Hexagram 7 for love
Hexagram 7 Troops in love and relationships
Shi is water stored inside the earth: a multitude held together by one centre. In a question about a relationship it is less about romance than about joint effort — two people, or a family, organised around a shared task, one carrying the weight, the other giving the mandate. The single yang line at two is the commander; the yielding line at five is the one who trusts and commissions. The judgment asks for 'steadfastness' and a 'seasoned person', which in a bond means reliability and a clear sense of who is doing what.
The lines sharpen it. The first says agree the rules before the undertaking starts; the second is the partner in the thick of it, trusted three times over; the third is the disaster of divided or unfit leadership; the fourth is the honourable retreat when today cannot be won; the fifth is the one who delegates fully and must not hedge; the top is the settlement after it is done, when loyalty is rewarded and the unreliable are kept away from the household's affairs.
The hexagram in brief
Water held within the earth: an army, a disciplined multitude. Success needs a seasoned, upright leader and strict order; force is justified only for a right cause.
Lead with discipline and clear command, choose experienced hands, and keep the cause just.
The judgment
師：貞，丈人，吉无咎。Sze indicates how, in the case which it supposes, with firmness and correctness, and (a leader of) age and experience, there will be good fortune and no error.
Which line changed?
A changing line sharpens the answer. Each line of 師 Troops has its own page:
- 初六Six at the beginningmarching by rule · discipline · disorder is misfortune
- 九二Nine in the second placein the midst of the army · the king's favour · the commander
- 六三Six in the third placecarting corpses · misfortune · no achievement
- 六四Six in the fourth placecamping on the left · retreat · no loss
- 六五Six in the fifth placegame in the field · the eldest son commands · the wrong appointment
- 上六Six at the topthe great ruler's command · founding states · do not use small people
The same hexagram for
Questions
- Is hexagram 7, Troops, a good sign for love?
- Shi is water stored inside the earth: a multitude held together by one centre. In a question about a relationship it is less about romance than about joint effort — two people, or a family, organised around a shared task, one carrying the weight, the other giving the mandate. The single yang line at two is the commander; the yielding line at five is the one who trusts and commissions. The judgment asks for 'steadfastness' and a 'seasoned person', which in a bond means reliability and a clear sense of who is doing what.
- What does Hexagram 7, 師 Troops, mean?
- Water held within the earth: an army, a disciplined multitude. Success needs a seasoned, upright leader and strict order; force is justified only for a right cause.
Chinese text: the received Zhouyi (Wuyingdian lineage). English: James Legge, The Yî King, Sacred Books of the East XVI, 1882 (public domain).