初
初六。幹父之蠱、有子、考无咎、厲終吉。
Fixing father’s decay—having a worthy heir removes blame; danger ends well.
䷑
Hexagram 18
Work on What Has Been Spoiled (山風蠱)
Sanpū-ko / Gǔ
Rot beneath the mountain—stagnation demands reform. Cleanse and restart carefully.
Judgment
蠱。元亨、利渉大川。先甲三日、後甲三日。
Decay. Great success; favorable to cross the great river. Plan three days before and after the new cycle.
Do not leave problems to fester; plan and execute reform deliberately.
Line-by-Line (Yao)
Interpretations if the line changes.
二
九二。幹母之蠱、不可貞。
Repairing mother’s decay—do not cling stubbornly; adapt to nurture.
三
九三。幹父之蠱、小有悔、无大咎。
Fixing father’s decay—minor regret, no great blame. Effort mostly pays off.
四
六四。裕父之蠱、往見吝。
Indulging father’s decay—if you proceed, you meet disgrace.
五
六五。幹父之蠱、用誉。
Repairing father’s decay brings praise. Correction wins respect.
上
上九。不事王侯、高尚其事。
No longer serving lords, keeping to a higher calling. Principled withdrawal after the work is done.
Practical Reading: Love, Career, Health & Decisions
When you cast Hexagram 18, Gǔ (Work on What Has Been Spoiled), the Book of Changes shows you a situation with Gen (Mountain) above and Xun (Wind) below. Rot beneath the mountain—stagnation demands reform. Cleanse and restart carefully. 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
Face relationship stagnation and improve it bravely. In a love or relationship reading, Hexagram 18 (Gǔ) describes the meeting point of Gen (mountain) above and Xun (wind) 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
Good time to reform flaws in the organization—bold yet cautious. In work and career, Gǔ points to whether the outer market or workplace (Gen (mountain)) and your inner stance (Xun (wind)) 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 Gǔ situation; reading the configuration usually does.
Health & Wellbeing
Change bad habits; lifestyle overhaul restores health. For a body or wellness reading, treat the lines of Hexagram 18 as descriptions of phases, not diagnoses. Gǔ 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 18 (Gǔ, Work on What Has Been Spoiled) as a statement about the configuration of your situation rather than the outcome. The summary "Rot beneath the mountain—stagnation demands reform. Cleanse and restart carefully." 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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