I Ching hexagram 9

I Ching hexagram 9: Small Taming

小畜 xiǎo chù · wind above heaven

Thick clouds roll in from the west but no rain falls: small restraint, slow buildup, and patience before the release.

The judgment: Success. Dense clouds, no rain, from our western outskirts.
"Hsiâo Khû indicates that (under its conditions) there will be progress and success. (We see) dense clouds, but no rain coming from our borders in the west."
James Legge's translation, 1882
What it says to you: Wind blows across the sky, and the clouds pile up thick from the western outskirts, but no rain comes. Five strong lines are held in check by one soft line, so the restraint is real but small. Gentleness can slow great strength; it cannot stop it for long. That's your situation: something is building and the release isn't here yet. The lines say to go back to your own path, stay sincere, and work with neighbors instead of forcing. The third line shows a cart with its axle strap loose and a husband and wife glaring at each other, which is what friction looks like when you push against the brake. Use this stretch for small adjustments and gentle influence. The rain does arrive in the top line, so let it, and then stop.

Matter by matter

Love: Minor tension and delays; soft persuasion works, while pushing turns into a standoff.
Work: Progress slowed by small constraints. Refine details, build goodwill, and wait for momentum.
Money: Small gains and gradual accumulation; not the time for big moves.
A yes or no question: Wait. The clouds are gathered but the rain hasn't come; prepare in small ways.

The six lines of Small Taming

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

Returning to your own way. What fault in that? Good fortune.

You've been held back, and the right response is to go back to your own path. There's nothing wrong with retreating to what you know is yours.
Second line, solid

Drawn back along with others. Good fortune.

Others are returning to a better course, and you can go with them. You don't have to lead the retreat. Joining a sensible step back, side by side with them, works out well.
Third line, solid

The cart's axle strap comes loose. Husband and wife glare at each other.

You're straining against the restraint and things are breaking down, relationships included. Stop pushing against the brake. Fix what came loose, and make peace at home, before trying to move on.
Fourth line, broken

With trust, blood goes and fear departs. No mistake.

You're the small force holding back larger ones, which could be dangerous. Sincerity defuses it. Honest intent, plainly shown, turns a potential clash into cooperation, and the fear can go.
Fifth line, solid

With trust, bound closely together; rich along with neighbors.

Your sincerity links you to others, and your resources are shared. Prosperity here is collective. Bringing your neighbors along, instead of keeping the gains to yourself, makes everyone stronger.
Top line, solid

The rain has come; it settles. Virtue has piled up. A wife holding fast faces danger. The moon is nearly full. The noble one who marches out meets misfortune.

What you waited for has arrived. Now stop. The moon is nearly full, the last moment before it starts to wane; pushing your gains further now starts the decline. Rest in what you've achieved.

About hexagram 9

What does I Ching hexagram 9 mean?

Hexagram 9, Small Taming, puts wind above heaven. Thick clouds roll in from the west but no rain falls: small restraint, slow buildup, and patience before the release. Its judgment reads: Success. Dense clouds, no rain, from our western outskirts.

Is hexagram 9 a yes or a no?

Wait. The clouds are gathered but the rain hasn't come; prepare in small ways.

What does hexagram 9 mean for love?

Minor tension and delays; soft persuasion works, while pushing turns into a standoff.

What does hexagram 9 mean for work?

Progress slowed by small constraints. Refine details, build goodwill, and wait for momentum.

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.