Hexagram 12
Standstill
否
Upper
Heaven · 乾
the creative, strong
Lower
Earth · 坤
the receptive, yielding
Contemporary judgment
Standstill. The great and the small no longer meet. Heaven and earth have turned away from each other, and communication has broken. Do not attempt to force connection with those whose values have diverged from your own. Withdraw, preserve your integrity, and wait for the turning.
Image
Heaven above, Earth below, separating from each other. The superior person holds to their worth and stays clear of what is corrupt.
Counsel
Do not sell your principles for access or advantage. Whatever you compromise here will cost more than it earns. Simplify your life; reduce your exposure to what exhausts you. This is a season of endurance. It will not last forever, but it asks you to remain whole while it does.
The six lines
Numbered from the bottom upward; displayed here from first to sixth.
Line 1
A six at the beginning means: When one pulls out ribbon grass, the sod comes with it. Each after its kind. Perseverance brings good fortune and success.
Line 2
A six in the second place means: They bear and endure; this means good fortune for the petty. For the great man, Standstill serves to bring success.
Line 3
A six in the third place means: They bear shame.
Line 4
A nine in the fourth place means: Whoever acts on the command of the Most High remains without blame. Those of like mind enjoy the blessing.
Line 5
A nine in the fifth place means: Standstill is giving way. Good fortune for the great man! "If it should fail, if it should fail!" He ties it therefore to a cluster of mulberry shoots.
Line 6
A nine at the top means: The Standstill ceases. First Standstill, then good fortune!
Contemporary sections are original app interpretations. Line text comes from the CC0 translation in jesshewitt/i-ching.