Enthusiasm
豫Yu
No. 16 · Thunder over Earth
Yu (Enthusiasm)
Joy and readiness. Move with the tide of the moment and people happily come along; when the good times arrive, don't sink into them and don't get smug.
Cast your own hexagramThe timing is good and people are willing. A good moment to launch, organize or start something. Yu (Enthusiasm) also warns that ease and good spirits make people slack off. Prepare ahead, move with the times and don't get lost in the fun.
Favorable
- Prepare before you start
- Move with the moment
- Bring people along with you
- Pull back at the first bad sign
Avoid
- Bragging when things go well
- Getting lost in the fun
- Dragging your feet
- Piling in because the mood is hot
Work and money
- Job search
- The timing is on your side, so applications and requests for a transfer tend to get answers. Yu (Enthusiasm) is also about readiness: have your portfolio and your story ready so you can catch the chance when it comes.
- Business
- Launches, events and hiring rounds all get a willing response right now. Just don't keep doubling down while the room is buzzing. Put the cash reserve aside first.
- Money
- Going with the trend can pay off, but don't pile in just because the mood is hot. Decide your exit and set aside a reserve before you commit.
Love and people
- Single
- More parties and trips mean more chances to meet people. Let things unfold naturally. Bragging to the room is what the first line warns against, so keep the stories modest.
- In a relationship
- You enjoy each other, so plan a trip or celebrate something. Make sure it isn't only fun, though. The fourth line says "do not doubt": if something bothers you, say it instead of quietly guessing.
- Getting back together
- They are more open when they are in a good mood, so suggest a relaxed meetup. Don't open with old grievances, and don't put it off either; the third line says being slow brings regret.
- People and partnerships
- The fourth line is the only yang line, and everyone gathers around it: great gains, friends drawn together. If that's your role, lead sincerely and don't second-guess the people beside you.
Daily life
- Exams and study
- You are relaxed and the material goes in, but it is easy to drift into play. Prepare the way Yu (Enthusiasm) suggests: map out your review schedule well before the exam instead of cramming at the end.
- Moving and travel
- Thunder bursting from the ground means setting out goes smoothly, and trips are especially fun. Book the lodging and transport before you leave so the fun doesn't turn into a scramble.
- Body and mind
- Your mood is good, but late nights and a slipping routine are the risk. Long stretches of ease make people slack, so schedule fun and rest separately. If you feel unwell, see a doctor.
Traditional questions
- Something you are waiting for
- On the quick side, like thunder breaking out of the ground. That assumes you have done the groundwork, so when the moment comes you can give it a push.
- Disputes and lawsuits
- Things are easier to settle when the other side is in good spirits. The second line, firm as a rock, sees the sign before the day ends: if it is going wrong, pull back that same day rather than letting it drag.
- Lost things and people
- Likely to be found. It was probably moved: check entrances, beside doors and along hallways you use, or wherever you last went out or had people over. Retrace your last route.
Making a decision
Go ahead, and take the initiative while the tide is with you. Steer clear of getting carried away or rushing in on excitement alone.
If you are…
Yu (Enthusiasm) says it pays to install leaders and set the troops marching, so people are likely to sign up. Settle the route, the time and the meeting spot before you post the invite. If the first run feels good, people come back.
Spending some of it on yourself is fine; Yu (Enthusiasm) has enjoyment built in. Just don't blow it all in one happy week or follow a hot tip. Put a reserve aside first, then plan the rest.
This is the reading when no line is changing. With changing lines, Zhu Xi’s method says which line to read, and the result page after a casting tells you directly.
利建侯行師。
It pays to install feudal lords and to set the army marching.
Thunder over Earth: Zhen (Thunder) above, Kun (Earth) below. Thunder bursts up out of the ground and everything wakes and stirs with it. Below is yielding, above is moving: action that goes with the grain of things. That is Yu (Enthusiasm), which carries both delight and the sense of preparing ahead.
Six at the beginning
鳴豫，凶。
Enthusiasm that announces itself. Misfortune.
You have a backer or a small win, and the urge is to tell everyone. Showing off right now draws resentment and trouble. Keep the happiness inside and keep your voice down.
Small Image: 初六鳴豫，志窮凶也。
Six in the second place
介于石，不終日，貞吉。
Firm as a rock. Not waiting for the day to end, one sees the sign. Steadfastness brings good fortune.
