Hexagram 38 of 64
Opposition
睽 (Kuí)
Estrangement (kuí) — eyes turned away, opposition and divergence
DifferenceAs shown in classical I Ching texts
Composition
Upper Trigram
Radiant, clinging, illuminating — clarity that depends on what it lights
Outer situation / environment
Lower Trigram
Joyful, open, expressive — the pleasure of exchange and communication
Inner situation / your state
Interaction
Fire above Lake — flame meeting marsh. The outer energy of fire shapes the inner disposition of lake.
Meaning
Fire and water oppose each other. Opposition need not prevent success — in small matters, it even helps.
Classical Judgment
“Opposition. In small matters, good fortune.”
The classical judgment is the original oracle text — the answer the I Ching gives when this hexagram appears.
The Image
Above, fire; below, the lake. The superior one retains their individuality amidst all fellowship.
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.
#63 — Hidden within
After Completion
既濟 (Jì Jì) · Fulfillment
In a Reading
When hexagram 38 appears in your reading, the I Ching is drawing your attention to the quality of difference. Sit with the Image — “Above, fire; below, the lake” — 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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