Hexagram 28
Great Preponderance
大過
Upper
Lake · 兌
the joyous, open
Lower
Wind · 巽
the gentle, penetrating
Contemporary judgment
Great preponderance. The beam bends under too much weight. Something in your situation has grown beyond what its structure can sustainably hold. Continuing as-is guarantees breakage. Act now, with both urgency and care, to restore balance before the collapse.
Image
The lake rising above the trees, drowning what should stand in the open air. The superior person, when they stand alone, is not afraid, and when they must withdraw from the world, feels no regret.
Counsel
Acknowledge the overload. Something has to give: some commitment, some expectation, some way of doing things. Choose consciously rather than waiting for circumstances to choose for you. Extraordinary situations sometimes require extraordinary measures; do not cling to ordinary rules here.
The six lines
Numbered from the bottom upward; displayed here from first to sixth.
Line 1
A six at the beginning means: To spread white rushes underneath. No blame.
Line 2
A nine in the second place means: A dry poplar sprouts at the root. An older man takes a young wife. Everything is furthering.
Line 3
A nine in the third place means: The ridgepole sags to the breaking point. Misfortune.
Line 4
A nine in the fourth place means: The ridgepole is braced. Good fortune. If there are ulterior motives, it is humiliating.
Line 5
A nine in the fifth place means: A withered poplar puts forth flowers. An older woman takes a husband. No blame. No praise.
Line 6
A six at the top means: One must go through the water. It goes over one's head. Misfortune. No blame.
Contemporary sections are original app interpretations. Line text comes from the CC0 translation in jesshewitt/i-ching.