Coming to Meet
姤Gou
No. 44 · Heaven over Wind
Gou (Coming to Meet)
A person or situation you run into unexpectedly. A small yielding force has just appeared; it looks weak, but it tends to grow. See it clearly early and keep it in check early.
Cast your own hexagramIn Gou (Coming to Meet), you suddenly run into a person, an opportunity or a temptation. It looks small, but its pull keeps growing. Meeting is fine; just don't tie yourself to it lightly. See it clearly first.
Favorable
- See clearly before committing
- Deal with small problems early
- Put the terms in writing first
- Keep your strengths low-key
Avoid
- Long contracts on the first meeting
- Ignoring small things
- Dumping problems on others
- Acting aloof
Work and money
- Job search
- A recruiter calls out of the blue, or a job with great terms appears. Go talk, but don't say yes on the spot. The Image has the sovereign issuing commands to the four quarters: state your terms clearly first, then see whether they accept.
- Business
- A partner or investor who shows up unannounced may look small yet carry a lot of force. The first line ties things to a metal brake: put the terms and exit clauses in writing from day one, before the other side grows too big to rein in.
- Money
- A great opportunity that shows up out of nowhere usually hides something unstable. Testing it with a small amount is fine; locking in a large sum for the long term is not, for now.
Love and people
- Single
- Someone very attractive may appear out of nowhere, but the Judgment advises against marrying in this situation: the connection moves fast and you don't hold the lead, so it isn't one to treat as a life partner yet. Get to know them; don't settle down.
- In a relationship
- Something new has entered your life: a new friend, an old acquaintance, a temptation at work. In Gou (Coming to Meet), one yin line grows under five yang ones, so small things tend to grow. If something feels off, talk about it early.
- Getting back together
- Gou (Coming to Meet) is the unplanned encounter, so you might run into them somewhere unexpected. Saying hello is fine. If you want to get back together, go slowly; unless the reason you split has been dealt with, don't rush it.
- People and partnerships
- A newcomer gains influence quickly and may start a clique. The second line keeps the fish in the wrapper: manage the people you are responsible for yourself, and don't push the problem onto another department.
Daily life
- Exams and study
- New methods and new courses keep popping up and pulling at your attention. Wind blowing under heaven touches everything, so pick one set of materials and finish it instead of sampling a bit of each.
- Moving and travel
- Plans tend to change at the last minute, and unexpected people turn up. The third line walks haltingly with some danger but no great blame. Leave slack in the schedule, and don't accept every spur-of-the-moment invitation.
- Body and mind
- Sudden events can knock your mood around, or you keep up a lofty front like the top line, alone on the horns. Say it when you're tired, and protect your sleep first. If your body acts up, don't push through; book an appointment.
Traditional questions
- Something you are waiting for
- It may drop in suddenly one day; the fifth line has something falling from heaven, an outcome that wasn't even on the horizon. The condition is that you keep your own work steady and don't broadcast it.
- Disputes and lawsuits
- People who were on your side may have been won over by the other party. The fourth line, no fish in the wrapper, warns against rising to act: suing or escalating now tends to cost you more. Rebuild relationships and evidence first.
- Lost things and people
- A fair chance, and it may turn up somewhere unexpected. Qian (Heaven) points to high places and round metal things, Xun (Wind) to wood, cords and drafty spots: try a tall cabinet to the northwest or wherever cords and straps hang.
Making a decision
Hold off on any decision that involves a long-term commitment. Short-term contact is fine; settle the long-range question once you see it clearly.
If you are…
Regular students have just started showing up, and someone arrives with money and a smooth pitch to buy in. Gou (Coming to Meet) says you can sit down and talk: start small and short-term, with equity and exit terms in writing. Decide on a long-term tie after one full round of working together.
You meet someone easy to talk to on the road, and they suggest traveling on together. Gou (Coming to Meet) favors the encounter, so share a stretch, but keep the full route and your money separate. See whether your paces match before deciding to go the distance.
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.
女壯，勿用取女。
The woman is too strong. Do not take this woman in marriage.
Heaven over Wind: Qian (Heaven) above, Xun (Wind) below. Wind blows everywhere under the sky and touches everything, so the hexagram is called Gou (Coming to Meet), meaning an encounter. A single yin line suddenly appears beneath five yang lines, traditionally pictured as one woman meeting five men.
Six at the beginning
繫于金柅，貞吉，有攸往，見凶，羸豕孚蹢躅。
Tied to a metal brake. Steadfastness brings good fortune. If there is somewhere to go, misfortune appears. A lean pig is truly bent on rushing and stamping about.
