初
初六。進退、利武人之貞。
Advancing and retreating—beneficial for a warrior’s correctness. Disciplined flexibility.
䷸
Hexagram 57
The Gentle (Wind) (巽為風)
Son-i-fū / Xùn
Double wind—soft yet pervasive. Influence through gentle penetration and adaptability.
Judgment
巽。小亨、利有攸往、利見大人。
Wind. Small success; favorable to go somewhere; good to see a great person.
Subtle influence works; stay flexible while moving toward goals.
Line-by-Line (Yao)
Interpretations if the line changes.
二
九二。巽在牀下、用史巫紛若、吉、无咎。
Wind under the bed; using scribes and shaman in disorder—good fortune, no blame. Hidden influence still works.
三
九三。頻巽、吝。
Too much yielding—shame. Overflexibility is disliked.
四
六四。悔亡、田獲三品。
Regret gone; hunt gains three kinds of game. Proper influence brings rewards.
五
九五。貞吉、悔亡、无不利。无初有終、先庚三日、後庚三日、吉。
Upright fortune, regret gone; nothing unfavorable. Not good at first, good at end. Plan three days before and after; auspicious. Timing matters.
上
上九。巽在牀下、喪其資斧、貞凶。
Wind under the bed—lose tools and assets; correct yet misfortune. Hiddenness now harms.
Practical Reading: Love, Career, Health & Decisions
When you cast Hexagram 57, Xùn (The Gentle), the Book of Changes shows you a situation with Xun (Wind) above and Xun (Wind) below. Double wind—soft yet pervasive. Influence through gentle penetration and adaptability. 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
Gentle, accommodating approach deepens ties. In a love or relationship reading, Hexagram 57 (Xùn) describes the meeting point of Xun (wind) above and Xun (wind) 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
Adapt to superiors and environment; soft influence succeeds. In work and career, Xùn points to whether the outer market or workplace (Xun (wind)) and your inner stance (Xun (wind)) 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 Xùn situation; reading the configuration usually does.
Health & Wellbeing
Calmly regulate mind and body; avoid harsh measures. For a body or wellness reading, treat the lines of Hexagram 57 as descriptions of phases, not diagnoses. Xùn 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 57 (Xùn, The Gentle) as a statement about the configuration of your situation rather than the outcome. The summary "Double wind—soft yet pervasive. Influence through gentle penetration and adaptability." 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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