初
初六。有孚不終、乃亂乃萃。若號、一握為笑。勿恤、往无咎。
Sincerity not completed—chaos and gathering. If you cry out, one handful becomes laughter. Do not worry; going brings no blame. Stay genuine to re-gather.
䷬
Hexagram 45
Gathering Together (沢地萃)
Takuchi-sui / Cuì
People gather by the lake. Sincere focus on a worthy center unites all.
Judgment
萃。亨。王假有廟。利見大人、亨、利貞。用大牲吉。利有攸往。
Gathering. Success. The king approaches his temple. Meeting a great person is beneficial; success and correctness. Using great sacrifice is good. Favorable to go somewhere.
Set a clear purpose and leader; sincere assembly prospers.
Line-by-Line (Yao)
Interpretations if the line changes.
二
六二。引吉、无咎、孚乃利用禴。
Drawing in good fortune—no blame. Sincerity makes even a simple offering effective.
三
六三。萃如、嗟如、无攸利、往无咎、小吝。
Gathering with sighs—no benefit anywhere; going brings no blame, only small regret. Mood affects cohesion.
四
九四。大吉、无咎。
Great fortune, no blame. Strong position in the gathering.
五
九五。萃有位、无咎。匪孚、元永貞、悔亡。
Gathering with proper rank—no blame. If lacking trust, maintain great, lasting correctness and regret disappears.
上
上。齎咨涕洟、无咎。
Bringing lament and tears—no blame. Sorrowful sincerity still acceptable.
Practical Reading: Love, Career, Health & Decisions
When you cast Hexagram 45, Cuì (Gathering Together), the Book of Changes shows you a situation with Dui (Lake) above and Kun (Earth) below. People gather by the lake. Sincere focus on a worthy center unites all. 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
Good for gatherings and deepening bonds; align around shared values. In a love or relationship reading, Hexagram 45 (Cuì) describes the meeting point of Dui (lake) 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
Rally the team around a mission; leadership and ritual strengthen unity. In work and career, Cuì points to whether the outer market or workplace (Dui (lake)) 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 Cuì situation; reading the configuration usually does.
Health & Wellbeing
Join supportive groups; communal care helps. For a body or wellness reading, treat the lines of Hexagram 45 as descriptions of phases, not diagnoses. Cuì 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 45 (Cuì, Gathering Together) as a statement about the configuration of your situation rather than the outcome. The summary "People gather by the lake. Sincere focus on a worthy center unites all." 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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