Hexagram 5
水天需
Waiting
Hexagram 5, Xu, is about the art of waiting - not passive, resentful waiting, but active, nourishing waiting.
Upper Trigram
☵
坎 (水)
Lower Trigram
☰
乾 (金)
Palace
坤 Palace
Shi / Ying Lines
Shi: Line 4 · Ying: Line 1
The 坎 trigram (水) sits above the 乾 trigram (金), forming 水天需. This hexagram belongs to the 坤 Palace.
Judgment (卦辞)
Waiting. If you are sincere, you have light and success. Perseverance brings good fortune. 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)
Clouds rise up to heaven: the image of Waiting. Thus the superior man eats and drinks, is cheerful and of good cheer.
Line Texts (爻辞)
Waiting in the meadow. Abide in what endures. (需于郊，利用恒，无咎)
Waiting on the sand. Little gossip. The end brings good fortune. (需于沙，小有言，终吉)
Waiting in the mud brings about the enemy. (需于泥，致寇至)
Waiting in blood. Get out of the pit. (需于血，出自穴)
Waiting at meat and drink. Perseverance brings good fortune. (需于酒食，贞吉)
One falls into the pit. Three uninvited guests arrive. Honor them. (入于穴，有不速之客三人来)
Hexagram 5 in Love & Relationships
Relationships: Desperation is unattractive. Be cheerful and of good cheer.
Hexagram 5 in Career & Decisions
Career: Promotions delayed? Use this time to upskill and network.
Hexagram 5 as a yes / no answer
Depends on timing
The hexagram counsels timing and care: the answer depends on how and when you proceed.
The I Ching reads situations, not fixed outcomes — your reading can weigh the moving lines with this leaning.
In-Depth Analysis[+]
Hexagram 5, Xu, is about the art of waiting - not passive, resentful waiting, but active, nourishing waiting. Clouds rising toward Heaven - rain is coming, but not yet. 'The superior man eats and drinks, is cheerful and of good cheer.' Waiting is not wasted time but an essential phase of the cycle. The six lines describe degrading waiting conditions and proper responses. The key insight: impatience is the real enemy. When you wait with equanimity, you create conditions for good fortune.
Historical Stories[+]
Zhuge Liang's Empty City Strategy: playing zither on the wall while the enemy approached - and they retreated.
Goujian, King of Yue, waited ten years after defeat, tasting gall daily, before reclaiming his kingdom.
Practical Applications[+]
Career: Promotions delayed? Use this time to upskill and network.
Relationships: Desperation is unattractive. Be cheerful and of good cheer.
Investments: Market timing is usually a mistake. Master the art of waiting.
Classical Sources for Hexagram 5
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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