初
初九。有厲、利己。
Danger present—benefit in self-restraint. Hold yourself back.
䷙
Hexagram 26
Taming Power of the Great (山天大畜)
Santen-taichiku / Dà Xù
A mountain halts heaven’s force—great power stored and restrained, awaiting the right time.
Judgment
大畜。利貞。不家食、吉。利渉大川。
Great accumulation. Benefit in correctness. Not eating at home—good fortune. Favorable to cross the great river.
Gather strength and knowledge; withhold action until ready, then undertake great tasks.
Line-by-Line (Yao)
Interpretations if the line changes.
二
九二。輿説輻。
The wagon loses its spokes—movement halts. Pause to repair support.
三
九三。良馬逐、利艱貞。曰閑輿衛、利有攸往。
Fine horses race—benefit in difficult correctness. Train chariots and guards; then it’s favorable to go.
四
六四。童牛之牿、元吉。
Nose-bar for a young ox—great fortune. Early restraint prevents trouble.
五
六五。豶豕之牙、吉。
Tusks of a castrated boar—good fortune. Controlled power is safe.
上
上九。何天之衢、亨。
Heaven’s open crossroads—success. Stored power finds free passage.
Practical Reading: Love, Career, Health & Decisions
When you cast Hexagram 26, Dà Xù (Taming Power of the Great), the Book of Changes shows you a situation with Gen (Mountain) above and Qian (Heaven) below. A mountain halts heaven’s force—great power stored and restrained, awaiting the right time. 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
Build trust slowly; do not rush. In a love or relationship reading, Hexagram 26 (Dà Xù) describes the meeting point of Gen (mountain) above and Qian (heaven) 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
Store skills and resources; prepare for a major chance. In work and career, Dà Xù points to whether the outer market or workplace (Gen (mountain)) and your inner stance (Qian (heaven)) 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 Dà Xù situation; reading the configuration usually does.
Health & Wellbeing
Focus on building base strength; train steadily. For a body or wellness reading, treat the lines of Hexagram 26 as descriptions of phases, not diagnoses. Dà Xù 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 26 (Dà Xù, Taming Power of the Great) as a statement about the configuration of your situation rather than the outcome. The summary "A mountain halts heaven’s force—great power stored and restrained, awaiting the right time." 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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