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I Ching · Hexagram 56 The Wanderer

Hexagram 56 line 1: The Wanderer, yin in the first place

Line 1 of a hexagram

I Ching 56.1

If the wanderer busies himself with trivial things, he draws misfortune on himself.

The outsider who demeans themselves with pettiness, and is treated accordingly. Dignity in a low position depends on not stooping. The line warns that trivial behaviour invites contempt.

Advice. Do not lower yourself to trivialities; it costs the little standing you have.

What changes when line 1 moves

Line 1 of Hexagram 56 is yin, a broken line. When it is cast as old yin (a 6) it flips, and the hexagram becomes Hexagram 30, The Clinging: Fire that burns by clinging to what feeds it: clarity, dependence and the care of a cow.

Read together, the reading moves from The Wanderer toward The Clinging. Fire on the mountain, passing on: the stranger in a strange place, who succeeds in small things by courtesy and reserve. Fire below, fire above: light doubled, the sun rising twice. The Clinging is the hexagram of clarity and of dependence: fire is bright, and fire exists only by holding onto what it burns. 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 56 changing to 30 →

Line 1 in context

Love & relationships
Do not lower yourself to trivialities; it costs the little standing you have. In love and relationships, Hexagram 56 reads: One of you is passing through, or the relationship is in a transitional, unsettled phase with no fixed home. Do not demand the rights of permanence. Be courteous, choose carefully whom you trust, and keep your reserve. The lines describe both the wanderer who finds a resting place and the one who burns it down.
Career
Do not lower yourself to trivialities; it costs the little standing you have. In career, Hexagram 56 reads: You are the outsider: new, temporary, without standing. Success is in small things. Be modest, reliable and reserved; do not throw your weight about, and do not entangle yourself in the disputes of the place. The inn is found by good conduct.
Money
Do not lower yourself to trivialities; it costs the little standing you have. In money, Hexagram 56 reads: Travelling light. Keep your resources with you, do not invest in a place you are passing through, and avoid disputes that would cost more than they are worth. Small, careful gains.
A decision
Do not lower yourself to trivialities; it costs the little standing you have. In decisions, Hexagram 56 reads: Choose the modest option that suits someone without standing. The reading rules out large commitments and prolonged conflicts. Decide as a guest would, with courtesy and an eye to moving on.

Hexagram 56 in fullLine 2

Cast your own reading

The topic is pre-selected. The hexagram is not: the coins decide it.

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