初
初六。師出以律、否臧凶。
An army must go forth with discipline; disorder is misfortune.
䷆
Hexagram 7
The Army (地水師)
Chisui-shi / Shī
An army needs discipline and a just cause. Gather people with clear leadership and moral purpose.
Judgment
師。貞丈人吉，无咎。
Army. Correctness and a mature leader bring good fortune and no blame.
Put ability under disciplined, ethical command; avoid reckless force.
Line-by-Line (Yao)
Interpretations if the line changes.
二
九二。在師、中吉、无咎。王三錫命。
Within the army—moderate fortune, no blame. The king thrice grants commands. Right place in the ranks.
三
六三。師或輿尸、凶。
The army may carry corpses—misfortune. Poor leadership harms all.
四
六四。師左次、无咎。
Army camps on the left—no blame. A cautious flank.
五
六五。田有禽、利執言、无咎。長子帥師、弟子輿尸、貞凶。
Game in the field—good to state and seize it, no blame. Eldest son leads; younger hauls corpses—upright yet misfortune. Leadership matters.
上
上六。大君有命、開國承家、小人勿用。
The great ruler commands—found states and inherit houses. Do not employ petty men.
Practical Reading: Love, Career, Health & Decisions
When you cast Hexagram 7, Shī (The Army), the Book of Changes shows you a situation with Kun (Earth) above and Kan (Water) below. An army needs discipline and a just cause. Gather people with clear leadership and moral purpose. Use the cards below to map that pattern onto your specific question — a love reading, a career decision, a health concern, or a yes/no choice.
Love & Relationships
Clear roles and trust build stability; avoid power struggles. In a love or relationship reading, Hexagram 7 (Shī) describes the meeting point of Kun (earth) above and Kan (water) below: how the outer situation meets your inner state. Ask whether you are forcing the relationship to fit a picture, or letting it move at the rhythm this hexagram suggests. For a partnered question, read the changing lines to see which side — yours or the other person's — is being asked to shift.
Work & Career
Organize teams with strategy and fair rules; align behind a capable leader. In work and career, Shī points to whether the outer market or workplace (Kun (earth)) and your inner stance (Kan (water)) are in alignment. If a project, negotiation, or job change is the question, ask what this hexagram says about timing rather than effort: pushing harder rarely changes a Shī situation; reading the configuration usually does.
Health & Wellbeing
Follow a disciplined regimen; consistency beats intensity. For a body or wellness reading, treat the lines of Hexagram 7 as descriptions of phases, not diagnoses. Shī usually signals where energy needs to be conserved versus where it is asking to be expressed. Combine the hexagram's advice with concrete medical guidance — the I Ching is a reflective tool, not a substitute for professional care.
Decision-Making
When the question is a yes/no — should I take the offer, move, leave, commit? — read Hexagram 7 (Shī, The Army) as a statement about the configuration of your situation rather than the outcome. The summary "An army needs discipline and a just cause. Gather people with clear leadership and moral purpose." is your starting frame. Ask: does this action respect that configuration, or fight it? Changing lines, if any, tell you which specific aspect needs to bend.
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