I Ching hexagram · 40 of 64
Hexagram 40: Deliverance 解 Xiè · Release, relief, forgiveness
The knot loosens. Forgive and move on quickly. The south-west is favourable. If there is nowhere further to go, returning brings good fortune. If there is still somewhere to go, hurrying brings good fortune.
- Upper: ☳ Thunder
- Lower: ☵ Water
- Nuclear: 63
- Opposite: 37
Number
40 of 64
Chinese name
解 Xiè
Upper trigram
☳ Thunder
Lower trigram
☵ Water
Nuclear hexagram
䷾ 63. After Completion
Opposite hexagram
䷤ 37. The Family
What hexagram 40 means
Hexagram 40 shows thunder and rain breaking the tension of a storm. It describes deliverance: the release that follows obstruction, when knots are untied and things move again.
Once the danger has passed, return to normal life quickly and simply. Forgive, clear up what remains and don't dwell on the past.
The Judgement · 卦辞
解：利西南，无所往，其来复吉。有攸往，夙吉。
The south-west is favourable. If there is nowhere further to go, returning brings good fortune. If there is still somewhere to go, hurrying brings good fortune.
The Image · 象曰
雷雨作，解；君子以赦过宥罪。
Thunder and rain set in: the image of deliverance. The noble person pardons mistakes and forgives misdeeds.
The lines and trigrams
Deliverance places ☳ Thunder (震 Zhèn), the trigram of movement and arousal, above ☵ Water (坎 Kǎn), the trigram of danger and depth. The lower trigram describes the inner situation and the upper trigram the outer world.
A hexagram is read from the bottom line up. Lines 1 to 3 form the lower trigram and lines 4 to 6 the upper trigram. Solid lines are yang and broken lines are yin; in the traditional names a yang line is called Nine (九) and a yin line Six (六).
Hexagram 40 in your life
Love and relationships
Tension eases and old problems dissolve. Forgive, let go of grudges and enjoy the relief.
Personal growth
Release what has been weighing on you. Forgiveness frees you as much as it frees others.
The six changing lines
If you cast hexagram 40 and some lines come out as changing lines, read the text for those lines, then turn each one into its opposite to find the hexagram your situation is moving towards. See how to consult the I Ching.
Line 1 初六 · Six at the beginning
No blame.
Line 2 九二 · Nine in the second place
In the field you catch three foxes and receive a yellow arrow. Honesty and moderation bring good fortune.
Line 3 六三 · Six in the third place
Carrying a load on your back while riding in a carriage invites robbers. Claiming a position you haven't earned brings humiliation.
Line 4 九四 · Nine in the fourth place
Free yourself from your big toe. Let go of clinging hangers-on, and true friends arrive.
Line 5 六五 · Six in the fifth place
If the noble person can free themselves, there is good fortune, and even petty people come to respect it.
Line 6 上六 · Six at the top
The prince shoots at a hawk on a high wall and hits it. The last obstacle is removed: everything furthers.
Hexagram 40 questions, answered
What does I Ching hexagram 40 mean?
Hexagram 40, Deliverance (解 Xiè), is about release, relief, forgiveness. The knot loosens. Forgive and move on quickly. Hexagram 40 shows thunder and rain breaking the tension of a storm. It describes deliverance: the release that follows obstruction, when knots are untied and things move again.
What does hexagram 40 mean in love?
Tension eases and old problems dissolve. Forgive, let go of grudges and enjoy the relief.
What does hexagram 40 mean for work and money?
Problems resolve and blockages clear. Tidy up loose ends quickly and get back to work.
Which trigrams make up hexagram 40?
Hexagram 40 has Thunder (Zhèn) as its upper trigram and Water (Kǎn) as its lower trigram.
What are the related hexagrams of hexagram 40?
Its nuclear hexagram is 63, After Completion. Its opposite, with every line changed, is 37, The Family. Turned upside down it becomes 39, Obstruction.
All 64 hexagrams
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