I Ching Oracle Result: Transformation from Hexagram 29 with Changing Lines 3, 5, 6 to Hexagram 18

Yin Yang symbol, representing balance

Yì Jīng’s Response: Hexagram 29.3.5.6 -> 18

Old Yin Old Yang Young Yin Old Yin Young Yang Young Yin

29. Repeated Depth

Yang Yin Yin Yang Yang Yin

18. Correction of Decay

29. Repeated Depth (坎 Kǎn)

Trigrams

Above
☵ Kǎn (Water) — 水 · Depth
Below
☵ Kǎn (Water) — 水 · Depth

The Symbolism of Hexagram 29

Hexagram 坎 (Kǎn) describes repeated descent into depth. It represents recurring exposure to danger, requiring continuity of movement and internal stability.

Hexagram 29 Judgment

The Judgment reads:
Original Chinese:
習坎，有孚，維心亨，行有尚。
(Xí kǎn, yǒu fú, wéi xīn hēng, xíng yǒu shàng.)
English Translation:
"Repeated depth. There is underlying alignment. In the heart, there is smooth progress. Movement has value."

The situation involves recurring entry into difficulty. Stability must come from within, not from external conditions.

Continuity of movement is required. Stopping within danger leads to entrapment.

Hexagram 29 Image

The Image reads:
Original Chinese:
水流至坎，習坎。君子以常德行，習教事。
(Shuǐ liú zhì kǎn, xí kǎn. Jūn zǐ yǐ cháng dé xíng, xí jiào shì.)
English Translation:
"Water flows on into the depths: repeated depth. The superior person keeps conduct constant and practices the work of instruction."

Water does not resist the terrain—it continues through it. This reflects persistence through danger rather than avoidance.

Consistency of behavior provides stability when conditions are unstable.

Line 3 Changing

This line reads:
Original Chinese:
來之坎坎，險且枕，入于坎窞，勿用。
(Lái zhī kǎn kǎn, xiǎn qiě zhěn, rù yú kǎn dàn, wù yòng.)
English Translation:
"Approaching depth upon depth. Danger accumulates. Entering a pit within it—do not engage."

Conditions compound rather than resolve. Movement leads deeper into instability.

At this point, action increases risk instead of resolving it.

Line 5 Changing

This line reads:
Original Chinese:
坎不盈，祗既平，无咎。
(Kǎn bù yíng, zhī jì píng, wú jiù.)
English Translation:
"The depth is not filled; it has reached level. No error."

The danger has stabilized and is no longer increasing.

This creates a condition where movement can resume without escalation.

Line 6 Changing

This line reads:
Original Chinese:
係用徽纆，寘于叢棘，三歲不得，凶。
(Xì yòng huī mò, zhì yú cóng jí, sān suì bù dé, xiōng.)
English Translation:
"Bound with cords and placed among thorns. For three cycles, there is no release. Unfavorable outcome."

Entrapment occurs due to prolonged exposure to danger without resolution.

Failure to move through earlier stages results in sustained confinement.

Changing to:

18. Correction of Decay (蠱 Gǔ)

Trigrams

Above
☶ Gèn (Mountain) — 山 · Stillness
Below
☴ Xùn (Wind) — 風 · Penetrating

The Symbolism of Hexagram 18

Hexagram 蠱 (Gǔ) describes a condition of accumulated disorder—something that has been left unattended and has deteriorated over time. It requires deliberate intervention to restore proper structure.

Hexagram 18 Judgment

The Judgment reads:
Original Chinese:
蠱，元亨，利涉大川。先甲三日，後甲三日。
(Gǔ, yuán hēng, lì shè dà chuān. Xiān jiǎ sān rì, hòu jiǎ sān rì.)
English Translation:
"Correction of decay. Origin and smooth progress. It is favorable to undertake a major transition. Three days before, three days after."

This describes a situation requiring active correction of what has been allowed to degrade. Movement is possible, but only through deliberate effort.

The reference to time indicates preparation and follow-through. Repair is not instantaneous—it requires understanding what led to the condition and sustaining the correction beyond the initial change.

Hexagram 18 Image

The Image reads:
Original Chinese:
風行山上，蠱。君子以振民育德。
(Fēng xíng shān shàng, gǔ. Jūn zǐ yǐ zhèn mín yù dé.)
English Translation:
"Wind moves along the mountain: correction of decay. The superior person stirs what is stagnant and cultivates what sustains."

The image shows penetration beneath stillness—movement entering what has become fixed. This reveals underlying disorder.

The response is to activate what has become dormant and rebuild what supports continuity. Correction requires both disruption and renewal.

Peace and wisdom on your journey!

With gratitude,
The I Ching Team