Hexagram 49 of 64
Revolution
革 (Gé)
Revolution (gé) — shedding the old skin to fundamentally renew
TransformationAs shown in classical I Ching texts
Composition
Upper Trigram
Joyful, open, expressive — the pleasure of exchange and communication
Outer situation / environment
Lower Trigram
Radiant, clinging, illuminating — clarity that depends on what it lights
Inner situation / your state
Interaction
Lake above Fire — marsh meeting flame. The outer energy of lake shapes the inner disposition of fire.
Meaning
Revolution and fundamental change. Only when the time is ripe is such change believed and successful.
Classical Judgment
“Revolution. On your own day you are believed. Supreme success. Furthering through perseverance.”
The classical judgment is the original oracle text — the answer the I Ching gives when this hexagram appears.
The Image
Fire in the lake: the image of Revolution. The superior one sets the calendar in order.
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.
#44 — Hidden within
Coming to Meet
姤 (Gòu) · Unexpected Encounter
In a Reading
When hexagram 49 appears in your reading, the I Ching is drawing your attention to the quality of transformation. Sit with the Image — “Fire in the lake: the image of Revolution” — 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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