家人 → 蠱
Hexagram 37: The Family → Hexagram 18: Work on the Decayed
Changing Lines
This transformation involves 3 changing lines (lines 1, 2, 5).
Line 1
初九 閑有家。悔亡。
Nine at the beginning means: Firm seclusion within the family. Remorse disappears.
Line 2
六二 无攸遂。在中饋。貞吉。
Six in the second place means: She should not follow her whims. She must attend within to the food. Perseverance brings good fortune.
Line 5
九五 王假有家。勿恤吉。
Nine in the fifth place means: As a king he approaches his family. Fear not. Good fortune.
Trigram Changes
Yilin Verse
東市齊魯，南賈荊楚。羽毛齒革，為吾利寶。
In the east, markets of Qi and Lu; in the south, trade with Jing and Chu. Feathers, furs, teeth, and hides become our profitable treasure.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BCE
Commentary
Wind from fire carries the family's enterprise outward into the world of commerce. Trading east in Qi and Lu, selling south in Jing and Chu — the great market circuit of the Warring States comes alive. Feathers, furs, ivory, and hides become treasured commodities. The verse celebrates mercantile prosperity: a family whose wealth comes from knowing where to buy and where to sell, transforming raw goods into fortune. From The Family to Work on the Decayed, wind stirs beneath the mountain, reviving what has grown stagnant. The merchant's journey is itself a form of renewal — goods circulated from regions of surplus to regions of need, each transaction repairing an imbalance. Commerce as restoration: the family that trades across borders brings vitality back to decayed systems.
The Six Lines app includes all 4,096 Yilin verses, each with original ink brush artwork and full commentary. Download on the App Store