未濟 → 鼎

Commentary

Fire above water, and the dragon thirsts for rain. Dark clouds gather in its wake as the Earl of the River kneels to present sweet wine. Libations are offered, and torrents pour forth. The dragon as rain-bringer is one of Chinese mythology's oldest motifs. The Earl of the River (河伯), deity of the Yellow River, here acts as servant rather than sovereign — even the river god defers to the dragon's authority over water. From Before Completion to the Cauldron, fire-over-water transforms into fire above wood, the image of the sacrificial vessel. The Cauldron is the hexagram of transformative nourishment — raw ingredients refined by fire into sacred sustenance. The dragon's thirst is answered by ritual offering; the rain follows sacrifice. Before Completion's parched disorder gives way to the Cauldron's civilizing alchemy.