Revolution
革Ge
No. 49 · Lake over Fire
Ge (Revolution)
The point where change can no longer be put off. A change needs ripe timing, earned trust and a sound reason; done that way, the regret tends to fade.
Cast your own hexagramIn Ge (Revolution) the old way has stopped working, and change has to happen. People won't believe in it at the start; they tend to come around once they see results. Change for a sound reason, and the regret tends to fade.
Favorable
- Change once the timing is ripe
- Earn people's trust first
- Update outdated rules
- Set a timeline for the change
Avoid
- Overturning everything overnight
- Deciding everything alone
- Acting before there's agreement
- Changing and changing again
Work and money
- Job search
- Ge (Revolution) backs a job change or a new field. The fifth line's great person changes like a tiger: if you change, change visibly. Rework your resume and portfolio so the new direction shows, not only the job title.
- Business
- A time to revamp a product or the business model under Ge (Revolution). The Image speaks of putting the calendar in order: write down the dates, when the old line stops and the new one starts, so customers can follow along instead of drifting off.
- Money
- A time to rethink how you handle money or where your income comes from. Think it through and run the numbers before changing anything, rather than overturning it all on a whim.
Love and people
- Single
- Your old checklist or the usual way you meet people may be due for a change. The Tuan commentary pairs inner substance with an easy warmth in Ge (Revolution). Try a new crowd or a new look; there's more chance there than on the old route.
- In a relationship
- Ge (Revolution) pictures two people under one roof whose wills don't agree. How you two live together needs adjusting, but agree on it first. If one side suddenly overturns everything, the other is likely to resist even harder.
- Getting back together
- Going back to exactly how it was looks unlikely; Ge (Revolution) is about removing the old. A fresh start takes changes the other person can actually see. The fourth line changes the mandate with sincerity: trust is what shifts the situation.
- People and partnerships
- Someone on the team may grate on you, like water and fire putting each other out in Ge (Revolution). Rather than grinding on, redraw roles and responsibilities, and explain why before you change anything.
Daily life
- Exams and study
- If your current study method isn't working, it can change. Still, the first line of Ge (Revolution) is bound tight with ox hide: keep the basics firm at first rather than scrapping everything, and switch over fully once the new method proves itself.
- Moving and travel
- A move or a new city is worth considering. The Tuan commentary of Ge (Revolution) speaks of following heaven and answering to people: the timing should be right and the people you live with on board. Settle the lease ending, handover and movers before picking a date.
- Body and mind
- The urge to change is strong in Ge (Revolution), and it is easy to swap every habit at once and then burn out. The top line favors staying put and steady after a big change, so keep your sleep regular. If anxiety or poor sleep drags on, book a visit with a doctor.
Traditional questions
- Something you are waiting for
- The answer tends to come only after your changes show results. Ge (Revolution) says trust comes once the day has passed, when people see the outcome. Pressing for an answer now is likely to come up empty; fix what needs fixing first.
- Disputes and lawsuits
- The other side doesn't trust you at first, and rushing to a showdown is what the third line of Ge (Revolution) warns against. It speaks of talk of change taken up three times: restate your position clearly, revise it a few rounds, and it is more likely to be accepted.
- Lost things and people
- About even odds. Search bright spots such as near the stove or under a lamp (Li, Fire), or inside things with an opening, like a sink, a bag's mouth or an open container (Dui, Lake). Try the west side first.
Making a decision
If it needs changing, change it, but move once you're fully prepared and the timing is ripe. A change pushed through too fast tends to leave people unconvinced.
If you are…
People are used to the old uniform, and some pushback is normal. Ge (Revolution) asks for timing and trust: explain why, the budget and the timeline, let parents and students vote on designs over a few rounds, and allow both uniforms for a semester. Seeing results is what tends to win people over.
Longtime customers are attached to the old look, so the change needs a clear reason. In Ge (Revolution) trust tends to follow the result: show why it's changing and which old elements stay, and run the old and new side by side for a while. Once people get used to it, acceptance tends to come on its own.
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.
已日乃孚，元亨。利貞。悔亡。
Only once the day of change has come and gone do people trust it. Great success; it pays to be steadfast. Regret disappears.
Lake over Fire: Dui (Lake) above, Li (Fire) below. Water sits on top and fire underneath. When the fire is strong it boils the water away; when the water breaks through it puts the fire out. The two can't live side by side, so the hexagram is called Ge (Revolution): change, the old hide stripped off.
