初
初六。習坎、入于坎窞、凶。
Falling into the pit—misfortune. Beware of descending deeper.
䷜
Hexagram 29
The Abysmal (Water) (坎為水)
Kan-i-sui / Kǎn
Double water—repeated pits. Danger tests you; move with honesty and resilience.
Judgment
習坎。有孚、維心亨、行有尚。
Repeated pit. With sincerity, the heart finds success; going brings honor.
Danger on danger—only sincerity and steady effort see you through.
Line-by-Line (Yao)
Interpretations if the line changes.
二
九二。坎有険、求小得。
Danger in the pit—seek small gains. Careful steps yield modest success.
三
六三。来之坎坎、危至、亦離之、无咎。
Pits upon pits; danger nears, but you also leave them—no blame if you exit.
四
六四。樽酒簋貳、用缶、納約自牖、終无咎。
Simple wine and food in earthen pots, offered through the window—ending without blame. Simple sincerity suffices.
五
九五。坎不盈、祗既平、无咎。
The pit not overflowing—only just level—no blame. Manage danger without excess.
上
上六。係用徽纆、寘于叢棘、三歲不得、凶。
Tied with thick ropes, set among thornbushes—three years not released—misfortune. Long entanglement.
Practical Reading: Love, Career, Health & Decisions
When you cast Hexagram 29, Kǎn (The Abysmal), the Book of Changes shows you a situation with Kan (Water) above and Kan (Water) below. Double water—repeated pits. Danger tests you; move with honesty and resilience. 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
Challenges arise; honesty and patience can sustain you. In a love or relationship reading, Hexagram 29 (Kǎn) describes the meeting point of Kan (water) 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
A trial period; adapt like water and stay true. In work and career, Kǎn points to whether the outer market or workplace (Kan (water)) 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 Kǎn situation; reading the configuration usually does.
Health & Wellbeing
Keep calm under strain; steady care matters. For a body or wellness reading, treat the lines of Hexagram 29 as descriptions of phases, not diagnoses. Kǎn 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 29 (Kǎn, The Abysmal) as a statement about the configuration of your situation rather than the outcome. The summary "Double water—repeated pits. Danger tests you; move with honesty and resilience." 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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