xièAlso known as “Deliverance” (Wilhelm/Baynes) and “Kieh” (Legge)
releasedeliverancerelief
In plain words
Thunder and rain: the storm breaks and tension dissolves. Favourable to the southwest; if there is nowhere to go, returning brings good fortune; if there is, act early.
The attitude it asks for
Release what was knotted — forgive, settle, finish quickly — then return to normal without lingering.
Structure
Upper trigram☳震Zhen (the Arousing)雷 · thunder · Wood
In (the state indicated by) Kieh advantage will be found in the south-west. If no (further) operations be called for, there will be good fortune in coming back (to the old conditions). If some operations be called for, there will be good fortune in the early conducting of them.
In Kieh we have (the trigram expressive of) peril going on to that expressive of movement. By movement there is an escape from the peril:—(this is the meaning of) Kieh.
'In (the state indicated by) Kieh, advantage will be found in the south-west:'—the movement (thus) intimated will win all. That 'there will be good fortune in coming back (to the old conditions)' shows that such action is that of the due medium. That 'if some operations be necessary, there will be good fortune in the early conducting of them' shows that such operations will be successful.
When heaven and earth are freed (from the grasp of winter), we have thunder and rain. When these come, the buds of the plants and trees that produce the various fruits begin to burst. Great indeed are the phenomena in the time intimated by Kieh.
The Image
雷雨作，解；君子以赦過宥罪。
(The trigram representing) thunder and that for rain, with these phenomena in a state of manifestation, form Kieh. The superior man, in accordance with this, forgives errors, and deals gently with crimes.
爻辭 The six lines
When one line moves, the hexagram becomes another:
上六Six at the top
公用射隼于高墉之上，獲之，无不利。
In the sixth line, divided, we see a feudal prince (with his bow) shooting at a falcon on the top of a high wall, and hitting it. (The effect of his action) will be in every way advantageous.
Its symbolism
公用射隼，以解悖也。
'A prince with his bow shoots a falcon:'—thus he removes (the promoters of) rebellion.
The fifth line, divided, shows (its subject), the superior man (= the ruler), executing his function of removing (whatever is injurious to the idea of the hexagram), in which case there will be good fortune, and confidence in him will be shown even by the small men.
Its symbolism
君子有解，小人退也。
When 'the superior man executes his function of removing (whatever is injurious to the idea of the hexagram),' small men will of themselves retire.
(To the subject of) the fourth line, undivided, (it is said), 'Remove your toes. Friends will (then) come, between you and whom there will be mutual confidence.'
Its symbolism
解而拇，未當位也。
'Remove your toes:'—the places (of this line and of the third and first) are all inappropriate to them.
The third line, divided, shows a porter with his burden, (yet) riding in a carriage. He will (only) tempt robbers to attack him. However firm and correct he may (try to) be, there will be cause for regret.
Its symbolism
負且乘，亦可醜也，自我致戎，又誰咎也。
For 'a porter with his burden to be riding in a carriage' is a thing to be ashamed of. 'It is he himself that tempts the robbers to come:'—on whom besides can we lay the blame? (See Appendix III, i, 48.)
The second line, undivided, shows its subject catch, in hunting, three foxes, and obtain the yellow (= golden) arrows. With firm correctness there will be good fortune.
Its symbolism
九二貞吉，得中道也。
'The good fortune springing from the firm correctness of the second line, undivided,' is due to its subject holding the due mean.
Shown in the classical Chinese with James Legge's English (1882).
Questions about this hexagram
What does Hexagram 40, Release, mean?
Thunder and rain: the storm breaks and tension dissolves. Favourable to the southwest; if there is nowhere to go, returning brings good fortune; if there is, act early.
Which trigrams form Release?
震 above 坎 — thunder over water. Its nuclear hexagram (lines 2–5) is 既濟 Already Crossed.
What happens when a line of Release changes?
A moving line turns the hexagram into another one; the list above shows all six. With several moving lines, the guide to changing lines explains which text to read.
How do I get Release in a reading?
Build six lines from the bottom up with three coins or yarrow stalks; the pattern - - — - - — - - - - is Release. You can also cast a reading here — the lines are decided by code, the text is this page's.