Nine at the beginning
鞏用黃牛之革。
Bound tight with the hide of a yellow ox.
Everyone may be talking about change, but your timing and position aren't there yet. Hold steady, keep your current work in good order, and don't make a move on impulse.
Small Image: 鞏用黃牛，不可以有為也。
Six in the second place
已日乃革之，征吉，无咎。
Only when the day has come does one make the change. Going forward brings good fortune; no blame.
The conditions for change are in place, and you can move. Before you do, check that your preparation is complete and the timing is right, then act.
Small Image: 已日革之，行有嘉也。
Nine in the third place
征凶，貞厲，革言三就，有孚。
Going forward brings misfortune; even steadfastness is dangerous. When the talk of change has been taken up three times, there is trust.
You badly want to change things, but rushing tends to backfire. Put the plan on the table, talk it through three rounds and revise it three times. Once people have agreed, it can actually move.
Small Image: 革言三就，又何之矣。
Nine in the fourth place
悔亡，有孚改命，吉。
Regret disappears. With sincerity, changing the mandate brings good fortune.
This is the time for a real overhaul, like switching careers or rewriting how things are run. As long as your motive is sound and people trust you, go ahead and make the change.
Small Image: 改命之吉，信志也。
Nine in the fifth place
大人虎變，未占有孚。
The great person changes like a tiger, its markings bright. Even before casting, there is trust.
The change you are leading is clean and clear, and people understand it and believe in it at a glance. There is no need to keep hesitating or double-checking; carry on as planned.
Small Image: 大人虎變，其文炳也。
Six at the top
君子豹變，小人革面，征凶，居貞吉。
The noble person changes like a leopard, its markings rich; the petty person changes their face to comply. Going forward brings misfortune; staying put and steadfast brings good fortune.
The change is mostly done. Some people have truly changed, others are only going along on the surface. Don't stack another round of reforms on top now; lock in what you've gained.
Small Image: 君子豹變，其文蔚也。小人革面，順以從君也。
革，水火相息，二女同居，其志不相得，曰革。已日乃孚；革而信也。文明以說，大亨以正，革而當，其悔乃亡。天地革而四時成，湯武革命，順乎天而應乎人，革之時義大矣哉！
Ge (Revolution): water and fire put each other out. Two daughters (Dui the youngest, Li the middle one) live under one roof, but their wills do not agree; this is called Ge. "Only once the day has passed is there trust": after the change, people believe in it. Inner clarity with outward cheer, great success through what is correct: when the change is fitting, its regret disappears. Heaven and earth change, and the four seasons are formed. Tang and Wu changed the mandate, following heaven and answering to the people. How great is the meaning of the time of Ge.
The Image澤中有火，革；君子以治歷明時。
Fire within the lake: this is Ge (Revolution). The noble person, seeing this, puts the calendar in order and makes the seasons clear.
The Sequence: why it comes here井道不可不革，故受之以革。
Before this comes Jing (The Well). A well used for a long time silts up, so the way of a well cannot go without regular cleaning and renewal. That is why Jing is followed by Ge (Revolution).
Miscellaneous Notes革去故也，鼎取新也。
Ge (Revolution) removes the old; Ding (The Cauldron), paired with it, takes up the new. Ge clears away and Ding sets up, and the two hexagrams are each other turned upside down.
Related hexagramsFAQ
What does Ge mean for love?
Your old checklist or the usual way you meet people may be due for a change. The Tuan commentary pairs inner substance with an easy warmth in Ge (Revolution). Try a new crowd or a new look; there's more chance there than on the old route. Ge (Revolution) pictures two people under one roof whose wills don't agree. How you two live together needs adjusting, but agree on it first. If one side suddenly overturns everything, the other is likely to resist even harder.
What does Ge mean for work?
Ge (Revolution) backs a job change or a new field. The fifth line's great person changes like a tiger: if you change, change visibly. Rework your resume and portfolio so the new direction shows, not only the job title. A good time to rework processes, change direction or change jobs. Win over the key people first, roll it out in stages, and let the results do the persuading.
With Ge, will what I am waiting for come?
The answer tends to come only after your changes show results. Ge (Revolution) says trust comes once the day has passed, when people see the outcome. Pressing for an answer now is likely to come up empty; fix what needs fixing first.
With Ge, will I find what I lost?
About even odds. Search bright spots such as near the stove or under a lamp (Li, Fire), or inside things with an opening, like a sink, a bag's mouth or an open container (Dui, Lake). Try the west side first.
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.