I Ching, Yijing or Zhou Yi
"Oracle of the moon": © 2000 LiSe
Yi Jing, Oracle of the Moon
Kūn-Zhèn, Earth-Thunder
When Kūn changes to Zhèn, thunder comes from deep in the earth, bringing up old memories and forgotten wisdom and fears. They will shake up the surface, destroying and renewing. Many things will leave, plowed under but still food for coming times. Other things emerge. They return from the roots of the tree of life, a rebirth of the soul deep in the earth.
Sleeping seeds awaken, touched by Thunder. Zhen ends and starts, over and over, and Earth absorbs the endless succession of life’s going and returning and replies with her power to create new life.
The character 'zhen' is an image of a plow. We know the same symbol as an old man with a scythe, the one who mows down the old. Both create space for the seeds of a new cycle.
This is the short answer - click for the complete one.
The initiative
The top line (Heaven-line) shows the change of the focus or initiative.
The top line is generally where the initiative comes from, but here it is yin, both in- and outside. It might be that you asked about a matter where the initiative or action doesn’t come from you. Yin is compliant and absorbing and occasionally accepts too easily, but it keeps the excess of dominance and lack of empathy of the Heaven-line in balance. A yin Heaven-line may bring rain: blessings – concrete sustainable solutions.
Yin will reinforce you to process ideas and projects and to continue working on them. Yin is not aiming for success but for a job well done. It is nurturing and attractive, but there will be no output yet, for the time being your plans ask input, like ideas, energy, maybe money, and keep doing so for the time being.
When plans include the work, they will thrive.
The subject
The bottom line (Earth-line) shows the change of the field or subject.
变初六为震, 为雷, 雷出地中, 奋达疾速, 威声
三三远赫, 有寒木生春之意, 万汇咸亨, 品物流行, 发荣茂盛, 无适不宜。
When the bottom line changes, Kun activates Zhen, thunder comes from the earth. It comes energetically and quickly. Its prestige extends far and wide.
Earth with Thunder is a great tree that benefits others. It can grow by depleting the Earth, but by growing, everything else can benefit from it. It is like resistant trees, cold and bare in winter, but announcing spring early (metaphor for high moral integrity).
Everything on earth is effortless, all living beings spread out, fame abounds. There is nothing that would not be appropriate.
The outcome
The middle line (Man-line) shows the outcome.
The middle line indicates the result. It is unchanging yin, this project will stay attractive, but also continue to absorb efforts, knowledge or resources, because its developing stage is not finished and not all possibilities have been explored. It still needs input and keeps doing so for the time being. It is too early to decide about a final direction, there will be no output yet.
But yin is the one who can bring about concrete results. Yin stays in the background and does the work. It is nurturing, defusing crises, monitoring the process, building up and rounding out.
This is the 'man' line, it can also be about you yourself, not only what you do.
Love for the work dissolves the effort.
The three helpers
Each line, active or at rest, summons one of the 8 trigrams as a Helper.
For an activated line: telling you what you need - or about a problem area or something to avoid.
For a stationary line: this is what you already have or do or what you don't need. Often we just need a reminder of our abilities. Or it could be what you wish or fear - but will not happen.
Active lines are the helpers to change things, they listen to intentions, which can come from you, surroundings, or fate. Stationary helpers are part of the core meaning, they are your soul talking, but they also see the impossibilities. They reinforce the overall power of a reading.
Advice or help for the initiative: Gen, Mountain with his constancy, his ability to make things endure, is lacking here or not needed. Yin remains Yin.
Advice or help for the subject: Zhen, Thunder with his energy and stimulation and quick actions.
Advice or help for the outcome: Kan, Water, with his direction and focus, his courage to take risks and his talent to give things shape, is lacking here or not needed. Yin remains Yin.
But when things are not satisfying, it might be that one or more helpers don't help enough - or try too hard. Or maybe you don't listen carefully enough.