A thunderstorm breaks and the air clears; tension is released. Xie is the moment after a difficulty, when knots loosen and things can move again. Return to normal life quickly, finish any loose ends promptly and don't dwell on old grievances. Forgiveness is part of the release: carrying old resentments keeps you tied to what has passed.
Judgment
解：利西南，无所往，其來復吉。有攸往，夙吉。
Release: favorable in the southwest. If there is nowhere to go, coming back brings good fortune. If there is somewhere to go, going early brings good fortune.
Image
雷雨作，解；君子以赦過宥罪。
Thunder and rain arrive together: release. Taking this as a model, the noble one excuses errors and treats offenses with leniency.
- Release from tension
- Returning to normal
- Forgiveness
- Prompt resolution
- Clearing the air
- release
- relief
- forgiveness
- resolution
- freedom
- renewal
- Once the difficulty lifts, return to normal without lingering.
- Finish loose ends quickly.
- Forgive, so the past stops binding you.
The six lines
Lines are numbered from the bottom. In a reading, only the lines that are changing apply to your cast.
Line 1Six at the beginning 初六
Line text
无咎。
No blame.
The difficulty has passed. Rest quietly and recover; there is nothing more to do and nothing wrong.
- Rest after difficulty
- Quiet recovery
- Stirring things up again
- Simply enjoying the relief
Line 2Nine in the second place 九二
Line text
田獲三狐，得黃矢，貞吉。
Hunting in the field, one takes three foxes and gains a yellow arrow. Steadfastness: good fortune.
Cunning influences, like flatterers or manipulators, must be removed. Do it with straightforward and balanced means, symbolized by the yellow arrow.
- Removing deceptive influences
- Straightforward means
- Fighting cunning with cunning
- Clearing away what misleads you
Line 3Six in the third place 六三
Line text
負且乘，致寇至，貞吝。
Carrying a load on one's back while riding in a carriage draws raiders. Steadfastness: regret.
Flaunting a position or wealth you have not grown into attracts trouble. Humility and appropriate conduct keep you safe.
- Pretension invites trouble
- Living beyond your station
- Showing off newfound advantage
- Security through modesty
Line 4Nine in the fourth place 九四
Line text
解而拇，朋至斯孚。
Release your big toe. A friend arrives, and this one can be trusted.
Let go of the clingy, inferior attachments that hold you down. Once you do, worthy companions you can trust will come.
- Releasing unhealthy ties
- Making room for real friends
- Holding on to people who drag you down
- Better company after letting go
Line 5Six in the fifth place 六五
Line text
君子維有解，吉；有孚于小人。
Only the noble one can find release: good fortune. It proves itself even to small-minded people.
Real release comes from an inner decision to separate from what is harmful. When you are truly resolved, others notice and withdraw.
- Inner resolve to be free
- Clear decision
- Half-hearted separation
- A clean break that others respect
Line 6Six at the top 上六
Line text
公用射隼，于高墉之上，獲之，无不利。
The duke shoots at a falcon on top of a high wall and brings it down. Nothing is unfavorable.
A last, entrenched obstacle remains in a high place. With preparation and the right timing, it can be removed decisively, completing the release.
- Removing the last obstacle
- Prepared, decisive action
- Acting without preparation
- Final, complete liberation
Related hexagrams
Have a question on your mind?
Cast a readingChinese text: Zhouyi 周易 (received classical text). English rendering and notes: Site rendering. About our sources
Commentary
Thunder (movement) above water (danger): movement out of danger, a storm that ends a period of oppression. Xie follows Obstruction as relief follows strain. The reading may suggest that a knot in your situation is untying, or could be untied, and that things are about to get easier.
The judgment advises two things: if the work is done, return to ordinary life and don't push on unnecessarily; if something remains, deal with it promptly. The image adds magnanimity: pardon mistakes, forgive offenses. The lines warn against attracting new trouble through arrogance and urge separating from those who weigh you down. In relation to a question, Xie may emphasize relief, letting go and clean resolution.