Hexagram 2 of 64 · Earth ☷ over Earth ☷
The Receptive
Kūn
Pure receptive strength — the power to carry, nourish, and follow the right lead.
The Judgment
The Receptive brings success through the perseverance of a mare — steady, devoted, tireless. Taking the lead brings confusion; following brings good fortune. Find the right direction and stay with it.
The Image
Earth above earth: the ground holds everything placed on it without complaint or collapse. The wise person carries the world in the same way — with breadth of character, and without needing to be seen carrying it.
Hexagram 2 Meaning
Six broken lines: the complete complement of The Creative. Where hexagram 1 is the seed, hexagram 2 is the soil — and nothing grows without both. This is a time to receive, support, respond, and endure rather than to initiate. That is not passivity. The earth is the most powerful thing in the landscape precisely because it does not compete with the sky. Ask what needs holding, and hold it.
The Receptive in Love
In love, The Receptive counsels yielding — meeting your partner where they are, listening before answering, letting the relationship set its own pace rather than forcing a timeline. If you are single, this is not the moment to chase; it is the moment to become the kind of ground something can root in. In a partnership, one of you may need to carry more for a while. Do it without keeping score.
The Receptive in Career & Money
Support roles, teamwork, and second-in-command positions flourish under this hexagram. Trying to lead now brings confusion — not because you lack ability, but because the situation needs a foundation more than a figurehead. Do excellent, unglamorous work. Take direction from someone competent. Recognition comes late to the earth, but it comes, and it lasts.
What to Do
Do not push. Find the person or plan worth following and follow it completely. Your strength right now is endurance and care, not initiative — the same virtues that make a field fertile. Let something grow through you.
The Receptive as a Yes or No
maybe
The Receptive says yes only if you are willing to follow rather than lead — the outcome depends on what you are yielding to.
The Trigrams
Above: Earth (坤 Kūn) — the receptive — devotion, yielding, the mother.
Below: Earth (坤 Kūn) — the receptive — devotion, yielding, the mother.
The Six Lines of The Receptive
Read when the line is moving (a 6 or 9 in the cast). Bottom line first.
- 1
Line 1 · yin
Hoarfrost underfoot: the first sign of winter — notice a small decline early, before it becomes solid ice.
- 2
Line 2 · yin
Straight, square, great: act naturally and without calculation — everything furthers.
- 3
Line 3 · yin
Hidden lines: do your good work without claiming it; if you serve, let the credit go upward.
- 4
Line 4 · yin
A tied-up sack: discretion — say nothing, show nothing, no blame and no praise.
- 5
Line 5 · yin
A yellow lower garment: modesty in a high position brings supreme good fortune.
- 6
Line 6 · yin
Dragons fight in the meadow: yin has tried to become yang — a struggle you cannot win by force.
Will The Receptive Appear in Your Cast?
Cast the coins on your own question — free, instant, with every moving line explained.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does hexagram 2, The Receptive, mean?
Six broken lines: the complete complement of The Creative. Where hexagram 1 is the seed, hexagram 2 is the soil — and nothing grows without both. This is a time to receive, support, respond, and endure rather than to initiate. That is not passivity. The earth is the most powerful thing in the landscape precisely because it does not compete with the sky. Ask what needs holding, and hold it.
What does The Receptive mean in love?
In love, The Receptive counsels yielding — meeting your partner where they are, listening before answering, letting the relationship set its own pace rather than forcing a timeline. If you are single, this is not the moment to chase; it is the moment to become the kind of ground something can root in. In a partnership, one of you may need to carry more for a while. Do it without keeping score.
What does The Receptive mean for career and money?
Support roles, teamwork, and second-in-command positions flourish under this hexagram. Trying to lead now brings confusion — not because you lack ability, but because the situation needs a foundation more than a figurehead. Do excellent, unglamorous work. Take direction from someone competent. Recognition comes late to the earth, but it comes, and it lasts.
Is hexagram 2 a yes or a no?
The Receptive answers "maybe". The Receptive says yes only if you are willing to follow rather than lead — the outcome depends on what you are yielding to.
Previous hexagram
1. The Creative
strength
Next hexagram
3. Difficulty at the Beginning
birth pangs
Last updated: August 30, 2026
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