Water over fire: a pot simmering on the stove, everything in its place. Ji Ji is the only hexagram in which every line is in its proper position. The task is done and order is achieved, which is exactly when things start to slip. Completion is a moment for vigilance, maintenance and attention to detail, not complacency.
Judgment
既濟：亨小，利貞，初吉終亂。
Already across: small success. Steadfastness is favorable. Fortunate at first, chaotic in the end.
Image
水在火上，既濟；君子以思患而豫防之。
Water over fire: already across. Taking this as a model, the noble one considers coming troubles and prepares defenses before they arrive.
- Completion and order
- Vigilance after success
- Maintaining what is achieved
- Anticipating problems
- The fragility of balance
- completion
- order
- vigilance
- maintenance
- balance
- foresight
- The moment of completion is when decline begins.
- Think about problems before they arrive.
- Maintenance matters as much as achievement.
The six lines
Lines are numbered from the bottom. In a reading, only the lines that are changing apply to your cast.
Line 1Nine at the beginning 初九
Line text
曳其輪，濡其尾，无咎。
Dragging the wheels back; tail soaked. No blame.
Everyone is pushing ahead after success. Hold back a little; you may be slightly set back, but you avoid the larger mistake.
- Holding back
- Small setbacks prevent large ones
- Rushing ahead with the crowd
- Safety through restraint
Line 2Six in the second place 六二
Line text
婦喪其茀，勿逐，七日得。
A wife loses her carriage veil. Do not chase it; in seven days it returns.
You are overlooked or something is lost. Don't push for it; what is truly yours will come back in time.
- Being overlooked
- Patience
- Pushing for recognition
- Recovery in due time
Line 3Nine in the third place 九三
Line text
高宗伐鬼方，三年克之，小人勿用。
Gaozong campaigns against the Guifang and subdues them after three years. Small-minded people should not be used.
Expanding after success is a long, hard undertaking. If it must be done, it requires persistence and the right people, not opportunists.
- Costly expansion
- Choosing the right people
- Opportunistic helpers
- Success through the right team and endurance
Line 4Six in the fourth place 六四
Line text
繻有衣袽，終日戒。
Fine clothes wearing into rags: stay alert the whole day.
Hidden weaknesses are appearing in what seemed perfect. Stay watchful; don't ignore the first signs of wear.
- Early signs of decline
- Watchfulness
- Ignoring small problems
- Catching trouble early
Line 5Nine in the fifth place 九五
Line text
東鄰殺牛，不如西鄰之禴祭，實受其福。
The eastern neighbor slaughters an ox, but the western neighbor's simple offering truly receives the blessing.
Lavish display counts for less than sincerity. In times of success, a simple, heartfelt gesture is worth more than an expensive show.
- Sincerity over display
- Simplicity
- Extravagance replacing sincerity
- Blessing through a true heart
Line 6Six at the top 上六
Line text
濡其首，厲。
Head soaked: danger.
Having crossed, you turn back or push on carelessly and get in over your head. Don't keep going once the crossing is complete.
- Carelessness after success
- Going too far
- Looking back or pushing past the finish
- Stopping once the goal is reached
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
In Ji Ji every yang line is in a yang place and every yin line in a yin place: perfect order. Water above fire is the image of cooking, which works only while each stays in balance. Too much heat and the water boils away; too much water and the fire goes out. The reading may suggest that you have reached a goal or a stable state, and that keeping it requires attention.
The judgment is sober: good fortune at the start, disorder at the end. The natural tendency of a completed order is to decline. The image prescribes foresight: think about troubles and prepare. In relation to a question, Ji Ji may emphasize consolidating gains, staying alert, attending to details and not resting on success.