Hexagram 13
天火同人
Fellowship
Hexagram 13, Tong Ren (Fellowship), is about community and shared purpose.
Upper Trigram
☰
乾 (金)
Lower Trigram
☲
离 (火)
Palace
离 Palace
Shi / Ying Lines
Shi: Line 3 · Ying: Line 6
The 乾 trigram (金) sits above the 离 trigram (火), forming 天火同人. This hexagram belongs to the 离 Palace.
Judgment (卦辞)
Fellowship with men in the open. Success. It furthers one to cross the great water.
Judgment text follows the Wilhelm–Baynes translation (The I Ching or Book of Changes, Princeton University Press), quoted for commentary.
Image (象辞)
Heaven together with fire: the image of Fellowship.
Line Texts (爻辞)
Fellowship with men at the gate. No blame. (同人于门)
Fellowship with men in the clan. Humiliation. (同人于宗)
He hides weapons in the thicket. (伏戎于莽)
He is backed up against his wall. (乘其墉)
Men bound in fellowship first weep, then laugh. (同人先号咷而后笑)
Fellowship with men in the meadow. (同人于郊)
Hexagram 13 in Love & Relationships
Relationships: The strongest bonds are those visible to the community. Hidden relationships breed suspicion.
Hexagram 13 in Career & Decisions
Career: Build alliances openly. Secret deals create temporary advantage but undermine lasting trust.
Personal Growth: Find your tribe - people who share your values and work toward common goals in the open.
Hexagram 13 as a yes / no answer
Leans yes
The hexagram's core image favors moving forward — conditions support the asking.
The I Ching reads situations, not fixed outcomes — your reading can weigh the moving lines with this leaning.
In-Depth Analysis[+]
Hexagram 13, Tong Ren (Fellowship), is about community and shared purpose. Heaven above, Fire below - clarity illuminating vastness. The judgment emphasizes fellowship in the open: true community is transparent, public, and based on shared principles rather than private interests. The lines trace the difficulty of building genuine community: fellowship at the gate is easy; fellowship in the clan leads to cliquishness; true fellowship in the meadow transcends tribal boundaries.
Historical Stories[+]
The founding of the United Nations after World War II: nations came together in the open to establish shared principles for peace, however imperfect the execution.
The open-source software movement: developers worldwide collaborating transparently on shared projects, embodying Tong Ren's principle of fellowship based on common purpose rather than private gain.
Practical Applications[+]
Career: Build alliances openly. Secret deals create temporary advantage but undermine lasting trust.
Relationships: The strongest bonds are those visible to the community. Hidden relationships breed suspicion.
Personal Growth: Find your tribe - people who share your values and work toward common goals in the open.
Classical Sources for Hexagram 13
易隐 (The Hidden Changes)清 (Qing Dynasty, 1644–1912)
Advanced analytical frameworks for hexagram interpretation: Flying/Hidden lines, Six Animals contextual dynamics, and inter-hexagram comparison logic.
Related Hexagrams
Learn More
Wonder how Hexagram 13 applies to your situation?
Ask the I Ching about Hexagram 13