1. The Creative
乾 · qián · Il Creativo · lines from the bottom: 111111
The two trigrams
The Judgement
This hexagram tells you something simple: you are facing a great power, the very power that lies at the origin of things. Six whole lines, all of them full, pure creative energy. The Judgment gives it four qualities, and every one of them concerns you right now. It is great and originating: whatever is being born in your life at this moment, a project, a relationship, a decision, carries within it the drive to grow for real. It is penetrating: it can pass through obstacles and make itself understood, in a job interview just as in a hard family conversation. It is advantageous: handled well, it brings tangible fruit, at work and with money. And it is correct and firm: the strength counts only if it stays honest and steady, with no shortcuts. If you have felt a surge of energy lately, that is no accident. Practical advice: start what you have in mind, but set one clear rule for yourself and keep to it the whole way, because the Creative rewards those who stay true to their own line right to the end.
Source: James Legge, The Yî King (Sacred Books of the East, vol. XVI) (1882) · read the original passage
The Image
The Image is heaven in motion: it never stops, each day it begins its round again, and from this comes the idea of strength. The wise person, Legge says, looks at the sky and nerves himself for ceaseless activity. For you this means something concrete: strength is not a single blow, it is constancy. If you have a goal, at the gym, in a course, in a job you have just started, the secret is to come back to it every day, like the sun rising. Allow yourself rest, but do not walk away: your energy is built to last, not to burn out in one blaze.
Source: James Legge, The Yî King (Sacred Books of the East, vol. XVI) (1882) · read the original passage
The six lines
First line
First line: the dragon lies hidden in the deep, and it is not the time for active doing. If you feel you carry something great inside and nobody sees it yet, this line understands you. Do not force it, do not announce it, do not ask for recognition. This is a season of preparation: study, save, watch. Wait before you sign, before you leave, before you declare yourself. The dragon will come out, but not today.
Source: James Legge, The Yî King (Sacred Books of the East, vol. XVI) (1882) · read the original passage
Second line
Second line: the dragon appears in the field, out in the open, and it will be advantageous to meet with the great man. Your qualities are starting to get noticed, perhaps at the office or among friends. This is not yet the moment to lead, but to be seen and to look for someone more experienced than you: a mentor, the right boss, a trusted adviser. Make the appointment, ask for guidance, let yourself be steered.
Source: James Legge, The Yî King (Sacred Books of the East, vol. XVI) (1882) · read the original passage
Third line
Third line: the superior man is active and vigilant all day long, and in the evening still careful and a little apprehensive. The position is dangerous, yet there will be no mistake. If you are working hard these days and cannot switch off at night, that is no accident: you are crossing a delicate passage, between who you were and who you are becoming. Stay scrupulous, double-check everything, and know that, by doing so, you will not go wrong.
Source: James Legge, The Yî King (Sacred Books of the East, vol. XVI) (1882) · read the original passage
Fourth line
Fourth line: the dragon seems to be leaping up, but is still in the deep. There will be no mistake. You are on the threshold of a choice: changing jobs, moving, taking the big step in a relationship. You can leap or stay, and neither road carries blame. The advice is to try: make the attempt, send the application, explore, knowing that if you step back you have lost nothing.
Source: James Legge, The Yî King (Sacred Books of the East, vol. XVI) (1882) · read the original passage
Fifth line
Fifth line: the dragon is on the wing in the sky, and it will be advantageous to meet with the great man. This is the moment of full achievement: your energy is at its peak and it is being recognised. If you hold a position of responsibility, at home or at work, exercise it with generosity. The advice: surround yourself with people of real worth and listen to them, because even those at the top need a first-rate adviser.
Source: James Legge, The Yî King (Sacred Books of the East, vol. XVI) (1882) · read the original passage
Sixth line
Sixth line: the dragon exceeds the proper limits, and there will be occasion for repentance. Be careful not to overstretch: whoever keeps flying higher and higher, never pausing, ends up isolated and out of touch with the people around. If you notice you are demanding too much, of yourself or of others, this line invites you to slow down, to give something up, and to loosen the bow before it snaps.
Source: James Legge, The Yî King (Sacred Books of the East, vol. XVI) (1882) · read the original passage
When all the lines change
This seventh paragraph applies only when all six lines change together: the whole of heaven, six nines, turns into earth. Legge puts it in one image: a host of dragons appears and gives up its heads, and precisely in that finds good fortune. The meaning for you is simple and demanding: when all the strength is truly on your side, the winning move is not to impose a leader but to give up being one. If you are guiding a group, a family, a project that is working, do not seek the first place: share the credit, let each carry their part. It is the right moment for strength that knows how to be humble, because strength that wants to command alone ends up turning into its opposite.