I Ching hexagram · 64 of 64
Hexagram 64: Before Completion 未济 Wèi Jì · Transition, potential, care
Almost there. Finish with care. Success. But if the little fox, almost across, gets its tail wet in the water, there is nothing that would further.
- Upper: ☲ Fire
- Lower: ☵ Water
- Nuclear: 63
- Opposite: 63
Number
64 of 64
Chinese name
未济 Wèi Jì
Upper trigram
☲ Fire
Lower trigram
☵ Water
Nuclear hexagram
䷾ 63. After Completion
Opposite hexagram
䷾ 63. After Completion
What hexagram 64 means
Hexagram 64 ends the I Ching not with completion but with a new beginning. Fire sits above water and every line is out of place, yet each has a partner: order is possible but has not yet been reached.
The transition is almost made. Like a young fox crossing the river, be careful right to the end. Patience, discernment and putting things in their right place bring success.
The Judgement · 卦辞
未济：亨。小狐汔济，濡其尾，无攸利。
Success. But if the little fox, almost across, gets its tail wet in the water, there is nothing that would further.
The Image · 象曰
火在水上，未济；君子以慎辨物居方。
Fire over water: the image of the condition before completion. The noble person carefully distinguishes things, so that each finds its proper place.
The lines and trigrams
Before Completion places ☲ Fire (离 Lí), the trigram of clarity and brightness, 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 64 in your life
Love and relationships
A relationship in transition and full of potential. Be patient and careful; don't assume it is settled yet.
Personal growth
Every ending is a new beginning. Approach the next stage carefully and with hope.
The six changing lines
If you cast hexagram 64 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
He gets his tail wet. Humiliation from acting too soon.
Line 2 九二 · Nine in the second place
He brakes his wheels. Perseverance brings good fortune.
Line 3 六三 · Six in the third place
Before completion, attacking brings misfortune. It helps to cross the great water with fresh strength.
Line 4 九四 · Nine in the fourth place
Perseverance brings good fortune and remorse disappears. Shaken into action, he disciplines the Devil's Country, and after three years great rewards come.
Line 5 六五 · Six in the fifth place
Perseverance brings good fortune, no remorse. The light of the noble person is true: good fortune.
Line 6 上九 · Nine at the top
Drinking wine in genuine confidence: no blame. But if you get your head wet, you lose it.
Hexagram 64 questions, answered
What does I Ching hexagram 64 mean?
Hexagram 64, Before Completion (未济 Wèi Jì), is about transition, potential, care. Almost there. Finish with care. Hexagram 64 ends the I Ching not with completion but with a new beginning. Fire sits above water and every line is out of place, yet each has a partner: order is possible but has not yet been reached.
What does hexagram 64 mean in love?
A relationship in transition and full of potential. Be patient and careful; don't assume it is settled yet.
What does hexagram 64 mean for work and money?
Close to the goal but not there. Stay focused, check the details and don't celebrate too early.
Which trigrams make up hexagram 64?
Hexagram 64 has Fire (Lí) as its upper trigram and Water (Kǎn) as its lower trigram.
What are the related hexagrams of hexagram 64?
Its nuclear hexagram is 63, After Completion. Its opposite, with every line changed, is 63, After Completion. Turned upside down it becomes 63, After Completion.
All 64 hexagrams
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