Hexagram 48 of 64 · Water ☵ over Wind ☴
The Well
Jǐng
The well — the unchanging source everyone draws from, which fails only when it is neglected or the rope is too short.
The Judgment
The Well: the town may be changed, but the well cannot be changed. It neither decreases nor increases. They come and go and draw from the well. If one gets down almost to the water and the rope does not go all the way, or the jug breaks, it brings misfortune.
The Image
Water over wood: the wooden bucket lifting water from the depths. The wise person encourages the people at their work and exhorts them to help one another — the well belongs to everyone, and it works only when it is tended together.
Hexagram 48 Meaning
Governments change, towns move, fashions pass — and the well stays where it is, giving the same water to everyone who comes. The Well is what does not change: the deep source, the fundamental need, the human nature underneath every arrangement. The hexagram asks two things. Are you drawing from the source, or living on the surface? And is the well maintained — the rope long enough, the jug intact, the mud cleared? An old well full of mud feeds no one; a good well nobody uses is a waste.
The Well in Love
The deep source of the relationship — the real, unchanging thing you have with each other underneath the circumstances. The hexagram asks whether you are drawing from it. A relationship that has gone stale often has a perfectly good well that nobody is lowering the bucket into. Clear the mud (the accumulated resentments), check the rope (the honesty and time it takes to reach depth), and drink. Line 3 grieves for the clean well nobody uses; do not let that be yours.
The Well in Career & Money
The fundamental resource — your skills, your team’s expertise, the institution’s knowledge, your own well-being. Is it maintained? Are people drawing from it? The hexagram warns against the broken jug and the short rope: near-success ruined by a failure of the last step. It favours community — the well is shared — and the leader who keeps people helping each other. Go back to the source and clear it out.
What to Do
Return to the source that does not change. Maintain the well — clear the mud, lengthen the rope, mend the jug. Draw from it and let others draw too. Depth is only useful if you actually reach it.
The Well as a Yes or No
maybe
The source is good, but the answer depends on whether you are drawing from it properly — check the rope and the jug.
The Trigrams
Above: Water (坎 Kǎn) — the abysmal — danger, depth, the middle son.
Below: Wind (巽 Xùn) — the gentle — penetration, gradual influence, the eldest daughter.
The Six Lines of The Well
Read when the line is moving (a 6 or 9 in the cast). Bottom line first.
- 1
Line 1 · yin
One does not drink the mud of the well, no animals come to an old well: a source neglected until it is useless — abandoned.
- 2
Line 2 · yang
At the well hole one shoots fishes, the jug is broken and leaks: good qualities wasted on trivial company — no one comes.
- 3
Line 3 · yang
The well is cleaned but no one drinks from it — this is my heart’s sorrow, for one might draw from it; if the king were clear-minded, good fortune might be enjoyed in common: a capable person unused — grief; recognise them.
- 4
Line 4 · yin
The well is being lined, no blame: repairing the source, temporarily out of use — right.
- 5
Line 5 · yang
In the well there is a clear, cold spring from which one can drink: a pure source — but it must be drawn.
- 6
Line 6 · yin
One draws from the well without hindrance, it is dependable, supreme good fortune: an inexhaustible source freely given to all.
Will The Well Appear in Your Cast?
Cast the coins on your own question — free, instant, with every moving line explained.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does hexagram 48, The Well, mean?
Governments change, towns move, fashions pass — and the well stays where it is, giving the same water to everyone who comes. The Well is what does not change: the deep source, the fundamental need, the human nature underneath every arrangement. The hexagram asks two things. Are you drawing from the source, or living on the surface? And is the well maintained — the rope long enough, the jug intact, the mud cleared? An old well full of mud feeds no one; a good well nobody uses is a waste.
What does The Well mean in love?
The deep source of the relationship — the real, unchanging thing you have with each other underneath the circumstances. The hexagram asks whether you are drawing from it. A relationship that has gone stale often has a perfectly good well that nobody is lowering the bucket into. Clear the mud (the accumulated resentments), check the rope (the honesty and time it takes to reach depth), and drink. Line 3 grieves for the clean well nobody uses; do not let that be yours.
What does The Well mean for career and money?
The fundamental resource — your skills, your team’s expertise, the institution’s knowledge, your own well-being. Is it maintained? Are people drawing from it? The hexagram warns against the broken jug and the short rope: near-success ruined by a failure of the last step. It favours community — the well is shared — and the leader who keeps people helping each other. Go back to the source and clear it out.
Is hexagram 48 a yes or a no?
The Well answers "maybe". The source is good, but the answer depends on whether you are drawing from it properly — check the rope and the jug.
Previous hexagram
47. Oppression
exhaustion
Next hexagram
49. Revolution
radical change
Last updated: August 30, 2026
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