Hexagram 54
The Marrying Maiden
歸妹 · 귀매
Thunder over Lake
The Judgment
A marriage entered from a subordinate or irregular position reveals the hazards of acting where the proper order is incomplete. Attraction and movement are present, but they do not themselves establish rightful authority or a lasting bond. To press forward as though one commanded the circumstances invites misfortune, and no chosen undertaking gains a secure advantage. Recognize the limits of your place, examine the end concealed within the beginning, and avoid promises that desire can make but duty cannot sustain.
The Image
Thunder stirs above the lake: movement rises from pleasure, and feeling readily outruns reflection. The noble one considers the enduring shape of relationships and recognizes the defects that may undermine them. By looking beyond the delight of an encounter, one preserves responsibility toward its eventual consequences.
In the light of the Dao
Desire would make the passing wave into a permanent shore. The way counsels neither grasping nor self-abasement, but clear acceptance of what a situation can bear. Where the place is secondary, do not manufacture supremacy. Yielding is wisdom only when it preserves inward truth rather than disguising dependence.
The two trigrams
Upper · outer
☳Thunder
Arousing, movement · Eldest son
Lower · inner
☱Lake
Joyous, open · Youngest daughter
The six lines
Read from the bottom up. A line speaks only when it moves — when the cast gives it as 6 or 9.
First line · the beginning · yang, nine
The maiden enters as a junior wife, without the authority of the principal partner. Like one who walks despite lameness, she can still perform a useful part. Movement brings good fortune when its scope is honestly accepted and faithfully fulfilled.
Second line · the inner centre · yang, nine
One who sees with only one eye still possesses useful sight. The relationship offers less companionship or recognition than was hoped for. Preserve the quiet fidelity of a solitary person; inward constancy remains beneficial even when outward union is deficient.
Third line · the threshold · yin, six
The maiden seeks marriage while occupying an unsuitable place, and returns to enter only in a lesser station. Impatient longing has not secured dignity. Recognize how compromised beginnings restrict the outcome, and do not mistake mere admission for a rightly founded union.
Fourth line · the minister · yang, nine
The maiden allows the expected season of marriage to pass rather than accept an unworthy arrangement. Delay here is not failure. A fitting occasion will come in its own time; preserve discernment and do not let social pressure choose your bond.
Fifth line · the ruler · yin, six
A royal maiden is given in marriage, yet her garments are less splendid than those of her attendant. True rank needs no contest of display. Like the moon approaching fullness, modest dignity gathers strength; gracious restraint makes the union fortunate.
Top line · the end · yin, six
The woman presents an empty basket, and the man sacrifices a sheep from which no blood flows. The forms of union remain, but their substance is absent. Nothing benefits from continuing the display; acknowledge the emptiness instead of decorating it.