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Hexagram 54: The Marrying Maiden
歸妹 · Guī Mèi
The Marrying Maiden. Undertakings bring misfortune. Nothing that would further.Judgment 卦辭
Thunder over the lake: the image of The Marrying Maiden. The superior man understands the transitory in the light of the eternity of the end.Image 象辭
Core Meaning of Hexagram 54
Hexagram 54 is the compromised union — thunder above the lake: a relationship or arrangement entered from weakness, on unequal terms, the junior partner position. The classical case is the concubine; the modern ones are everywhere — the bad job taken from need, the relationship accepted on humiliating terms. ‘Nothing that would further’: do not launch ventures from this base.
Hexagram 54 in a Reading
In a reading, examine your seat: are you in a role you chose, or one you accepted because it was better than nothing? The counsel is acceptance without illusion — if you must occupy the subordinate place now, do it without resentment and without pretending it is what it is not. But do not build on it; do not undertake the great thing from the weak position. Understand the transitory, and plan the exit that dignity allows.
Common Questions
What does hexagram 54 mean?
Hexagram 54 is the compromised union — thunder above the lake: a relationship or arrangement entered from weakness, on unequal terms, the junior partner position. Read the full meaning above, or cast your own reading with our free online I Ching coins.
What is the structure of hexagram 54?
Hexagram 54 is built from the trigram Thunder above and Lake below — binary 110100 read from the bottom line to the top. The Marrying Maiden is King Wen number 54 of the 64 hexagrams.
Related Hexagrams
Other Hexagrams with Trigram Thunder Above
Keywords: i ching hexagram 54, hexagram 54 meaning, the marrying maiden, gui mei, thunder over lake, the subordinate position, compromising situations, unequal relationship