A small problem or a small temptation has just shown up, and there is still time to tie it down. Leave it alone because it looks weak, and sooner or later it is likely to run wild; the longer you wait, the harder it is to rein in.
Small Image: 繫于金柅，柔道牽也。
Nine in the second place
包有魚，无咎，不利賓。
There is a fish in the wrapper. No blame. It does not pay to let it reach the guests.
The difficult person or issue is in your hands, and as long as you keep it contained, things tend to stay fine. Don't hand it off to others or let it spread, or the impact grows.
Small Image: 包有魚，義不及賓也。
Nine in the third place
臀无膚，其行次且，厲，无大咎。
No flesh on the buttocks; walking falters. Danger, but no great blame.
You can't get close to what you want, and you can't quite walk away either, which is awkward. The good news is that you aren't entangled. It is uncomfortable, but it is unlikely to hurt you badly.
Small Image: 其行次且，行未牽也。
Nine in the fourth place
包无魚，起凶。
No fish in the wrapper. Rising to act brings misfortune.
People who should be on your side have already been drawn away by someone else. Fighting or making a scene now tends to make it worse. Look back at whether you drifted too far from everyone.
Small Image: 无魚之凶，遠民也。
Nine in the fifth place
以杞包瓜，含章，有隕自天。
Wrapping a melon in the leaves of the qi tree. Holding beauty within. Something good falls from heaven.
When you are senior and a problem surfaces below you, there is no need for a big show. Cover it steadily and keep your strengths in reserve. When the timing turns, the result tends to arrive on its own.
Small Image: 九五含章，中正也。有隕自天，志不舍命也。
Nine at the top
姤其角，吝，无咎。
Meeting with the horns (so high there is no one left to meet). Humiliation, but no blame.
Too hard, too lofty, and nobody wants to come near. It is not a serious mistake, but it can feel awkward and lonely. If you want people to work with you, come down a little first.
Small Image: 姤其角，上窮吝也。
姤，遇也，柔遇剛也。勿用取女，不可與長也。天地相遇，品物咸章也。剛遇中正，天下大行也。姤之時義大矣哉！
Gou (Coming to Meet) means meeting: the yielding meets the firm. Do not take this woman in marriage: one cannot stay with her for long. Heaven and earth meet, and all kinds of things show their full form. The firm meets the central and correct place, and things go forward everywhere under heaven. Great indeed is the meaning of the time of Gou.
The Image天下有風，姤；后以施命誥四方。
Wind blows beneath heaven: this is Gou (Coming to Meet). The sovereign, seeing this, issues commands and proclaims them to the four quarters.
The Sequence: why it comes here決必有所遇，故受之以姤；姤者遇也。
Guai (Breakthrough) is a decisive break, a parting. After a break, something new is always met, people and things alike, so Guai is followed by Gou (Coming to Meet). Gou means meeting.
Miscellaneous Notes大過顛也，姤遇也，柔遇剛也。
Gou (Coming to Meet) is meeting, the yielding meeting the firm: one yin line appears at the very bottom and runs into the five yang lines above it, an encounter nobody planned.
Related hexagramsFAQ
What does Gou mean for love?
Someone very attractive may appear out of nowhere, but the Judgment advises against marrying in this situation: the connection moves fast and you don't hold the lead, so it isn't one to treat as a life partner yet. Get to know them; don't settle down. Something new has entered your life: a new friend, an old acquaintance, a temptation at work. In Gou (Coming to Meet), one yin line grows under five yang ones, so small things tend to grow. If something feels off, talk about it early.
What does Gou mean for work?
A recruiter calls out of the blue, or a job with great terms appears. Go talk, but don't say yes on the spot. The Image has the sovereign issuing commands to the four quarters: state your terms clearly first, then see whether they accept. With a new hire or a project that appears out of nowhere, watch first. Hold off on handing them a key role or signing a long contract. Deal with small problems early, before they spread.
With Gou, will what I am waiting for come?
It may drop in suddenly one day; the fifth line has something falling from heaven, an outcome that wasn't even on the horizon. The condition is that you keep your own work steady and don't broadcast it.
With Gou, will I find what I lost?
A fair chance, and it may turn up somewhere unexpected. Qian (Heaven) points to high places and round metal things, Xun (Wind) to wood, cords and drafty spots: try a tall cabinet to the northwest or wherever cords and straps hang.
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.