Hexagram 33 changing to 12: Retreat to Standstill

Where it starts: 33 Retreat

A timely, dignified withdrawal: strength stepping back before it is forced to, with its integrity intact. Mountain below, heaven above: heaven receding from the mountain. Two yin lines are entering at the bottom and rising; the strong lines above withdraw in good order. Retreat is not flight. The tradition's judgement is that retreat succeeds, and that persistence in small things furthers. The reading describes a situation in which the lesser is gaining ground and the right response is not to fight it head-on but to withdraw with dignity, keeping one's distance and one's standards, and giving no ground in the small things that define who you are. Timing is everything: the retreat done early is a strategy; done late, it is a rout.

Where it goes: 12 Standstill

Heaven and earth apart: the wrong people are in charge, and the right response is dignified withdrawal. Earth below, heaven above: each moving away from the other, so that nothing connects. Standstill is the mirror of Peace. Communication fails, the petty prosper and the worthy are sidelined, and effort in the ordinary channels comes to nothing. The tradition does not counsel despair; it counsels withdrawal into one's own integrity. The wise person in a time of standstill does not compromise to get on, does not accept honours from the wrong hands, and waits for the turn, which the later lines say is coming.

The lines that move

1. Line 3

   A halted retreat is nerve-racking and dangerous. Keeping people as servants and maids brings good fortune.

   The retreat is slowed by attachments and obligations, and the delay is dangerous. The line's counsel is to keep those dependants in a properly limited role, not to let them dictate the pace or the strategy. Do not let obligations halt the retreat; keep them in their place and keep moving.

What is changing. The situation of Retreat is moving toward Standstill. Withdraw early, calmly and with reserve; hold your standards in the small things. As the change completes: Withdraw into your own integrity, refuse honours from the wrong hands, and wait for the turn.

love and relationships

Now: Step back. Not a break, a withdrawal from a dynamic that is not serving you, done calmly and without anger. Keep your dignity and your small standards. Distance now may be what preserves the relationship later. Then: 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

Now: The environment is turning against you and confrontation would lose. Withdraw strategically: reduce exposure, keep your work impeccable in small things, and do not engage the people who are gaining ground. Retreat early and it is a choice. Then: 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

Now: Reduce exposure. Pull back from positions that are going wrong while you still can do it on your own terms. Persistence in small, careful matters is favoured; large moves are not. Then: 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.

decisions

Now: Choose the option that lets you step back in good order. The reading is against fighting the rising tide and equally against retreating so late that it becomes a collapse. Withdraw while it is still a decision. Then: 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.