Before Completion

Upper trigram: Fire (illuminating, clinging) · Lower trigram: Water (deep, perilous, flowing)

Judgment

Fire above water: two forces have not yet exchanged places and not yet joined; incompletion. This hexagram speaks of an unfinished task, a period of transition and the value of careful advance. If the little fox wets its tail when almost across, haste can leave a job half done. Every end is a beginning, and every beginning asks for its own care.

Image

Fire above water: before completion. The noble-minded carefully distinguish things and set each in its own place.

Meaning of the six lines (bottom to top)

1. 1Line 1 (from the bottom)Wets the tail: embarrassment. Venturing in unprepared can lead to difficulty at the start.
2. 2Line 2 (from the bottom)Brakes the wheels: steadiness is good. Reining in a strong urge with patience lets the right time wait.
3. 3Line 3 (from the bottom)Pressing ahead in incompletion is read as unfavourable; yet crossing a great water is favorable. Gathering helpers and advancing is possible.
4. 4Line 4 (from the bottom)Steadiness is good; regret vanishes. A shaking effort is needed to prevail in a far place; after three years a great country rewards.
5. 5Line 5 (from the bottom)Steadiness is good, no regret. The mature one’s light carries sincere trust; good results follow.
6. 6Line 6 (from the bottom)Drinking wine with confidence: no error, yet if the head is wet, honesty may be lost; keeping measure in victory matters.