Hexagram 12 line 4: Standstill, yang in the fourth place

What changes when line 4 moves

Line 4 of Hexagram 12 is yang, a solid line. When it is cast as old yang (a 9) it flips, and the hexagram becomes Hexagram 20, Contemplation: Looking and being looked at: a moment for seeing the whole clearly before anything is done.

Read together, the reading moves from Standstill toward Contemplation. Heaven and earth apart: the wrong people are in charge, and the right response is dignified withdrawal. Earth below, wind above: wind moving across the land, reaching everywhere. The Chinese character means both to observe and to be observed, and the hexagram holds both: a tower from which the whole country can be seen, and a tower that the whole country can see. The primary hexagram describes the situation; the changing line is the point of movement in it; the resulting hexagram is where that movement leads. Both hexagrams belong to the reading, and the changing line is the hinge between them.

Hexagram 12 changing to 20 →

Line 4 in context

Love & relationships

Act when you have a legitimate mandate, together with those who share it. In love and relationships, Hexagram 12 reads: Communication has stopped and effort is not getting through. Do not force it and do not compromise yourself to restore contact. Hold your own centre, be patient, and let the standstill run its course; it does.

Career

Act when you have a legitimate mandate, together with those who share it. In career, Hexagram 12 reads: The wrong people are being rewarded and your work is not reaching anyone. This is not a time to campaign for recognition or to accept a role that costs your integrity. Keep your standards, keep your head down, and wait.

Money

Act when you have a legitimate mandate, together with those who share it. In money, Hexagram 12 reads: Blocked. Ventures started now stall; the environment is not receptive. Conserve, avoid the tempting deal from a dubious source, and wait for conditions to reopen.

A decision

Act when you have a legitimate mandate, together with those who share it. In decisions, Hexagram 12 reads: Not the time for the ambitious choice. If a decision cannot wait, choose the option that preserves your position and your integrity. The tradition says the standstill turns; decide as someone who will be here when it does.