Home / Hexagrams / Hexagram 24
Hexagram 24: Return
復 · Fù
Return. Success. Going out and in without error. Friends come without blame. On the seventh day comes return. It furthers one to go somewhere.Judgment 卦辭
Thunder within the earth: the image of the Turning Point. The kings of antiquity closed the borders at the solstice; merchants and strangers did not travel, and the ruler did not inspect the regions.Image 象辭
Core Meaning of Hexagram 24
Hexagram 24 is the winter solstice of the soul — one yang line reborn at the bottom of five yin, thunder sleeping under the earth. After Stripting Apart (23), the turning point: the natural return of light, health, motive, presence. The ‘seventh day’ is nature’s rhythm — return comes on schedule, not on demand.
Hexagram 24 in a Reading
In a reading, the corner has turned — or is about to. What returns is small at first: one line of light, one good day, one honest impulse. Protect it; do not demand summer in the first week of returning spring. Rest, let the momentum build quietly (the ancients even closed the passes at solstice), and travel lightly. Comebacks fail by being rushed, not by being slow.
Common Questions
What does hexagram 24 mean?
Hexagram 24 is the winter solstice of the soul — one yang line reborn at the bottom of five yin, thunder sleeping under the earth. Read the full meaning above, or cast your own reading with our free online I Ching coins.
What is the structure of hexagram 24?
Hexagram 24 is built from the trigram Earth above and Thunder below — binary 100000 read from the bottom line to the top. Return is King Wen number 24 of the 64 hexagrams.
Related Hexagrams
Other Hexagrams with Trigram Earth Above
Keywords: i ching hexagram 24, hexagram 24 meaning, return, fu, turning point, solstice, comeback, earth over thunder, renewal