初
初六。剥牀以足、蔑貞、凶。
Bed legs are peeled away—ignoring correctness brings misfortune. Foundation erodes first.
䷖
Hexagram 23
Splitting Apart (山地剥)
Sanchi-haku / Bō
A mountain crumbles onto the earth—things fall away. Now is time to endure and wait.
Judgment
剥。不利有攸往。
Splitting apart. Not favorable to go anywhere.
Do not push; conserve strength until decay passes.
Line-by-Line (Yao)
Interpretations if the line changes.
二
六二。剥牀以辨、蔑貞、凶。
The bed frame is peeled—again misfortune if you ignore rightness. Decay spreads.
三
六三。剥之无咎。
Peeling away—no blame. Accept loss without resistance.
四
六四。剥牀以膚、凶。
Peeling to the skin—misfortune. Damage reaches the person.
五
六五。貫魚、以宮人寵、无不利。
Stringing fish; favored like palace attendants—nothing unfavorable. Proper ordering preserves favor.
上
上九。碩果不食、君子得輿、小人剥廬。
Large fruit not eaten—the noble gains a carriage; the petty loses his hut. The worthy are preserved amid decay.
Practical Reading: Love, Career, Health & Decisions
When you cast Hexagram 23, Bō (Splitting Apart), the Book of Changes shows you a situation with Gen (Mountain) above and Kun (Earth) below. A mountain crumbles onto the earth—things fall away. Now is time to endure and wait. 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
Relationship cools—avoid forcing progress. In a love or relationship reading, Hexagram 23 (Bō) describes the meeting point of Gen (mountain) above and Kun (earth) 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
Hard period; maintain and avoid big moves. In work and career, Bō points to whether the outer market or workplace (Gen (mountain)) and your inner stance (Kun (earth)) 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 Bō situation; reading the configuration usually does.
Health & Wellbeing
Prone to weakness—rest and recover. For a body or wellness reading, treat the lines of Hexagram 23 as descriptions of phases, not diagnoses. Bō 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 23 (Bō, Splitting Apart) as a statement about the configuration of your situation rather than the outcome. The summary "A mountain crumbles onto the earth—things fall away. Now is time to endure and wait." 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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