The 64 hexagrams of the I Ching
I Ching hexagram meanings for all 64 hexagrams. Each hexagram page gives its Chinese name, the judgment in James Legge's public-domain translation, all six lines and a plain-language reading.
1. Creative ForceQiánYou have real strength behind you right now, and the situation responds to steady, purposeful effort.2. Receptive EarthKūnThis is a time to receive, support, and follow rather than lead.3. Difficult BeginningsZhūnYou are at the start of something new, and the start is messy.4. Youthful FollyMéngThere is something here you do not yet understand, and that is fine.5. WaitingXūWhat you want is coming, but not yet.6. ConflictSòngThere is a conflict or a clash of views in your situation.7. The ArmyShīYour situation calls for organization, discipline, and good leadership.8. Holding TogetherBǐThis is a time for joining together.9. Small TamingXiǎo ChùSomething is holding you back for now, but only lightly.10. TreadingLǚYou are stepping close to something powerful, like walking right behind a tiger.11. PeaceTàiThis is a time of harmony and flow.12. StandstillPǐThings are stuck.13. FellowshipTóng RénThis hexagram is about fellowship: people coming together in the open around a shared aim.14. Great PossessionDà YǒuYou hold a lot in your hands right now: talent, support, opportunity, or influence.15. ModestyQiānModesty is the key to your situation.16. EnthusiasmYùThere is energy in the air, a readiness to move and a mood that can carry people along.17. FollowingSuíThis hexagram is about following: adapting to what the time asks, and choosing well whom or what you follow.18. Repairing the SpoiledGǔSomething has gone bad through neglect and now needs repair.19. ApproachLínGood things are drawing near.20. ContemplationGuānThis is a time to step back, look carefully, and understand before acting.21. Biting ThroughShì KèSomething stands in the way and needs to be dealt with directly.22. GraceBìThis hexagram is about grace and beauty: form, style, presentation, and the pleasant surface of things.23. Splitting ApartBōSomething is coming apart, worn away from below until little is left.24. ReturnFùAfter a dark or difficult stretch, something good is coming back.25. InnocenceWú WàngThis hexagram is about innocence: acting from a clear, honest heart without scheming or hidden motives.26. Great TamingDà ChùYou have a lot of power building up inside, and this hexagram asks you to hold it, shape it, and put it to good use.27. NourishmentYíThis hexagram is about nourishment: what you take in and what you give out.28. Great ExceedingDà GuòSomething carries more weight than it was built to hold.29. The Abyss (Water)KǎnYou are in a difficult, perhaps risky situation, and it may feel like one danger follows another.30. Radiance (Fire)LíThis hexagram is about clarity, light, and what you choose to depend on.31. AttractionXiánThere is a mutual pull here, an attraction or influence that moves between two sides.32. DurationHéngThis hexagram is about what lasts.33. RetreatDùnThe tide is running against you for now, and the wise move is a well-timed withdrawal.34. Great PowerDà ZhuàngYou have a lot of force behind you right now, and things can move when you push.35. ProgressJìnThings are rising into the light.36. Darkening of the LightMíng YíThe light is being dimmed.37. The FamilyJiā RénThis hexagram is about the people you live and work closest to, and the roles each one plays.38. OppositionKuíYou and someone else, or two parts of your situation, are pulling in different directions.39. ObstructionJiǎnYou face an obstacle that will not move just because you push at it.40. ReleaseXièA knot is loosening.41. DecreaseSǔnThis is a time of less: less to work with, less room, or a need to cut back on something.42. IncreaseYìThings are growing in your favor.43. BreakthroughGuàiSomething needs to be dealt with, and the time has come to act decisively.44. Coming to MeetGòuSomething is coming toward you, perhaps an offer, a person or an influence, and it may be more powerful than it first looks.45. Gathering TogetherCuìPeople are coming together, and you are part of that gathering.46. Pushing UpwardShēngYou are growing upward step by step, the way a young tree pushes up through the soil.47. ExhaustionKùnYou feel hemmed in, tired, or unheard.48. The WellJǐngThis hexagram points to something deep and lasting that nourishes everyone: a source of value that does not run dry.49. RevolutionGéA real change is due.50. The CauldronDǐngThis hexagram is about nourishing what matters most and giving it the right form.51. Thunder (Shock)ZhènSomething sudden has shaken you or is about to.52. Mountain (Keeping Still)GènIt is time to be still.53. Gradual ProgressJiànThings are moving forward, but slowly and in stages.54. The Marrying MaidenGuī MèiYou are entering a situation where you do not hold the strongest position.55. AbundanceFēngYou are at a high point: a time of fullness, clarity and energy, like the sun at noon.56. The WandererLǚYou are a traveler in unfamiliar territory, literally or in some new situation.57. Wind (Gentle Penetration)XùnGentle, persistent influence works better now than force.58. Lake (Joy)DuìThis is a hexagram of joy, openness and good company.59. DispersionHuànSomething rigid is breaking up and spreading out.60. LimitationJiéThis hexagram is about limits: setting the right ones and keeping them.61. Inner TruthZhōng FúThis hexagram is about genuine sincerity: trust that comes from an honest center and reaches even hard-to-reach people.62. Small ExceedingXiǎo GuòThis is a time for small steps, not big moves.63. After CompletionJì JìThings have come together and something important is completed.64. Before CompletionWèi JìYou are close to the finish, but not quite there.
Find a hexagram from its trigrams
Rows are the upper trigram (lines 4 to 6), columns the lower trigram (lines 1 to 3).
| Upper \ Lower | ☰ Heaven | ☳ Thunder | ☵ Water | ☶ Mountain | ☷ Earth | ☴ Wind | ☲ Fire | ☱ Lake |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ☰ Heaven | 1 | 25 | 6 | 33 | 12 | 44 | 13 | 10 |
| ☳ Thunder | 34 | 51 | 40 | 62 | 16 | 32 | 55 | 54 |
| ☵ Water | 5 | 3 | 29 | 39 | 8 | 48 | 63 | 60 |
| ☶ Mountain | 26 | 27 | 4 | 52 | 23 | 18 | 22 | 41 |
| ☷ Earth | 11 | 24 | 7 | 15 | 2 | 46 | 36 | 19 |
| ☴ Wind | 9 | 42 | 59 | 53 | 20 | 57 | 37 | 61 |
| ☲ Fire | 14 | 21 | 64 | 56 | 35 | 50 | 30 | 38 |
| ☱ Lake | 43 | 17 | 47 | 31 | 45 | 28 | 49 | 58 |
How the 64 hexagrams are paired
The traditional King Wen order puts the hexagrams in 32 pairs, each odd number with the next even one. In 28 pairs the second hexagram is the first turned upside down. In the other 4 pairs (1/2, 27/28, 29/30, 61/62) turning it over would change nothing, because the figure reads the same from both ends, so every line is changed instead.
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