The Army
師Shi
No. 7 · Earth over Water
Shi (The Army)
About leading many people at once: any campaign needs a just cause and real discipline, and it goes well when a seasoned, trusted person is in charge.
Cast your own hexagramShi (The Army) is about organizing people and leading a big effort. The cause has to be sound, the rules clear, and the person at the head steady and experienced. That is what makes it go well and keeps it free of blame.
Favorable
- Set the rules before you move
- Put an experienced person in charge
- Make roles and authority clear
- Have a sound reason to act
Avoid
- Several people giving orders
- Letting the wrong person lead
- Picking a fight without cause
- Loose discipline
Work and money
- Job search
- Shi (The Army) is about leading troops, so roles in management or coordination suit this time. In interviews, concrete stories about teams you have led and systems you have set up tend to land better than talk about passion.
- Business
- It can work if you treat it like a campaign: a clear reason the market needs you, and roles written down. The first line warns that an army moves under discipline. Open without systems and even early profits tend to slip away.
- Money
- Handle money with discipline and stick to the plan instead of acting on a whim. In any partnership, let one trustworthy person keep the books, and write the rules down.
Love and people
- Single
- Shi (The Army) is a hexagram of structure and rules, so romance feels a bit stiff right now. Meeting people through group settings, like a friend's dinner, a club or a team sport, comes more naturally than forcing one-on-one dates.
- In a relationship
- Home can drift into one person giving orders. Let the steadier of you take the lead on big decisions while the other supports, but your partner is not your subordinate.
- Getting back together
- With the danger of Kan (Water) inside, trying hard to win someone back can turn into a battle of attack and defense. Chances are slim, unless someone you both trust can sit in and help you have one honest conversation.
- People and partnerships
- Any collaboration needs one leader everyone respects, with clear roles. The fifth line contrasts one seasoned commander leading the army with juniors who meddle and come home carting corpses: too many people in command is where it goes wrong.
Daily life
- Exams and study
- Good for long preparation that runs on discipline: a fixed schedule, set hours, and sticking to it. Take regular practice tests, and the moment one subject slips, tighten it up.
- Moving and travel
- Travel like an army on the march: plan the route, the budget and who handles what before you go. Group trips run smoother than spontaneous ones, and last-minute detours tend to cause trouble.
- Body and mind
- Responsibility weighs on you, which can bring tension and poor sleep. Delegate, keep a steady routine, and leave some time to unwind. If your body starts complaining, book a visit with a doctor.
Traditional questions
- Something you are waiting for
- It is unlikely to arrive on its own. The Image puts the water underground: someone has to step up and organize people and resources before anything moves. Expect it to be slow, until things are organized and someone takes the lead.
- Disputes and lawsuits
- If you are in the right, make your case firmly, as the fifth line says, with evidence laid out. But a fight is a last resort. Negotiate if you can, and do not let someone unqualified speak for you.
- Lost things and people
- Likely to be found with help. The Image's water within earth points to low places, a basement, somewhere near water, or a busy, cluttered public space. Get the people around you searching too; a group search tends to beat looking alone.
Making a decision
You can move, but ask three questions first. Is the reason sound? Are the rules in place? Is the person in charge reliable?
If you are…
Shi (The Army) says to put a seasoned leader at the head, and right now that is you. Get the rules, roles and schedules clear first. Be generous with your team but keep the standard firm, and people tend to follow.
Residents have strong, clashing opinions. The Image of Shi (The Army) says to make room for the people and care for the many. Set the bylaws and meeting procedures, keep the accounts open, and be kind but firm on the rules. When the load grows, form committees instead of carrying it all yourself.
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.
貞，丈人吉，无咎。
Steadfastness. With a mature, respected leader, good fortune and no blame.
Earth over Water. Kun (Earth) sits above, Kan (Water) below: water hidden under the ground, the way a fighting force once lay hidden among ordinary people in peacetime. The single yang line, in the middle of the lower trigram, commands the five yin lines, like a general leading the ranks.
Six at the beginning
師出以律，否臧，凶。
The army sets out under discipline. Without good order, misfortune.
