Hexagram 9
小畜 Xiǎo Xù
Small Taming
☴ Wind above ☰ Heaven
Judgment 卦辭
亨。密雲不雨。自我西郊。
Commentary
Success, but limited. Dense clouds gather, yet no rain falls. You have influence but not enough to complete the transformation. The restraining force is gentle—wind against heaven. For now, refine yourself rather than force outcomes.
Classical Text
小畜乾下巽上 小畜，亨。 密雲不雨，自我西郊。
Xiao Xu (Small Taming), Qian below, Xun above. Small Taming. Success. Dense clouds but no rain, coming from our western outskirts.
Image 象
風行天上，小畜。君子以懿文德。
Wind drives across heaven, pushing clouds but unable to make rain. The person of character uses this time to polish external refinements—manners, presentation, the outward aspects of virtue. Substance first, but style matters too.
Lines 爻辭
復自道何其咎吉
Return to your own path. How could there be blame in that? Going back to what's authentic brings good fortune.
Classical commentary
初九，復自道，何其咎？吉。
Initial Nine. Returning by one's own path—what blame could there be? Auspicious.
牽復吉
You're pulled back to the right way by circumstance or connection. Good fortune. Sometimes correction comes through relationship, not will.
Classical commentary
九二，牽復，吉。
Nine in the Second. Pulled back in return. Auspicious.
輿說輻夫妻反目
The wheel comes off the wagon. Husband and wife glare at each other. When the small thing restraining you breaks, the underlying tension between opposites surfaces. Conflict at home.
Classical commentary
九三，輿說輻。夫妻反目。
Nine in the Third. The carriage has its wheel-spokes removed. Husband and wife turn their eyes against each other.
有孚血去惕出無咎
Sincere effort. Fear departs, blood-loss stops. The danger passes. When inner truth meets outer action correctly, no blame remains.
Classical commentary
六四，有孚，血去惕出，无咎。
Six in the Fourth. There is sincerity. Blood departs, apprehension goes away. No blame.
有孚攣如富以其鄰
Sincerity that binds—you share your wealth with neighbors. The connection is real. Prosperity spreads through genuine alliance, not hoarding.
Classical commentary
九五，有孚攣如，富以其鄰。
Nine in the Fifth. There is sincerity, bound together as one. Sharing wealth with one's neighbor.
既雨既處尚德載婦貞厲月幾望君子征凶
Rain has fallen, rest has come. Feminine virtue bears weight now. But the moon is nearly full—soon it wanes. The person of character doesn't press forward here; going on brings misfortune.
Classical commentary
上九，既雨既處，尚德載，婦貞厲，月幾望，君子征凶。
Top Nine. Already raining, already settled. Virtue esteemed and accumulated. For the wife, steadfastness brings danger. The moon is nearly full. For the noble person, to advance means misfortune.