Hexagram 23 of 64
Splitting Apart
剝 (Bō)
Stripping (bō) — the slow erosion that strips away form
DissolutionAs shown in classical I Ching texts
Composition
Upper Trigram
Still, keeping, meditative — the power of not-moving
Outer situation / environment
Lower Trigram
Receptive, yielding, nurturing — the power that receives and completes
Inner situation / your state
Interaction
Mountain above Earth — peak meeting ground. The outer energy of mountain shapes the inner disposition of earth.
Meaning
The dark forces prevail — it is not the time to act. Rest, conserve strength, and adapt.
Classical Judgment
“Splitting Apart. It does not further one to go anywhere.”
The classical judgment is the original oracle text — the answer the I Ching gives when this hexagram appears.
The Image
The mountain rests on the earth. Those above can ensure their position by giving generously below.
The Image is a nature scene associated with this hexagram — a symbolic picture that distils its essence. In classic texts, meditating on the Image was considered the proper way to absorb the hexagram's teaching.
Nuclear Hexagram
Lines 2–5 of this hexagram form an inner hexagram called the nuclear hexagram. It reveals the hidden seed or underlying dynamic within the situation — what lies at the core beneath the surface.
#2 — Hidden within
The Receptive
坤 (Kūn) · Receptive Earth
In a Reading
When hexagram 23 appears in your reading, the I Ching is drawing your attention to the quality of dissolution. Sit with the Image — “The mountain rests on the earth” — and consider how this pattern is playing out in your current situation. The Judgment offers the oracle’s direct guidance on how to move with this energy rather than against it.
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