Hexagram 24 of 64 · Earth ☷ over Thunder ☳
Return
Fù
The turning point — one line of light returning after the darkest day, and the whole year turning with it.
The Judgment
Return has success. Going out and coming in without error. Friends come without blame. To and fro goes the way; on the seventh day comes return. It furthers one to have somewhere to go.
The Image
Thunder within the earth: at the winter solstice the ancient kings closed the passes, merchants did not travel, and the ruler did not tour the provinces — the returning light is protected by rest, not forced by activity.
Hexagram 24 Meaning
The complement of Splitting Apart. One yang line has re-entered at the bottom: the solstice has passed, the light is coming back. It is the hexagram of comebacks, recoveries, fresh starts after a low point, and the return of people and things that had gone. The counsel is to protect the new energy — it is small yet — and not to force it. On the seventh day comes return: cycles have their timing. Friends come. The way opens.
Return in Love
A return — of warmth, of a person, of your own capacity to feel after a hard season. If you are asking about someone coming back, the hexagram is favourable, and it adds a caution: the returning energy is young and needs gentle handling. Do not rush the reunion into the old patterns. If you are recovering from heartbreak, this is the moment the light comes back. Let it in slowly.
Return in Career & Money
Recovery after a downturn, a return to a former field or employer, a second attempt at something that failed before — all favoured. The energy is genuine but small; build steadily and do not overextend at the first sign of spring. It furthers one to have somewhere to go: have a direction for the returning momentum. Friends and allies reappear.
What to Do
Welcome the return and protect it. Keep things small and quiet at first. Do not force the season. Have a direction ready so the returning energy has somewhere to flow.
Return as a Yes or No
yes
Yes — the turning point has passed and the light is returning; things come back.
The Trigrams
Above: Earth (坤 Kūn) — the receptive — devotion, yielding, the mother.
Below: Thunder (震 Zhèn) — the arousing — movement, shock, the eldest son.
The Six Lines of Return
Read when the line is moving (a 6 or 9 in the cast). Bottom line first.
- 1
Line 1 · yang
Return from a short distance, no need for remorse: you turned back before going far — great good fortune.
- 2
Line 2 · yin
Quiet return, good fortune: returning in company with good people, without ego.
- 3
Line 3 · yin
Repeated return, danger, no blame: you keep returning and relapsing — unstable, but not fatal if you persist.
- 4
Line 4 · yin
Walking in the midst of others, one returns alone: you leave the crowd to return to the way — right, even if lonely.
- 5
Line 5 · yin
Noblehearted return, no remorse: an honest return that admits the mistake — correct.
- 6
Line 6 · yin
Missing the return, misfortune: the moment to turn back was missed through stubbornness — a decade of loss.
Will Return Appear in Your Cast?
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does hexagram 24, Return, mean?
The complement of Splitting Apart. One yang line has re-entered at the bottom: the solstice has passed, the light is coming back. It is the hexagram of comebacks, recoveries, fresh starts after a low point, and the return of people and things that had gone. The counsel is to protect the new energy — it is small yet — and not to force it. On the seventh day comes return: cycles have their timing. Friends come. The way opens.
What does Return mean in love?
A return — of warmth, of a person, of your own capacity to feel after a hard season. If you are asking about someone coming back, the hexagram is favourable, and it adds a caution: the returning energy is young and needs gentle handling. Do not rush the reunion into the old patterns. If you are recovering from heartbreak, this is the moment the light comes back. Let it in slowly.
What does Return mean for career and money?
Recovery after a downturn, a return to a former field or employer, a second attempt at something that failed before — all favoured. The energy is genuine but small; build steadily and do not overextend at the first sign of spring. It furthers one to have somewhere to go: have a direction for the returning momentum. Friends and allies reappear.
Is hexagram 24 a yes or a no?
Return answers "yes". Yes — the turning point has passed and the light is returning; things come back.
Previous hexagram
23. Splitting Apart
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Next hexagram
25. Innocence
innocence
Last updated: August 30, 2026
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