The 64 Hexagrams of The I Ching in Key Words

The Hexagrams Key Words

Hexagram one: Heavenly Father, the dynamic force, the creative life, jang, primal power, kundalini energies.

Hex two: Magnetic Earth, the receptive, Earthly Mother, nature, jin, the field, passive, yielding.

Hex three: Sprouting difficulties, growing pains, difficulty in the growing years, bursting forth, hardships, try to do it and you will be rewarded.

Hex four: Youth is wasted on the young, folly, inexperience, asking questions you shouldn't, being covered, darkness.

Hex five: Attending, waiting, time span, patience, watering, nourishment.

Hex six: Arguing, stress, conflict, litigation, mind your step, lawsuits, contention, even with the best of intentions you will meet obstruction.

Hex seven: Leaders, the army, discipline, group action, willpower, a good strong man.

Hex Eight: Holding together, union, assistance, integration, merging, accord.

Hex Nine: Passive restrain, the taming power of the small, nurturance of the small, small forces can still restrain weak forces.

Hex Ten: Advance cautiously, tread carefully, proceed at your own risk, tread so carefully that if you stood on a tigers tail he would not feel it and attack, proper conduct, don't be a fool.

Hex 11: Tranquility, peace, harmony, success, holy marriage, prospering, tranquility, great prospects for a union.

Hex 12: Obstruction, divorce, standstill, separation, closing, stagnation,

Jin supporting Jang is wrong and will lead to separation.

Hex 13: Union of forces, fellowship of man, like minded people, friends, a shared goal.

Hex 14: Great measure of wealth, abundance, having what is great, count your blessings for there are many.

Hex 15: Temperance, modesty, humility, humbling, retiring, a mind without prejudice.

Hex 16: Harmonious repose, joy, happiness, content, excitement, self confident, harmonised.

Hex 17: Acquiring followers, adjusting, quit your old ways, conform with the work.

Hex 18: Repair, work on that which has been spoiled, arresting decay, corrupting, mutated genetic inheritance.

Hex 19: Approach, advance, oversee, two things which are good approaching each other that haven't been seen in some time, condescension, promotion.

Hex 20: Contemplation, steady observation, viewing, looking up, looking, down, admiration, perception of the work.

Hex 21: Discernment, biting through, gnawing at, getting the message, reform, something that should be chewed over, restrictions of the law can still bring advantage. This is the legal hexagram.

Hex 22: Persona, grace, style, elegance, luxury, adornment, beauty, conceit, vanity, whats going on inside is more important than the outer.

Hex 23: Disintegration, splitting apart, peeling or stripping away, collapse, fracture, physical parting.

Hex 24: Return, turning point, recovery, revival, return to happier times.

Hex 25: Innocence, the unexpected, simple, instinctively good, keep calm and carry on.

Hex 26: Controlled power, great power, the taming power, potential energy, the taming of the shrew. Get that power controlled and put it to good use.

Hex 27: Nourishment, swallowing, to feed, lower jaw, balanced diet.

Hex 28: The passing of greatness, critical mass, great gains, excess greatness, law of Karma.

Hex 29: Danger, The Abyss, sense of falling, double pitfall, entrapment,

perilous pit, deep dark forces, whatever happens remain true to yourself.

Hex 30: Clarity, the clinging, bright light, flaming beauty, radiance, fire, the net, sunlight, perception, lucidity.

Hex 31: Initiative, wooing, sensation, stimulation, sensitivity, affection, persuading, seeking union, and a response.

Hex 32: Consistent, long duration, holding firm, constant in the midst of change, like the planets a constant.

Hex 33: Retreat, withdraw, pull back, yielding, separate from inferior forces if something better comes along.

Hex 34: Great people, power, accumulated forces, the power of the might, righteous power.

Hex 35: Passive restraint, advance of consciousness, prosper, get ahead, suddenly get the idea, it dawns on you.

Hex 36: Clouded perception, the darkening of the light, injury, wounding of the bright, hiding ones light, the dark night of the soul.

Hex 37: The family, family, life, home, dwelling with people, the psyche, can and should help, people in the home, dwell with the people and care for each other.

Hex 38: Mutual alienation, estranged, opposites, disharmony, polarised, separated, incongruous, contradiction, this is about things that are connected that perhaps should not be, success in small steps, understands that some things are opposing forces and finds a way to handle it.

Hex 39: Impasse, obstruction, difficulty moving, barriers, sit tight and don't move, wait for help.

Hex 40: Liberation, deliverance, loosen, take apart, untangle, release tension, once released stability is possible.

Hex 41: Compensating sacrifice, decrease, lessen, reduce, decrease in lower qualities can mean an increase in higher.

Hex 42: Addition, gain, increase, help from above, advantage, profit, expansion.

Hex 43: Breakthrough, resolution, decision, determination, parting, resolute, removing corruption.

Hex 44: Temptation, coming to meet, meeting, contact, sexual intercourse, inferior men, beware a situation appearing harmless but potentially dangerous.

Hex 45: Contraction, discipline, gather together, gather into one, unity, accord, make whole, clustering, finished.

Hex 46: Rising and advancement, moving up, ascension, sprouting from the Earth, organic growth, ascending pushing up.

Hex 47: Exhaustion, repressed and confined, adversity, weariness, entangled, hardship, depression, actions speak louder than words and words are often not believed.

Hex 48: The well spring, full of potential, the source, the deep psyche, transformations, the generations coming and going, the continuance of life.

Hex 49: Metamorphosis, symbol of change, skin removed, on the day of completion you will have faith.

Hex 50: The sacrificial vessel, the cauldron, cosmic order, the alchemical vessel, a complete transformation of a person or subject.

Hex 51: Shock, thunder, the arousing, thunderclaps, the ability to stay calm in a crisis, sudden change.

Hex 52: Keeping still, stop and check, bound, resting pose, meditation, yoga, like a game of statues no matter what you don't move.

Hex 53: Gradual progress, advancing, growth, development, step by step, slow but strong.

Hex 54: Propriety, make do, the first step on the path, forcing the marriage of the younger sister, impropriety, improper advances, life, death, sex, birth, a warning sign.

Hex 55: Abundance, fullness, prosperity, increased awareness, richness, luxury, fruitful, you will always have enough for your needs with a little to spare but not overly rich.

Hex 56: Transition, the wanderer, traveller, exile, strangers, outsiders, aliens, the gnostic, homeless.

Hex 57: Penetration, gentle wind bending to enter, willing submission, the penetration of the winds, humility.

Hex 58: Joy, happiness, open, encouragement, delight, self indulgent, frivolous, persevering.

Hex 59: Dispersion, expansion, scattering, evaporation, reuniting, reshuffle, catharsis, temple.

Hex 60: Restrictive regulations, limitations, containment, articulating,

galling limitations that must be accepted if you want success.

Hex 61: Inner truth, sincerity, confidence, centred, insight, understanding, the psyche, take the middle road to avoid extremes.

Hex 62: Small powers, accumulations get by, slight excess, conscientious, don't fly too high too soon it can lead to disaster.

Hex 63: After completion, settled, what is already past, your mission should you wish to accept it, the end, a state of climax. Note 63 not 64 is the end.

Hex 64: Before completion, unfinished business, what is not already past, tasks not yet completed, before the end, a state of transition. Is 64 the new Zero point.