Everyone around you is coasting and following the crowd, and you stay clear-headed. The moment something looks off, you step back early. That judgment and steadiness are your best protection.
Small Image: 不終日，貞吉；以中正也。
Six in the third place
盱豫，悔。遲有悔。
Enthusiasm that gazes upward for favor brings regret. Being slow to change brings regret too.
Watching the boss's face and trading flattery for perks tends to end in regret. If you catch yourself doing it, stop now; the longer it runs, the harder it is to undo.
Small Image: 盱豫有悔，位不當也。
Nine in the fourth place
由豫，大有得。勿疑。朋盍簪。
The source of enthusiasm. Great gains. Do not doubt. Friends gather together as hair gathers in a clasp.
You are the anchor here, and things get done because of you. Trust the people around you and deal with them honestly; partners tend to gather on their own when you are not second-guessing them.
Small Image: 由豫，大有得；志大行也。
Six in the fifth place
貞疾，恆不死。
Steadfast, yet chronically ill; lasting, and does not die.
On paper you are in charge, but someone else holds the real power and you are boxed in at every turn. This won't resolve quickly. Do your part, avoid head-on clashes, and you can hold on.
Small Image: 六五貞疾，乘剛也。恆不死，中未亡也。
Six at the top
冥豫，成有渝，无咎。
Enthusiasm in darkness. Even when the matter is settled, if there is a change, no blame.
You have been sunk in comfort or easy pleasures for a long while. Waking up and adjusting now still works. What counts is actually changing, not just thinking about it.
Small Image: 冥豫在上，何可長也。
豫，剛應而志行，順以動，豫。豫，順以動，故天地如之，而況建侯行師乎？天地以順動，故日月不過，而四時不忒；聖人以順動，則刑罰清而民服。豫之時義大矣哉！
Yu (Enthusiasm): the firm line is answered by all the others, so its aim is carried out; moving in accord with things is Enthusiasm. Because Enthusiasm moves in accord with things, heaven and earth themselves work this way, and how much more so installing lords and setting armies marching. Heaven and earth move in accord, so the sun and moon do not stray and the four seasons do not err. The sage moves in accord, so punishments are clear and the people submit. Great indeed is the meaning of the time of Yu.
The Image雷出地奮，豫。先王以作樂崇德，殷薦之上帝，以配祖考。
Thunder bursts out of the earth with force: this is Yu (Enthusiasm). The former kings, seeing this, made music to honor virtue, and offered it with ceremony to the Lord on High, with their ancestors as companions in the offering.
The Sequence: why it comes here有大而能謙，必豫，故受之以豫。
Before this comes Qian (Modesty). Someone who has much and is still modest is sure to feel at ease and glad, so Qian (Modesty) is followed by Yu (Enthusiasm).
Miscellaneous Notes謙輕，而豫怠也。
Yu (Enthusiasm) is ease, and long ease turns into slackness. Its pair, Qian (Modesty), is taking yourself lightly. One lets go too much; the other holds itself back.
Related hexagramsFAQ
What does Yu mean for love?
More parties and trips mean more chances to meet people. Let things unfold naturally. Bragging to the room is what the first line warns against, so keep the stories modest. You enjoy each other, so plan a trip or celebrate something. Make sure it isn't only fun, though. The fourth line says "do not doubt": if something bothers you, say it instead of quietly guessing.
What does Yu mean for work?
The timing is on your side, so applications and requests for a transfer tend to get answers. Yu (Enthusiasm) is also about readiness: have your portfolio and your story ready so you can catch the chance when it comes. A good time to kick off a plan, lead a team or push a new project; people are inclined to follow. Do the preparation first, then make your move.
With Yu, will what I am waiting for come?
On the quick side, like thunder breaking out of the ground. That assumes you have done the groundwork, so when the moment comes you can give it a push.
With Yu, will I find what I lost?
Likely to be found. It was probably moved: check entrances, beside doors and along hallways you use, or wherever you last went out or had people over. Retrace your last route.
A hexagram answers one question; your chart shows the whole of you and your year.
The classical text follows the standard edition of the Zhouyi. The plain readings are Xingge’s own, offered as a reference, not as the final word.