Xu · Waiting
需卦 · 水天需
- Patience
- Timing
- Preparation
- Trust
The Judgment
Hsü intimates that, with the sincerity which is declared in it, there will be brilliant success. With firmness there will be good fortune; and it will be advantageous to cross the great stream.
有孚，光亨，贞吉。利涉大川。
The Image
Clouds rise up to heaven: waiting. The noble one, in the same way, eats, drinks and stays at ease.
云上于天，需。君子以饮食宴乐。
Plain-language reading
Your situation
What you want is just ahead, but a stretch of danger lies between you and it. Xu is clouds already in the sky with the rain not yet fallen: conditions are ripening, but the moment has not quite arrived. The hardest part is not the difficulty itself but the anxiety of waiting.
Where to put your effort
Treat the wait as preparation, not wasted time. Look after your body and your mood, and fill in the skills you are missing. Stay trustworthy and steady, and do not let impatience push you into danger. When the time comes, you will be carried forward naturally; until then, being settled in the present is the best action you can take.
Four areas of life
- Career
- The time is not ripe yet; wait patiently.
- Wealth
- Capital is not in place; you cannot open yet.
- Family
- Peace and safety are the real blessing.
- Health
- Balance your diet and health will follow.
Health notes come from traditional texts and are cultural reference only. If you feel unwell, please see a doctor.
The six lines
Read from the bottom up: the first line is at the bottom, the top line is at the top. Open each line for details.
Nine at the beginningThe first line, undivided, shows its subject waiting in the distant border. It will be well for him constantly to maintain (the purpose thus shown), in which case there will be no error.Moving
初九：需于郊，利用恒，无咎。
Image：Waiting in the outskirts: not rushing into danger. It helps to persevere and there is no blame: one has not strayed from the norm.
- Career
- A long wait; constancy is key.
- Wealth
- Hold off on investing; your goods will not spoil.
- Family
- Living on the outskirts suits you.
- Health
- Rest quietly to recover; nothing serious in the end.
Nine in the second placeThe second line, undivided, shows its subject waiting on the sand (of the mountain stream). He will (suffer) the small (injury of) being spoken (against), but in the end there will be good fortune.Moving
九二：需于沙，小有言，终吉。
Image：Waiting on the sand: staying calm and centred. There is some gossip, but it ends well.
- Career
- Rumours hold you up, but it ends well.
- Wealth
- Shipments are delayed, but business is not harmed.
- Family
- Some quarrels and gossip.
- Health
- An open mind brings good health.
Nine in the third placeThe third line, undivided, shows its subject in the mud (close by the stream). He thereby invites the approach of injury.Moving
九三：需于泥，致寇至。
Image：Waiting in the mud: the danger is outside. Inviting trouble oneself, but caution prevents defeat.
- Career
- Hard to rise for now; stay careful.
- Wealth
- Things will not move; beware of being cheated.
- Family
- A marriage is hard to arrange, and an unhappy one if it is.
- Health
- Watch out for injuries.
Nine in the fifth placeThe fifth line, undivided, shows its subject waiting amidst the appliances of a feast. Through his firmness and correctness there will be good fortune.Moving
九五：需于酒食，贞吉。
Image：Food and wine, persevering brings good fortune: being central and correct.
- Career
- Success is achieved; you can celebrate.
- Wealth
- The food and hospitality business can be profitable.
- Family
- A well-suited marriage.
- Health
- Regulate your diet.
Related hexagrams
Judgment and line texts from the public-domain translation by James Legge (1882). Readings by DeepHeart AI.
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