Hexagram 29 of 64 · Water ☵ over Water ☵
The Abysmal
Kǎn
Danger doubled — the abyss you get through only by being water: sincere, flowing, and never stopping to fill the pit.
The Judgment
The Abysmal repeated. If you are sincere, you have success in your heart, and whatever you do succeeds. Danger is real; the heart that stays true moves through it.
The Image
Water flows on uninterruptedly and reaches its goal: the wise person walks in lasting virtue and carries on the business of teaching — consistency is what water teaches, and consistency is what danger tests.
Hexagram 29 Meaning
Water above water: the gorge, the ravine, the pit — danger repeated. This is one of the hard hexagrams, and it does not pretend otherwise. What it offers is the water’s own method: water does not fight the abyss; it flows into it, fills it honestly, and flows out the other side. Sincerity is the key word — the yang line in the middle of each trigram is the heart that stays true while everything around it is uncertain. Do not stop. Do not pretend. Keep flowing.
The Abysmal in Love
A dangerous, difficult stretch — grief, betrayal, illness, a crisis that seems to keep repeating. The hexagram does not promise a quick exit. It promises that sincerity gets you through: honesty with yourself and your partner, no games, no bracing against the pain. Like water, go through rather than around. If you are asking about someone, the situation around them is deep and uncertain; keep your own heart clear and do not try to fill a pit that is not yours.
The Abysmal in Career & Money
Serious difficulty — a crisis, a hostile environment, repeated setbacks. The counsel is to keep doing the right thing with consistency and not to attempt heroics. Water reaches the sea by refusing to stop, not by leaping. Be scrupulously honest under pressure; sincerity is the one thing that works in the abyss. Small, steady, correct actions. This passes, and the person who kept their integrity through it emerges stronger.
What to Do
Accept the danger; do not deny it or dramatise it. Be completely sincere. Keep moving through in small, consistent steps like water. Do not try to fill the pit — flow past it.
The Abysmal as a Yes or No
no
No — you are in the abyss; the way through is endurance and sincerity, not a new undertaking.
The Trigrams
Above: Water (坎 Kǎn) — the abysmal — danger, depth, the middle son.
Below: Water (坎 Kǎn) — the abysmal — danger, depth, the middle son.
The Six Lines of The Abysmal
Read when the line is moving (a 6 or 9 in the cast). Bottom line first.
- 1
Line 1 · yin
Repetition of the abysmal, in the abyss one falls into a pit: you have become used to danger and slipped deeper — misfortune.
- 2
Line 2 · yang
The abyss is dangerous, one should strive to attain small things only: do not try to escape all at once — small steps.
- 3
Line 3 · yin
Forward and backward, abyss upon abyss — in danger like this, pause at first and wait: every direction is a pit; do not act.
- 4
Line 4 · yin
A jug of wine, a bowl of rice with it, earthen vessels simply handed in through the window: sincerity without ceremony in hard times — no blame.
- 5
Line 5 · yang
The abyss is not filled to overflowing, it is filled only to the rim: do not overreach — just enough, then no blame.
- 6
Line 6 · yin
Bound with cords and ropes, shut in between thorn-hedged prison walls, for three years one does not find the way: a self-inflicted trap — misfortune.
Will The Abysmal Appear in Your Cast?
Cast the coins on your own question — free, instant, with every moving line explained.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does hexagram 29, The Abysmal, mean?
Water above water: the gorge, the ravine, the pit — danger repeated. This is one of the hard hexagrams, and it does not pretend otherwise. What it offers is the water’s own method: water does not fight the abyss; it flows into it, fills it honestly, and flows out the other side. Sincerity is the key word — the yang line in the middle of each trigram is the heart that stays true while everything around it is uncertain. Do not stop. Do not pretend. Keep flowing.
What does The Abysmal mean in love?
A dangerous, difficult stretch — grief, betrayal, illness, a crisis that seems to keep repeating. The hexagram does not promise a quick exit. It promises that sincerity gets you through: honesty with yourself and your partner, no games, no bracing against the pain. Like water, go through rather than around. If you are asking about someone, the situation around them is deep and uncertain; keep your own heart clear and do not try to fill a pit that is not yours.
What does The Abysmal mean for career and money?
Serious difficulty — a crisis, a hostile environment, repeated setbacks. The counsel is to keep doing the right thing with consistency and not to attempt heroics. Water reaches the sea by refusing to stop, not by leaping. Be scrupulously honest under pressure; sincerity is the one thing that works in the abyss. Small, steady, correct actions. This passes, and the person who kept their integrity through it emerges stronger.
Is hexagram 29 a yes or a no?
The Abysmal answers "no". No — you are in the abyss; the way through is endurance and sincerity, not a new undertaking.
Previous hexagram
28. Preponderance of the Great
critical mass
Next hexagram
30. The Clinging, Fire
clarity
Last updated: August 30, 2026
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