Hexagram 49: Revolution
革 Gé · Lake over Fire
A real change is due. This hexagram is about transformation: shedding an old form the way an animal sheds its coat with the seasons. It advises waiting until the time is right and people are ready, then making the change thoroughly and openly. Change that is well timed and done for good reasons earns trust; rushed change does not.
| Number (King Wen order) | 49 |
|---|---|
| Chinese name | 革 (Gé) |
| Upper trigram | ☱ Lake (Duì): joyful, open |
| Lower trigram | ☲ Fire (Lí): clear, bright, clinging |
| Unicode symbol | ䷰ |
On this page (9)
Hexagram 49 in plain words
The lake sits above fire. Water and fire fight each other: the fire may dry up the lake, or the lake may put out the fire. Something has to give. Tradition also points to two daughters in one house whose wishes clash, until a change is unavoidable. It says that on your own day you are believed, and that supreme success follows when regret disappears.
Revolution in this sense means a deep shift in how things are done, not a random upheaval. The commentary links it to the calendar: the wise person studies the seasons and sets time in order, because change works when it follows a natural rhythm. Do not act too early; the first line advises staying put and holding steady. Talk it over, test it, let support build. When the moment comes, commit fully and make the change visible, so people understand what is new and why. Done this way, transformation feels like the turn of a season rather than a disruption. Keep your motives clean, because change made for selfish reasons tends to collapse.
The judgment
(What takes place as indicated by) Ko is believed in only after it has been accomplished. There will be great progress and success. Advantage will come from being firm and correct. (In that case) occasion for repentance will disappear.
Translation: James Legge, 1882 (public domain).
The image
(The trigram representing the waters of) a marsh and that for fire in the midst of them form Ko. The superior man, in accordance with this, regulates his (astronomical) calculations, and makes clear the seasons and times.
From Legge's Appendix II (the Great Symbolism), The Sacred Books of the East, vol. 16, 1882 (public domain).
In plain words: Fire burns inside the lake, two forces that cannot stay as they are. Change has its season: watch the timing closely and make the order of things clear to everyone.
The six lines
Read only the lines that changed in your reading. Lines are counted from the bottom.
Line 1 (bottom)
The first NINE, undivided, shows its subject (as if he were) bound with the skin of a yellow ox.
Stay wrapped in yellow ox hide. The time is not yet right for change; hold firm and do nothing rash.
Line 2
The second SIX, divided, shows its subject making his changes after some time has passed. Action taken will be fortunate. There will be no error.
When your day has come, you can make the change. Moving forward brings good fortune and no blame.
Line 3
The third NINE, undivided, shows that action taken by its subject will be evil. Though he be firm and correct, his position is perilous. If the change (he contemplates) have been three times fully discussed, he will be believed in.
Rushing ahead brings trouble, and sitting still is risky too. When talk of change has gone round three times and settled, commit to it and people will believe you.
Line 4
The fourth NINE, undivided, shows occasion for repentance disappearing (from its subject). Let him be believed in; and though he change (existing) ordinances, there will be good fortune.
Regret disappears, and people trust you. Changing the old order now brings good fortune.
Line 5
The fifth NINE, undivided, shows the great man (producing his changes) as the tiger (does when he) changes (his stripes). Before he divines (and proceeds to action), faith has been reposed in him.
The great person changes like a tiger, boldly and clearly. Even before consulting any oracle, people believe in the change.
Line 6 (top)
The sixth SIX, divided, shows the superior man producing his changes as the leopard (does when he) changes (his spots), while small men change their faces (and show their obedience). To go forward (now) would lead to evil, but there will be good fortune in abiding firm and correct.
The wise person changes like a leopard, refining details, while others change only on the surface. Pushing further brings trouble; settle down and consolidate.
Related hexagrams
| Opposite (every line changed) | 4. Youthful Folly |
|---|---|
| Inverse (turned upside down) | 50. The Cauldron |
| Nuclear (lines 2 to 5) | 44. Coming to Meet |
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 49 turns into:
| Line 1 changes | Hexagram 31, Attraction |
|---|---|
| Line 2 changes | Hexagram 43, Breakthrough |
| Line 3 changes | Hexagram 17, Following |
| Line 4 changes | Hexagram 63, After Completion |
| Line 5 changes | Hexagram 55, Abundance |
| Line 6 changes | Hexagram 13, Fellowship |
Learn more: what the I Ching is, how to read changing lines, the eight trigrams, how to cast with coins or yarrow.
Hexagram 49 in love and relationships
In love, a relationship may need a real change in how you relate to each other. Talk it through, wait for the right time, and then make the change wholeheartedly.
Hexagram 49 for work and decisions
At work, a reorganization, new direction or major change may be due. Build agreement first, act when the timing is right, and explain the change clearly.
Questions
What does hexagram 49 mean?
A real change is due. This hexagram is about transformation: shedding an old form the way an animal sheds its coat with the seasons. It advises waiting until the time is right and people are ready, then making the change thoroughly and openly. Change that is well timed and done for good reasons earns trust; rushed change does not.
What does hexagram 49 mean in love?
In love, a relationship may need a real change in how you relate to each other. Talk it through, wait for the right time, and then make the change wholeheartedly.
What does hexagram 49 mean for work?
At work, a reorganization, new direction or major change may be due. Build agreement first, act when the timing is right, and explain the change clearly.
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