Hexagram 23 of 64 · Mountain ☶ over Earth ☷
Splitting Apart
Bō
The bed being stripped from beneath — a collapse to survive by not acting until it has finished.
The Judgment
Splitting Apart. It does not further one to go anywhere. The structure is coming down; the only wise response is stillness and endurance.
The Image
The mountain rests on the earth: it stands only because its base is broad. Those above can ensure their position only by generosity to those below — a foundation neglected is a foundation that erodes.
Hexagram 23 Meaning
Five yin lines have risen and one yang line is left at the top, about to be pushed off. The old text describes a bed whose legs, frame, and skin are being split away one by one. Something is collapsing — a structure, a relationship, an era — and the hexagram is blunt: do not go anywhere, do not act, do not resist. This is the dark of the year. But the top line holds a large fruit not yet eaten: the seed of the next cycle survives the collapse. Wait, and preserve what matters.
Splitting Apart in Love
A relationship is coming apart, and the hexagram says fighting the collapse does not work now. Neither does making big moves — a dramatic reconciliation, a dramatic exit. What works is stillness: stop escalating, protect your own well-being, let the process finish. If the relationship is meant to continue, the seed at the top survives and regrows. If not, you will have kept your dignity for what comes after.
Splitting Apart in Career & Money
A company, department, or project is being dismantled, or your position eroded. Do not launch anything. Do not fight a losing battle. Keep your head down, secure what you can, and wait for the turn — which always comes. The image warns leaders specifically: a structure survives only through generosity to its base. If you are the one on top, look at who you have been neglecting.
What to Do
Do nothing bold. Endure. Protect what is essential and let the rest fall — it was going to. The collapse is a season, and the next cycle is already inside it as a seed.
Splitting Apart as a Yes or No
no
No — the structure is coming down and it does not further one to go anywhere; wait out the collapse.
The Trigrams
Above: Mountain (艮 Gèn) — keeping still — stillness, boundary, the youngest son.
Below: Earth (坤 Kūn) — the receptive — devotion, yielding, the mother.
The Six Lines of Splitting Apart
Read when the line is moving (a 6 or 9 in the cast). Bottom line first.
- 1
Line 1 · yin
The leg of the bed is split, perseverance is destroyed: the undermining begins from below — misfortune; stay alert.
- 2
Line 2 · yin
The bed is split at the edge: the erosion is closer — misfortune; you are isolated and should be careful.
- 3
Line 3 · yin
He splits with them, no blame: in the midst of the collapse, you break with the destructive people around you — correct.
- 4
Line 4 · yin
The bed is split up to the skin: the disaster has reached you personally — misfortune cannot be avoided now.
- 5
Line 5 · yin
A shoal of fishes, favour comes through the court ladies: the destructive forces change and submit to leadership — nothing that does not further.
- 6
Line 6 · yang
There is a large fruit still uneaten — the superior person receives a carriage, the house of the inferior is split apart: the seed survives; good regrows.
Will Splitting Apart Appear in Your Cast?
Cast the coins on your own question — free, instant, with every moving line explained.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does hexagram 23, Splitting Apart, mean?
Five yin lines have risen and one yang line is left at the top, about to be pushed off. The old text describes a bed whose legs, frame, and skin are being split away one by one. Something is collapsing — a structure, a relationship, an era — and the hexagram is blunt: do not go anywhere, do not act, do not resist. This is the dark of the year. But the top line holds a large fruit not yet eaten: the seed of the next cycle survives the collapse. Wait, and preserve what matters.
What does Splitting Apart mean in love?
A relationship is coming apart, and the hexagram says fighting the collapse does not work now. Neither does making big moves — a dramatic reconciliation, a dramatic exit. What works is stillness: stop escalating, protect your own well-being, let the process finish. If the relationship is meant to continue, the seed at the top survives and regrows. If not, you will have kept your dignity for what comes after.
What does Splitting Apart mean for career and money?
A company, department, or project is being dismantled, or your position eroded. Do not launch anything. Do not fight a losing battle. Keep your head down, secure what you can, and wait for the turn — which always comes. The image warns leaders specifically: a structure survives only through generosity to its base. If you are the one on top, look at who you have been neglecting.
Is hexagram 23 a yes or a no?
Splitting Apart answers "no". No — the structure is coming down and it does not further one to go anywhere; wait out the collapse.
Previous hexagram
22. Grace
beauty
Next hexagram
24. Return
turning point
Last updated: August 30, 2026
Get Weekly Tarot Guidance
One card to guide your week — tarot wisdom in your inbox every Sunday.