Hexagram 14
火天大有
Great Possession
Hexagram 14, Da You (Great Possession), is Fire above Heaven - the sun illuminating the entire sky.
Upper Trigram
☲
离 (火)
Lower Trigram
☰
乾 (金)
Palace
乾 Palace
Shi / Ying Lines
Shi: Line 3 · Ying: Line 6
The 离 trigram (火) sits above the 乾 trigram (金), forming 火天大有. This hexagram belongs to the 乾 Palace.
Judgment (卦辞)
Possession in great measure. Supreme success.
Judgment text follows the Wilhelm–Baynes translation (The I Ching or Book of Changes, Princeton University Press), quoted for commentary.
Image (象辞)
Fire in heaven above: the image of Great Possession.
Line Texts (爻辞)
No relationship with what is harmful. (无交害)
A big wagon for loading. (大车以载)
A prince offers it to the Son of Heaven. (公用亨于天子)
He makes a difference between himself and his neighbor. (匪其彭)
He whose truth is accessible, yet dignified. (厥孚交如)
He is blessed by heaven. Good fortune. (自天佑之)
Hexagram 14 in Love & Relationships
Relationships: Abundance in love means giving freely without keeping score.
Hexagram 14 in Career & Decisions
Career: When you achieve success, share the credit. Hoarding glory creates resentment; sharing it builds loyalty.
Hexagram 14 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 14, Da You (Great Possession), is Fire above Heaven - the sun illuminating the entire sky. It signifies abundance and great achievement. The judgment is simple: Supreme success. No conditions, no warnings. The wisdom is in how to handle abundance: the lines emphasize curbing evil, furthering good, and sharing prosperity. A great wagon can carry much but only if loaded properly. The prince who offers to the Son of Heaven recognizes that wealth belongs to a higher order. True possession is not hoarding but stewardship.
Historical Stories[+]
Andrew Carnegie's philosophy of philanthropy: the industrialist believed the wealthy had a duty to redistribute their fortunes during their lifetime, funding thousands of libraries.
The Tang Dynasty at its height: the most cosmopolitan empire of its age, sharing its wealth through the Silk Road, absorbing and transmitting culture across continents.
Practical Applications[+]
Career: When you achieve success, share the credit. Hoarding glory creates resentment; sharing it builds loyalty.
Relationships: Abundance in love means giving freely without keeping score.
Personal Growth: Your talents are not solely yours - they are gifts to be cultivated and shared with the world.
Classical Sources for Hexagram 14
卜筮正宗 (The Orthodox Manual of Divination)清 (Qing Dynasty, 1644–1912)
The Eighteen Questions framework, the classification of hexagram patterns by life domain (career, wealth, relationships, health, travel, litigation), and the methodological rules for interpreting conflicting lines.
Related Hexagrams
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Wonder how Hexagram 14 applies to your situation?
Ask the I Ching about Hexagram 14