Hexagram 54 of 64
The Marrying Maiden
歸妹 (Guī Mèi)
Marrying Maiden (guī mèi) — the younger bride's difficult passage
TransitionAs shown in classical I Ching texts
Composition
Upper Trigram
Arousing, awakening, shocking — sudden movement from stillness
Outer situation / environment
Lower Trigram
Joyful, open, expressive — the pleasure of exchange and communication
Inner situation / your state
Interaction
Thunder above Lake — storm meeting marsh. The outer energy of thunder shapes the inner disposition of lake.
Meaning
An unequal relationship must be navigated carefully. Know your place and act with propriety.
Classical Judgment
“The Marrying Maiden. Undertakings bring misfortune. Nothing that would further.”
The classical judgment is the original oracle text — the answer the I Ching gives when this hexagram appears.
The Image
Thunder over the lake: the image of the Marrying Maiden. The superior one understands the transitory in the light of eternity.
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 54 appears in your reading, the I Ching is drawing your attention to the quality of transition. Sit with the Image — “Thunder over the lake: the image of the Marrying Maiden” — 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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