Starting anything that needs many hands begins with rules and clear roles. If it is a mess from day one, it is very hard to rescue later.
Small Image: 師出以律；失律，凶也。
Nine in the second place
在師中吉，无咎；王三錫命。
In the midst of the army, holding the middle way: good fortune, no blame. The king confers honors three times.
You are the one actually running the team, and the people above you trust you. Keep a good sense of balance and look after your people, and it tends to get noticed and rewarded.
Small Image: 在師中吉，承天寵也。王三錫命，懷萬邦也。
Six in the third place
師或輿尸，凶。
The army may come home carting corpses. Misfortune.
Taking command without the skill or standing to back it up can sink the whole effort. Hand the lead to someone better suited, or shrink the scope first.
Small Image: 師或輿尸，大无功也。
Six in the fourth place
師左次，无咎。
The army withdraws and makes camp. No blame.
When the odds turn against you, pulling back to hold your ground is not giving up. Protect your people and resources, and move again when things improve.
Small Image: 左次无咎，未失常也。
Six in the fifth place
田有禽，利執言，无咎。長子帥師，弟子輿尸，貞凶。
There is game in the field. It pays to seize it, for the cause is just; no blame. Let the eldest son lead the army. If the younger ones meddle, they come home carting corpses; even steadfastness brings misfortune.
Acting is fine if your reason is sound. What matters is giving the job to one capable person. Split command or outsiders second-guessing the lead can ruin even the right plan.
Small Image: 長子帥師，以中行也。弟子輿尸，使不當也。
Six at the top
大君有命，開國承家，小人勿用。
The great ruler issues his orders and rewards merit: the greatest found states, the lesser receive houses. The petty person must not be put to use.
A project wraps up and it is time to hand out credit or promotions. Reward what people actually did, and keep the smooth self-promoters out of key roles, or trouble tends to follow.
Small Image: 大君有命，以正功也。小人勿用，必亂邦也。
師，眾也。貞，正也。能以眾正，可以王矣。剛中而應，行險而順，以此毒天下，而民從之，吉又何咎矣。
Shi (The Army) means the many. Steadfast means upright. Whoever can lead the many along the upright path can rule as a true king. The firm line holds the center and is answered by the fifth line; it moves through danger yet follows what is right. Govern the world this way, even when it means hardship for it, and the people still follow. Good fortune, and what blame could there be?
The Image地中有水，師；君子以容民畜眾。
Water in the middle of the earth: this is Shi (The Army). So the noble person makes room for the people and nurtures the multitude.
The Sequence: why it comes here訟必有眾起，故受之以師；師者眾也。
A dispute always draws a crowd of people to rise up, so Song (Conflict) is followed by Shi (The Army). Shi means the many, and once there are many people, someone has to lead them.
Miscellaneous Notes乾剛坤柔，比樂師憂。
Bi (Holding Together) and Shi (The Army) are paired: Bi is people drawing close, so it brings joy; Shi is mobilizing the many to fight, so it brings worry. Both gather people, but one is joining together and the other is going to war.
Related hexagramsFAQ
What does Shi mean for love?
Shi (The Army) is a hexagram of structure and rules, so romance feels a bit stiff right now. Meeting people through group settings, like a friend's dinner, a club or a team sport, comes more naturally than forcing one-on-one dates. Home can drift into one person giving orders. Let the steadier of you take the lead on big decisions while the other supports, but your partner is not your subordinate.
What does Shi mean for work?
Shi (The Army) is about leading troops, so roles in management or coordination suit this time. In interviews, concrete stories about teams you have led and systems you have set up tend to land better than talk about passion. A good time to lead a project or pull a team together, as long as rules and responsibilities come first. Let one experienced person coordinate. Avoid several bosses giving orders at once.
With Shi, will what I am waiting for come?
It is unlikely to arrive on its own. The Image puts the water underground: someone has to step up and organize people and resources before anything moves. Expect it to be slow, until things are organized and someone takes the lead.
With Shi, will I find what I lost?
Likely to be found with help. The Image's water within earth points to low places, a basement, somewhere near water, or a busy, cluttered public space. Get the people around you searching too; a group search tends to beat looking alone.
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.