Union
- Upper Trigram
- Water
- Lower Trigram
- Earth
The Judgment
Water over earth, water and soil clinging close — Union is about closeness, alliance, and belonging. No one is an island, and finding people and communities you can lean on is the heart of this hexagram. Tradition says union should be both early and sincere: those who hesitate and hold back gradually draw in, but the one who joins only reluctantly at the very end often misses the best place. The tone now is active connection and genuine warmth: rather than fighting alone, find like-minded partners and hold things up together. But closeness depends on whom you draw near — leaning toward the right people is support, and toward the wrong ones a drag. First ask yourself whether the circle you want to belong to is worth your trust.
The Six Lines
First line
Drawing near to others with sincerity is the steadiest start for any bond. This line pictures that solid feeling as a full earthen bowl: nothing showy, nothing calculating, just brimming good faith. When you treat people with a true heart, good connections flow back to you of their own accord. Trust begins with your own giving first.
Second line
Real closeness comes from within, not from currying favor or clinging for advantage. This line asks you to keep your dignity: bond out of genuine regard and shared values, without bowing and scraping to earn it. When connection springs from inner sincerity, the relationship stands firm and travels far.
Third line
This line asks you to watch whom you keep company with. If those gathering around you are ill-matched in values or crooked in intent, all the closeness in the world only pulls you down. Rather than forcing yourself to fit in, choose your friends with care. See clearly before you draw near, and do not let the wrong circle drain your good heart.
Fourth line
Aligning openly and honestly with someone worth following is the good course of this line. No need to hide it; when it is time to declare where you stand, do so plainly. When you stand openly beside an upright, principled side, the alliance is both clear and secure, and sets everyone at ease.
Fifth line
True cohesion rests on breadth of spirit, not coercion. Like a king who hunts by driving from only three sides, leaving the game a way out, those who wish to come come freely, and those who wish to go are not forced. This line is about leadership with scope: give people freedom, and more of them follow with a true heart. Not grasping is what keeps people close.
Top line
Wanting union without a good beginning or foundation, or joining only reluctantly at the very end, makes for an unfavorable spot. This line is not blame but a reminder: relationships must be tended with care early, and need a clear center. Rather than a hasty patchwork, lay the groundwork well, so the bond has a footing it can stand on.
Reading the Change
Union is about closeness and belonging; from the first line to the top, it moves through sincere bonding, keeping your dignity, choosing whom to join with care, and cohering with breadth of spirit. When a line changes, the relationship of drawing near loosens at one particular stage. A change low down usually asks you to make sincerity your base and see clearly whom you join; a change up top is about cohesion needing spirit and foundation. Read where the changing line falls, then the resulting hexagram, and you know whether this bond is moving toward closeness or toward distance.