Hexagram 27 of 64 · Mountain ☶ over Thunder ☳
Nourishment
Yí
The corners of the mouth — what you take in, what you give out, and whether either is nourishing.
The Judgment
Nourishment: perseverance brings good fortune. Pay heed to the providing of nourishment, and to what a person seeks to fill their own mouth with. Look at what you feed and what you are fed.
The Image
Thunder at the foot of the mountain: movement below, stillness above — the lower jaw moving against the upper. The wise person is careful of their words and temperate in eating and drinking — the mouth both takes in and gives out.
Hexagram 27 Meaning
The hexagram is shaped like an open mouth: two yang lines at the edges, four yin lines in between. It asks about nourishment in the broadest sense — food, information, company, ideas, care. What are you consuming, and is it good for you? Who are you feeding, and are you feeding them well? The lower lines concern feeding oneself and tend toward misfortune when greedy; the upper lines concern feeding others and tend toward good fortune. The direction of the mouth matters.
Nourishment in Love
Look at what the relationship feeds you and what you feed it. Is it nourishing — do you leave interactions fuller — or does it leave you hungrier? The hexagram also warns about words: the same mouth that eats also speaks, and careless speech poisons a bond. Be temperate with both. In a relationship, this is a time to nourish: to care for each other practically, and to watch what you consume together — gossip, comparison, screen time — that may be starving the connection.
Nourishment in Career & Money
What are you taking in — training, mentorship, information, and from whom? What are you providing — to your team, your clients, your own development? Nourishment favours the one who feeds others well and warns the one who only fills their own mouth. Watch your words in professional settings. Attend to the practical: rest, health, sustainable pace. A career starves on adrenaline alone.
What to Do
Audit your inputs and outputs. Feed yourself on what is genuinely nourishing; feed others generously. Be careful what comes out of your mouth. Temperance in all of it.
Nourishment as a Yes or No
maybe
The answer depends on what you are trying to feed — nourishing others brings good fortune; feeding only yourself does not.
The Trigrams
Above: Mountain (艮 Gèn) — keeping still — stillness, boundary, the youngest son.
Below: Thunder (震 Zhèn) — the arousing — movement, shock, the eldest son.
The Six Lines of Nourishment
Read when the line is moving (a 6 or 9 in the cast). Bottom line first.
- 1
Line 1 · yang
You let your magic tortoise go and look at me with the corners of your mouth drooping: envying what others have while neglecting your own resources — misfortune.
- 2
Line 2 · yin
Turning to the summit for nourishment, deviating from the path to seek nourishment from the hill: seeking support from the wrong source — misfortune.
- 3
Line 3 · yin
Turning away from nourishment, perseverance brings misfortune: feeding on what does not nourish — for ten years, nothing furthers.
- 4
Line 4 · yin
Turning to the summit for provision of nourishment brings good fortune, spying about with sharp eyes like a tiger: seeking help in order to feed others — no blame.
- 5
Line 5 · yin
Turning away from the path — to remain persevering brings good fortune, one should not cross the great water: you cannot nourish others alone; accept help and stay put.
- 6
Line 6 · yang
The source of nourishment, awareness of danger brings good fortune, it furthers one to cross the great water: you are the one who feeds all — heavy responsibility, great success.
Will Nourishment Appear in Your Cast?
Cast the coins on your own question — free, instant, with every moving line explained.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does hexagram 27, Nourishment, mean?
The hexagram is shaped like an open mouth: two yang lines at the edges, four yin lines in between. It asks about nourishment in the broadest sense — food, information, company, ideas, care. What are you consuming, and is it good for you? Who are you feeding, and are you feeding them well? The lower lines concern feeding oneself and tend toward misfortune when greedy; the upper lines concern feeding others and tend toward good fortune. The direction of the mouth matters.
What does Nourishment mean in love?
Look at what the relationship feeds you and what you feed it. Is it nourishing — do you leave interactions fuller — or does it leave you hungrier? The hexagram also warns about words: the same mouth that eats also speaks, and careless speech poisons a bond. Be temperate with both. In a relationship, this is a time to nourish: to care for each other practically, and to watch what you consume together — gossip, comparison, screen time — that may be starving the connection.
What does Nourishment mean for career and money?
What are you taking in — training, mentorship, information, and from whom? What are you providing — to your team, your clients, your own development? Nourishment favours the one who feeds others well and warns the one who only fills their own mouth. Watch your words in professional settings. Attend to the practical: rest, health, sustainable pace. A career starves on adrenaline alone.
Is hexagram 27 a yes or a no?
Nourishment answers "maybe". The answer depends on what you are trying to feed — nourishing others brings good fortune; feeding only yourself does not.
Previous hexagram
26. The Taming Power of the Great
restraint
Next hexagram
28. Preponderance of the Great
critical mass
Last updated: August 30, 2026
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