✦ HEXAGRAM 23
Bō —
Splitting Apart.
Mountain above, Earth below.
CHANGES INTO 24-fu →
JUDGMENT
Splitting Apart. It does not further one to go anywhere.
THE IMAGE
The mountain rests on the earth: the image of Splitting Apart. Thus those above can only ensure their position by giving generously to those below.
INTERPRETATION
Five yin lines erode the single yang at the top — the structure is crumbling from below. Something is ending, falling apart, being stripped away.
Do not fight this. It does not further you to go anywhere. Accept the dissolution. What splits apart needed to go. The foundation will remain, and from it, something new will grow.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
- What does Hexagram 23 mean?
- Something is coming apart and cannot be saved by force. Accept the ending gracefully — what remains will become the seed of renewal.
- Is Hexagram 23 always negative?
- Not necessarily. Sometimes things must fall apart to make room for what comes next. The hexagram counsels acceptance, not despair.