I Ching hexagram · 49 of 64
Hexagram 49: Revolution 革 Gé · Change, reform, transformation
Change at the right time, with support behind you. On your own day you are believed. Supreme success. Perseverance brings benefit. Remorse disappears.
- Upper: ☱ Lake
- Lower: ☲ Fire
- Nuclear: 44
- Opposite: 4
Number
49 of 64
Chinese name
革 Gé
Upper trigram
☱ Lake
Lower trigram
☲ Fire
Nuclear hexagram
䷫ 44. Coming to Meet
Opposite hexagram
䷃ 4. Youthful Folly
What hexagram 49 means
Hexagram 49 shows fire inside a lake, two elements that cannot exist together: one must change the other. Its Chinese name first meant an animal's hide being moulted. It describes revolution, reform and deep transformation.
Change succeeds only when the time is ripe and people trust it. Prepare carefully, act at the right moment, and make sure the change is truly needed and just.
The Judgement · 卦辞
革：己日乃孚，元亨利贞，悔亡。
On your own day you are believed. Supreme success. Perseverance brings benefit. Remorse disappears.
The Image · 象曰
泽中有火，革；君子以治历明时。
Fire in the lake: the image of revolution. The noble person sets the calendar in order and makes the seasons clear.
The lines and trigrams
Revolution places ☱ Lake (兑 Duì), the trigram of joy and openness, above ☲ Fire (离 Lí), the trigram of clarity and brightness. 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 49 in your life
Love and relationships
The relationship goes through a major transformation. Let old patterns go and build a new understanding at a pace you can both accept.
Personal growth
Shed what you have outgrown. Real transformation is timely and well prepared.
The six changing lines
If you cast hexagram 49 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 初九 · Nine at the beginning
Bound with the hide of a yellow ox. Hold back: it is too early to change.
Line 2 六二 · Six in the second place
When the day comes, make the change. Setting out brings good fortune; no blame.
Line 3 九三 · Nine in the third place
Starting too hastily brings misfortune. When talk of change has gone round three times, people will trust it.
Line 4 九四 · Nine in the fourth place
Remorse disappears. With people's trust, changing the order brings good fortune.
Line 5 九五 · Nine in the fifth place
The great person changes like a tiger. The change is so clear that people trust it even before consulting the oracle.
Line 6 上六 · Six at the top
The noble person changes like a panther, the petty person only changes their face. Pushing further brings misfortune; consolidating brings good fortune.
Hexagram 49 questions, answered
What does I Ching hexagram 49 mean?
Hexagram 49, Revolution (革 Gé), is about change, reform, transformation. Change at the right time, with support behind you. Hexagram 49 shows fire inside a lake, two elements that cannot exist together: one must change the other. Its Chinese name first meant an animal's hide being moulted. It describes revolution, reform and deep transformation.
What does hexagram 49 mean in love?
The relationship goes through a major transformation. Let old patterns go and build a new understanding at a pace you can both accept.
What does hexagram 49 mean for work and money?
Reform, restructuring or a career change. Time it well, explain the reasons and win trust before you act.
Which trigrams make up hexagram 49?
Hexagram 49 has Lake (Duì) as its upper trigram and Fire (Lí) as its lower trigram.
What are the related hexagrams of hexagram 49?
Its nuclear hexagram is 44, Coming to Meet. Its opposite, with every line changed, is 4, Youthful Folly. Turned upside down it becomes 50, The Cauldron.
All 64 hexagrams
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