Hexagram 36 of 64
Darkening of the Light
明夷 (Míng Yí)
Darkening of the Light (míng yí) — brightness wounded and in hiding
ConcealmentAs shown in classical I Ching texts
Composition
Upper Trigram
Receptive, yielding, nurturing — the power that receives and completes
Outer situation / environment
Lower Trigram
Radiant, clinging, illuminating — clarity that depends on what it lights
Inner situation / your state
Interaction
Earth above Fire — ground meeting flame. The outer energy of earth shapes the inner disposition of fire.
Meaning
The light is wounded — hide your brightness. In dark times, perseverance through inner strength.
Classical Judgment
“Darkening of the Light. In adversity it furthers one to be persevering.”
The classical judgment is the original oracle text — the answer the I Ching gives when this hexagram appears.
The Image
The light has sunk into the earth. The superior one lives with the great mass of people: veils their light.
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.
#40 — Hidden within
Deliverance
解 (Xiè) · Liberation
In a Reading
When hexagram 36 appears in your reading, the I Ching is drawing your attention to the quality of concealment. Sit with the Image — “The light has sunk into 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.
Receive a personal reading with this hexagram interpreted for your specific question
Get a Free Reading