Hexagram 38 of 64 · Fire ☲ over Lake ☱
Opposition
Kuí
Opposition — two forces pulling apart, and the small, patient moves that let them see each other again.
The Judgment
Opposition. In small matters, good fortune. Estrangement cannot be resolved by a grand gesture; it yields to modest, specific acts of understanding.
The Image
Fire above, lake below: fire flames upward, the lake seeps downward — the two move away from each other. The wise person, amid all fellowship, retains their individuality — difference is not the enemy of union; it is the condition of it.
Hexagram 38 Meaning
Two sisters who live in the same house and want different things — that is the old image. Opposition is misunderstanding, estrangement, the sense that you and another person are moving in opposite directions. The hexagram is realistic: it does not promise reconciliation of the big things. It promises that small matters go well, and that small matters are how estrangement is healed. The remarkable sixth line describes seeing an enemy as a pig covered in mud and a wagon full of devils — and then realising it was a friend all along. Most opposition is misperception.
Opposition in Love
An estrangement — you and your partner (or the person you want) are seeing each other through distorted eyes. The hexagram counsels small moves: a specific kindness, a single honest sentence, a modest repair, rather than the big talk that would try to resolve everything and fail. The lines say the misperception clears: the devil in the wagon turns out to be a friend. Let the small things accumulate. Do not force union between people who currently see each other as enemies.
Opposition in Career & Money
Conflict between departments, a partner you cannot agree with, a client who has misread you. Big confrontations fail; small concrete steps succeed — one agreement, one clarified fact, one demonstration of good faith. The hexagram also honours individuality: you can work alongside people you disagree with without becoming them. Keep your own view and look for the small ground you share.
What to Do
Do not try to fix the whole estrangement at once. Make small, specific, honest moves. Look again at the person you are opposing — what you see as an enemy may be a friend covered in mud.
Opposition as a Yes or No
no
Not for large matters — opposition blocks the big yes; small steps are favoured, the big one is not.
The Trigrams
Above: Fire (離 Lí) — the clinging — clarity, attachment, the middle daughter.
Below: Lake (兌 Duì) — the joyous — pleasure, openness, the youngest daughter.
The Six Lines of Opposition
Read when the line is moving (a 6 or 9 in the cast). Bottom line first.
- 1
Line 1 · yang
Remorse disappears; if you lose your horse, do not run after it, it will come back of its own accord — when you see evil people, guard yourself against mistakes: let what has strayed return by itself.
- 2
Line 2 · yang
One meets his lord in a narrow street, no blame: an accidental meeting between estranged people resolves things.
- 3
Line 3 · yin
One sees the wagon dragged back, the oxen halted, a man’s hair and nose cut off — not a good beginning, but a good end: everything goes wrong at first; it comes right.
- 4
Line 4 · yang
Isolated through opposition, one meets a like-minded man with whom one can associate in good faith — despite the danger, no blame: a true ally found in isolation.
- 5
Line 5 · yin
Remorse disappears, the companion bites his way through the wrappings; if one goes to him, how could it be a mistake: the barrier between friends is broken — go to them.
- 6
Line 6 · yang
Isolated through opposition, one sees one’s companion as a pig covered with dirt, as a wagon full of devils; first one draws a bow, then lays it aside — he is not a robber, he will woo at the right time; as one goes, rain falls, then good fortune comes: misperception dissolves; the enemy was a friend.
Will Opposition Appear in Your Cast?
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does hexagram 38, Opposition, mean?
Two sisters who live in the same house and want different things — that is the old image. Opposition is misunderstanding, estrangement, the sense that you and another person are moving in opposite directions. The hexagram is realistic: it does not promise reconciliation of the big things. It promises that small matters go well, and that small matters are how estrangement is healed. The remarkable sixth line describes seeing an enemy as a pig covered in mud and a wagon full of devils — and then realising it was a friend all along. Most opposition is misperception.
What does Opposition mean in love?
An estrangement — you and your partner (or the person you want) are seeing each other through distorted eyes. The hexagram counsels small moves: a specific kindness, a single honest sentence, a modest repair, rather than the big talk that would try to resolve everything and fail. The lines say the misperception clears: the devil in the wagon turns out to be a friend. Let the small things accumulate. Do not force union between people who currently see each other as enemies.
What does Opposition mean for career and money?
Conflict between departments, a partner you cannot agree with, a client who has misread you. Big confrontations fail; small concrete steps succeed — one agreement, one clarified fact, one demonstration of good faith. The hexagram also honours individuality: you can work alongside people you disagree with without becoming them. Keep your own view and look for the small ground you share.
Is hexagram 38 a yes or a no?
Opposition answers "no". Not for large matters — opposition blocks the big yes; small steps are favoured, the big one is not.
Previous hexagram
37. The Family
family
Next hexagram
39. Obstruction
obstacle
Last updated: August 30, 2026
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