Hexagram 18: Repairing the Spoiled

Written by Orbitarot · Sources: James Legge, The Yi King (The I Ching), 1882 (judgment and lines); plain readings our own · Updated October 7, 2026

Hexagram 18 in plain words

The mountain sits above the wind. A wind blows low along the foot of a mountain and is trapped there; the air stagnates and things spoil. The character for this hexagram shows a bowl with worms in it. Tradition reads it as decay caused by indifference or by passing problems down without facing them. The old text speaks of three days before the start and three days after it, which suggests careful thought before the work and close attention after it.

In your situation, the decay is a call to action. Often what needs fixing came from someone else: a family pattern, a previous manager's choices, a situation you inherited. Blaming the past does not help, and simply tolerating the problem makes it worse. The task is to stir things up and get them moving, the way wind clears stale air, while staying steady like the mountain. Understand how the problem arose, so you can change its causes and not only its symptoms. Be firm but kind, especially with people tied to the old ways. This kind of repair can be demanding, yet it often leads to a real renewal.

The judgment

Kû indicates great progress and success (to him who deals properly with the condition represented by it). There will be advantage in (efforts like that of) crossing the great stream. (He should weigh well, however, the events of) three days before the turning point, and those (to be done) three days after it.

Translation: James Legge, 1882 (public domain).

The image

(The trigram for) a mountain, and below it that for wind, form Kû. The superior man, in accordance with this, (addresses himself to) help the people and nourish his own virtue.

From Legge's Appendix II (the Great Symbolism), The Sacred Books of the East, vol. 16, 1882 (public domain).

In plain words: Wind blows at the foot of the mountain and stirs what has been left to spoil. Repair what was neglected by encouraging the people involved and by strengthening your own character.

The six lines

Read only the lines that changed in your reading. Lines are counted from the bottom.

Line 1 (bottom)

The first SIX, divided, shows (a son) dealing with the troubles caused by his father. If he be an (able) son, the father will escape the blame of having erred. The position is perilous, but there will be good fortune in the end.

You set right what a father let decay. Taking responsibility clears the past; there is some risk, but it ends well.

Line 2

The second NINE, undivided, shows (a son) dealing with the troubles caused by his mother. He should not (carry) his firm correctness (to the utmost).

You set right what a mother let decay. Be gentle here, since too much rigor would hurt more than help.

Line 3

The third NINE, undivided, shows (a son) dealing with the troubles caused by his father. There may be some small occasion for repentance, but there will not be any great error.

You fix what was spoiled, perhaps too hastily or harshly. There may be small regrets, but no great fault.

Line 4

The fourth SIX, divided, shows (a son) viewing indulgently the troubles caused by his father. If he go forward, he will find cause to regret it.

You put up with what has decayed and do nothing. Letting it continue leads to embarrassment and harder problems.

Line 5

The fifth SIX, divided, shows (a son) dealing with the troubles caused by his father. He obtains the praise of using (the fit instrument for his work).

You set right what was spoiled and receive praise. Repair done with support and good judgment earns respect.

Line 6 (top)

The sixth NINE, undivided, shows us one who does not serve either king or feudal lord, but in a lofty spirit prefers (to attend to) his own affairs.

You do not serve kings or princes, and set yourself higher aims. Sometimes the right response is to step back from the old system and focus on your own values.

Related hexagrams

All three relations have traditional Chinese names (cuo gua for the opposite, zong gua for the inverse, hu gua for the nuclear). Many modern readers use the opposite as the shadow side of a situation, the inverse as the same moment seen from the other side, and the nuclear hexagram as its inner core.

If one line changes

With a single changing line, hexagram 18 turns into:

Learn more: what the I Ching is, how to read changing lines, the eight trigrams, how to cast with coins or yarrow.

Hexagram 18 in love and relationships

In love, this hexagram points to old wounds or habits that need attention, perhaps patterns from your upbringing. Talk them through calmly and work on them together rather than ignoring them.

Hexagram 18 for work and decisions

At work, there may be a neglected system, process, or project that needs fixing. Study how it went wrong, act firmly to repair it, and check on it again afterward.

Questions