Hexagram 54: The Marrying Maiden雷澤歸妹 · Guī Mèi

• Upper trigram　Zhèn, Thunder: arousal, beginnings and sudden change.
• Lower trigram　Duì, Lake: joy, exchange and open conversation.

The Judgment

Setting out brings misfortune; nothing furthers.

征凶，无攸利。

Our plain English rendering, with the Zhouyi original

Reading

Your place in a relationship, and a sense of proportion. Today suits getting clear on your role and expectations, holding off on major commitments, and first making the foundation solid.

Something to do today

• For one relationship or collaboration, write down what you really expect.

How a hexagram is cast

The three-coin method: toss three coins together, counting heads as 3 and tails as 2. The total, 6, 7, 8 or 9, gives one line; six tosses, recorded from the bottom up, make a hexagram. A 6 (old yin) or 9 (old yang) is a changing line, which turns this hexagram into another and shows where things are heading.