井 → 革
Hexagram 48: The Well → Hexagram 49: Revolution
Changing Lines
This transformation involves 3 changing lines (lines 1, 2, 4).
Line 1
初六 井泥不食。舊井无禽。
Six at the beginning means: One does not drink the mud of the well. No animals come to an old well.
Line 2
九二 井谷射鮒。甕敝漏。
Nine in the second place means: At the wellhole one shoots fishes. The jug is broken and leaks.
Line 4
六四 井甃无咎。
Six in the fourth place means: The well is being lined. No blame.
Trigram Changes
Yilin Verse
從叔旅行，食於東昌。嘉伯悅喜，與我芝香。
Accompanying my uncle on a journey, we dine at Dongchang. The honored elder is pleased and joyful; he gives me fragrant lingzhi.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BCE
Commentary
Water drawn up through wood, the well sustains the traveler on his journey. Following an uncle on a trip, dining at Dongchang, the honorable elder is delighted and presents fragrant mushrooms as a gift. The verse paints a scene of warmth and hospitality: a family journey rewarded with fine food and auspicious tokens. The lingzhi mushroom was a symbol of blessing and longevity. From The Well to Revolution, fire burns within the lake, transforming what was into what will be. The well's steady provision meets Ge's radical renewal: the old journey yields unexpected gifts, and the familiar road opens onto transformed circumstances where generosity signals a change of season.
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