Hexagram 40: Release
解 Xiè · Thunder over Water
A knot is loosening. After a period of tension or difficulty, things are starting to release, like a storm that clears the air. This hexagram advises you to move promptly to settle what remains, forgive what can be forgiven, and then return to normal life. Do not linger in the old struggle once the release has come.
| Number (King Wen order) | 40 |
|---|---|
| Chinese name | 解 (Xiè) |
| Upper trigram | ☳ Thunder (Zhèn): arousing, moving |
| Lower trigram | ☵ Water (Kǎn): deep, dangerous, flowing |
| Unicode symbol | ䷧ |
On this page (9)
Hexagram 40 in plain words
Thunder rolls above water: a spring storm breaks and the rain falls, and the tension that built up through winter is released. Buds open, the air clears, and life starts moving again. Tradition says the southwest is favorable, and that if nothing more needs doing, returning to ordinary life is best, but if something remains, do it quickly.
The practical sense is twofold. First, when relief comes, use it well. Resolve leftover problems promptly and do not keep fighting old battles. The wise person, the commentary says, forgives mistakes and pardons wrongs, because grudges keep the knot tied. Second, watch out for what tagged along during the hard times: habits, people or roles that do not belong in the new situation. Several lines are about getting rid of these, from foxes in the field to a hawk on a wall. Release is a turning point, not a finish line. Handle it with a light touch, cut away what is clearly harmful, and let things settle into a healthier rhythm.
The judgment
In (the state indicated by) Kieh advantage will be found in the south-west. If no (further) operations be called for, there will be good fortune in coming back (to the old conditions). If some operations be called for, there will be good fortune in the early conducting of them.
Translation: James Legge, 1882 (public domain).
The image
(The trigram representing) thunder and that for rain, with these phenomena in a state of manifestation, form Kieh. The superior man, in accordance with this, forgives errors, and deals gently with crimes.
From Legge's Appendix II (the Great Symbolism), The Sacred Books of the East, vol. 16, 1882 (public domain).
In plain words: Thunder and rain break the tension and the air clears. Release what weighs on you: forgive mistakes and be gentle with the faults of others.
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 that its subject will commit no error.
There is no blame. The tension has eased; rest and recover.
Line 2
The second NINE, undivided, shows its subject catch, in hunting, three foxes, and obtain the yellow (= golden) arrows. With firm correctness there will be good fortune.
You catch three foxes in the field and receive a yellow arrow. Root out sly influences by honest means, keep to the middle way, and good fortune follows.
Line 3
The third SIX, divided, shows a porter with his burden, (yet) riding in a carriage. He will (only) tempt robbers to attack him. However firm and correct he may (try to) be, there will be cause for regret.
You carry a load on your back yet ride in a carriage, showing off a position you have not earned. That invites thieves; keep on this way and you are embarrassed.
Line 4
(To the subject of) The fourth NINE, undivided, (it is said), 'Remove your toes. Friends will (then) come, between you and whom there will be mutual confidence.'
Free yourself from your big toe, a hanger-on or habit that holds you down. Then real friends can come, and you can trust them.
Line 5
The fifth SIX, divided, shows (its subject), the superior man (= the ruler), executing his function of removing (whatever is injurious to the idea of the hexagram), in which case there will be good fortune, and confidence in him will be shown even by the small men.
Only the wise person can free themselves, and doing so brings good fortune. When you show that you mean it, those with poor intentions withdraw.
Line 6 (top)
In the sixth SIX, divided, we see a feudal prince (with his bow) shooting at a falcon on the top of a high wall, and hitting it. (The effect of his action) will be in every way advantageous.
The prince shoots a hawk on a high wall and brings it down. Remove the last stubborn obstacle at the right moment, and everything goes well.
Related hexagrams
| Opposite (every line changed) | 37. The Family |
|---|---|
| Inverse (turned upside down) | 39. Obstruction |
| Nuclear (lines 2 to 5) | 63. After Completion |
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 40 turns into:
| Line 1 changes | Hexagram 54, The Marrying Maiden |
|---|---|
| Line 2 changes | Hexagram 16, Enthusiasm |
| Line 3 changes | Hexagram 32, Duration |
| Line 4 changes | Hexagram 7, The Army |
| Line 5 changes | Hexagram 47, Exhaustion |
| Line 6 changes | Hexagram 64, Before Completion |
Learn more: what the I Ching is, how to read changing lines, the eight trigrams, how to cast with coins or yarrow.
Hexagram 40 in love and relationships
In love, tension is easing. Forgive what you can, talk openly, and let the relationship breathe again instead of reopening old arguments.
Hexagram 40 for work and decisions
At work, a blockage is clearing. Tie up loose ends quickly, drop what no longer fits, and get back to a steady routine.
Questions
What does hexagram 40 mean?
A knot is loosening. After a period of tension or difficulty, things are starting to release, like a storm that clears the air. This hexagram advises you to move promptly to settle what remains, forgive what can be forgiven, and then return to normal life. Do not linger in the old struggle once the release has come.
What does hexagram 40 mean in love?
In love, tension is easing. Forgive what you can, talk openly, and let the relationship breathe again instead of reopening old arguments.
What does hexagram 40 mean for work?
At work, a blockage is clearing. Tie up loose ends quickly, drop what no longer fits, and get back to a steady routine.
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