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Hexagram 40: Deliverance
解 · Xiè
Deliverance. The southwest furthers. When there is no longer anything to be done, return. When there is still something to be done, set out early — good fortune.Judgment 卦辭
Thunder and rain arise: the image of Deliverance. The superior man pardons mistakes and forgives misdeeds.Image 象辭
Core Meaning of Hexagram 40
Hexagram 40 is the storm breaking — thunder and rain after long pressure, the knot dissolving. Deliverance is the exhale after Obstruction (39): tensions resolve, misunderstandings clear, the logjam moves. Its two-part instruction is precise: if nothing remains to do, return to normal life quickly; if action is still needed, go early, while the freeing energy is live.
Hexagram 40 in a Reading
In a reading, the difficulty is ending — or it will the moment you stop squeezing it. Move fast where movement is still required (the early start secures the release), then return to ordinary rhythms and do not dramatize the aftermath. The image’s ethics matter: pardon. Settle accounts generously, forgive the misdeeds around the crisis, and let everyone including yourself walk free.
Common Questions
What does hexagram 40 mean?
Hexagram 40 is the storm breaking — thunder and rain after long pressure, the knot dissolving. Read the full meaning above, or cast your own reading with our free online I Ching coins.
What is the structure of hexagram 40?
Hexagram 40 is built from the trigram Thunder above and Water below — binary 010100 read from the bottom line to the top. Deliverance is King Wen number 40 of the 64 hexagrams.
Related Hexagrams
Other Hexagrams with Trigram Thunder Above
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