the start turns to disorder at the end. Something in your life is finished, solved, in balance. Now the work is maintenance. Like the driver in line one who holds back his wheels, slow down after the win. Line four keeps rags ready for the leak and stays on guard all day. Line five prefers the neighbor's modest, sincere offering to a showy slaughtered ox. Do not celebrate by overreaching, or you end like line six, in the water up to your head. Check what could slip, and tend it.

Matter by matter

Love: Settled and good. Keep tending it; complacency is the danger now.
Work: Project done or goal met. Consolidate, document, and watch for small leaks.
Money: Secure your gains. Guard against complacency and showy spending.
A yes or no question: Yes, with a condition. Small matters only; the peak has passed, so protect what you have.

The six lines of After Completion

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

He drags back his wheels and gets his tail wet. No mistake.

Everyone is rushing forward after the success. Hold back. A little restraint and a small setback now keep you from a big one; slowing down is the right move.
Second line, broken

The wife loses her carriage screen. Do not chase it; in seven days it comes back.

You have lost something that protected or recognized you. Do not run after it. Stay quiet and patient; in its own time it will come back to you.
Third line, solid

Gaozong, the Shang king, attacks the Demon Land and takes three years to conquer it. Do not use small people.

A long, hard effort lies ahead, even after success. It will take years, not weeks. Commit only if it is worth it, and do not hand any part of it to petty people.
Fourth line, broken

He keeps rags ready for the leak. Stay on guard all day.

Somewhere a leak is coming. Keep the rags, your repair kit, within reach and stay alert all day; small vigilance now prevents the larger trouble later.
Fifth line, solid

The neighbor to the east slaughters an ox, but the neighbor to the west's simple spring offering truly receives the blessing.

Grand display impresses less than sincere, modest action. Do not try to prove yourself with a big show. A small gift given honestly, at the right time, counts for more.
Top line, broken

He gets his head wet. Danger.

You have gone one step too far, and the water is over your head. Do not look back or push on. Get out carefully now, before the danger deepens.

About hexagram 63

What does I Ching hexagram 63 mean?

Hexagram 63, After Completion, puts water above fire. Water above fire, every line in its place: the job is done, and the real work now is keeping it from slipping. Its judgment reads: Success in small things. Firmness pays. Good fortune at the start, disorder at the end.

Is hexagram 63 a yes or a no?

Yes, with a condition. Small matters only; the peak has passed, so protect what you have.

What does hexagram 63 mean for love?

Settled and good. Keep tending it; complacency is the danger now.

What does hexagram 63 mean for work?

Project done or goal met. Consolidate, document, and watch for small leaks.

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.