Hexagram 56 line 5: The Wanderer, yin in the fifth place

What changes when line 5 moves

Line 5 of Hexagram 56 is yin, a broken line. When it is cast as old yin (a 6) it flips, and the hexagram becomes Hexagram 33, Retreat: A timely, dignified withdrawal: strength stepping back before it is forced to, with its integrity intact.

Read together, the reading moves from The Wanderer toward Retreat. Fire on the mountain, passing on: the stranger in a strange place, who succeeds in small things by courtesy and reserve. 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. 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 33 →

Line 5 in context

Love & relationships

Offer what the place values, skilfully, and you will be accepted. 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

Offer what the place values, skilfully, and you will be accepted. 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

Offer what the place values, skilfully, and you will be accepted. 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

Offer what the place values, skilfully, and you will be accepted. 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.