King's Kung-Fu& Tai Chi

Hexagram 44 姤 changing to hexagram 54 歸妹

→
guī mèi

Changing lines (counted from the bottom): 1, 3, 5, 6.

What to read

Four changing lines: read the two unchanged lines of the resulting hexagram; the lower one is the main one. (Rule set out by Zhu Xi in the Yixue qimeng.)

Hexagram 54 歸妹, line 2

眇能視,利幽人之貞。

The second line, undivided, shows her blind of one eye, and yet able to see. There will be advantage in her maintaining the firm correctness of a solitary widow.

Hexagram 54 歸妹, line 4

歸妹愆期,遲歸有時。

The fourth line, undivided, shows the younger sister who is to be married off protracting the time. She may be late in being married, but the time will come.

The two hexagrams

Hexagram 44 姤 — judgment

女壯,勿用取女。

Kâu shows a female who is bold and strong. It will not be good to marry (such) a female.

Hexagram 54 歸妹 — judgment

征凶,无攸利。

Kwei Mei indicates that (under the conditions which it denotes) action will be evil, and in no wise advantageous.

The changing lines of hexagram 44

LineChineseLegge
1系于金柅,貞吉,有攸往,見凶,羸豕,孚,蹢躅。The first line, divided, shows how its subject should be kept (like a carriage) tied and fastened to a metal drag, in which case with firm correctness there will be good fortune. (But) if he move in any direction, evil will appear. He will be (like) a lean pig, which is sure to keep jumping about.
3臀无膚,其行次且,厲,无大咎。The third line, undivided, shows one from whose buttocks the skin has been stripped so that he walks with difficulty. The position is perilous, but there will be no great error.
5以杞包瓜,含章,有隕自天。The fifth line, undivided, (shows its subject as) a medlar tree overspreading the gourd (beneath it). If he keep his brilliant qualities concealed, (a good issue) will descend (as) from Heaven.
6姤其角,吝,无咎。The sixth line, undivided, shows its subject receiving others on his horns. There will be occasion for regret, but there will be no error.

English: James Legge (1882), public domain. Chinese: Zhou Yi.

Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0); Chinese Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.