Hexagram 54, Guī Mèi (The Marrying Maiden): Line 6 (top)

归妹卦上六 · 雷泽归妹 · 中文版

上六:女承筐无实,士刲羊无血,无攸利。

The line (Legge)

The sixth SIX, divided, shows the young lady bearing the basket, but without anything in it, and the gentleman slaughtering the sheep, but without blood flowing from it. There will be no advantage in any way.

Small Image commentary

'(What is said in) the sixth SIX, (divided),about there being nothing in the basket' shows that the subject of it is carrying an empty basket.

象曰:上六无实,承虚筐也。

In plain words

The woman holds a basket with nothing in it; the man stabs the sheep but no blood flows: nothing is gained. These are wedding rites performed without substance, a picture of name without reality. The top line is at the end of the hexagram and has no correspondence with the third. The Small Image says it holds an empty basket.

Applying it to your situation

This line is a reminder that a relationship of form without substance cannot last. How much between you is real?

Position

A broken (yin) line in the top place, which is a yin (even) place, so it is in its proper place. Its partner is line 3; both are yin, so they do not respond.

If this line moves

With this line moving alone, Guī Mèi changes into Hexagram 38 Kuí (Opposition). The Jiaoshi Yilin verse for this change (Chinese): 焦氏易林·归妹之睽.

The hexagram

Hexagram 54 Guī Mèi (The Marrying Maiden). The Judgment: Gui Mei indicates that (under the conditions which it denotes) action will be evil, and in no wise advantageous.

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English text: James Legge, The Yi King (Sacred Books of the East, vol. 16, 1882), public domain, as transcribed by the Chinese Text Project. Chinese: the received text. Offered for study and reflection, not as prediction. Plain-English readings and position notes by this site.

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