初
初九。悔亡、喪馬勿逐、自復。見惡人无咎。
Regret fades; lost horse returns—do not chase. Meeting a disagreeable person brings no blame. Let things resolve.
䷥
Hexagram 38
Opposition (火沢睽)
Kataka-kei / Kuí
Fire and lake look away—differences and discord. Seek small agreements without forcing unity.
Judgment
睽。小事吉。
Opposition. Small matters are fortunate.
Alignment is hard now; handle minor things and respect differences.
Line-by-Line (Yao)
Interpretations if the line changes.
二
九二。遇主于巷、无咎。
Meeting your lord in a lane—no blame. Chance encounter eases discord.
三
六三。見輿曳、其牛掣、其人天且劓。无初有終。
Seeing a cart dragged, ox pulled, man with eyes and nose cut—bad beginning, yet ends. Struggle before resolution.
四
九四。睽孤、遇元夫、交孚、厲无咎。
Opposed and alone—meeting a great person, mutual trust; danger but no blame. An alliance bridges the gap.
五
六五。悔亡、厥宗噬膚、往何咎。
Regret gone; the clan bites through the flesh—going forth, what blame? Resolute action clears discord.
上
上九。睽孤、見豕負塗、載鬼一車、先張之弧、後説之弧、匪寇婚媾。往遇雨、則吉。
Alone in opposition—see a pig covered in mud, a cart full of ghosts. First string the bow, then loosen it; not bandits but suitors. Meeting rain on the way is good. Misjudgment turns to union when openness returns.
Practical Reading: Love, Career, Health & Decisions
When you cast Hexagram 38, Kuí (Opposition), the Book of Changes shows you a situation with Li (Fire) above and Dui (Lake) below. Fire and lake look away—differences and discord. Seek small agreements without forcing unity. 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
Misunderstandings arise; communicate gently and find common points. In a love or relationship reading, Hexagram 38 (Kuí) describes the meeting point of Li (fire) above and Dui (lake) 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
Divergent views—focus on small shared tasks. In work and career, Kuí points to whether the outer market or workplace (Li (fire)) and your inner stance (Dui (lake)) 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 Kuí situation; reading the configuration usually does.
Health & Wellbeing
Balance conflicting needs; avoid extremes. For a body or wellness reading, treat the lines of Hexagram 38 as descriptions of phases, not diagnoses. Kuí 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 38 (Kuí, Opposition) as a statement about the configuration of your situation rather than the outcome. The summary "Fire and lake look away—differences and discord. Seek small agreements without forcing unity." 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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