Hexagram 23 · Qian / Heaven (乾) palace · Metal (金) · Fifth generation (五世)
Bo · Stripping Away
Hexagram 23, Bo · Stripping Away, has Gen / Mountain (艮) above Kun / Earth (坤). It belongs to the Qian / Heaven (乾) palace, whose reference element is Metal (金).
Updated
Bo is a fifth-generation Qian-palace hexagram with Zi Water Child at Self on line 5 and Si Fire Officer at Other on line 2. Water controls Fire, creating a Self-to-Other control relationship. The traditional reading emphasizes a wish for ease or release from pressure. Sibling is absent, so peer, partnership or competition questions cannot be answered by inventing that missing category.
Relationships
Self controlling Other can frame a difference in initiative or willingness to accept constraints. It is not evidence that the counterpart is passive. With Sibling absent, the chart cannot directly establish a rival or third party; claims about another person require actual evidence.
Money
Wealth appears as Mao Wood at line 3 and Yin Wood at the top. Child at Self generates Wood in the element cycle, giving a traditional resource-producing theme. The Wealth lines still need their own condition and movement examined; two placements are not a revenue forecast.
Career
Child at Self can suggest wanting fewer restrictions, while its control of Officer at Other frames tension with duty or authority. A desire to withdraw and a genuine need to change jobs are different things. Missing Sibling also limits direct discussion of team competition.
Health
Child is traditionally associated with relief and can control the Officer element here. That symbolic relation cannot prove that an illness is controlled or that care is unnecessary. Use it only as a reflective theme while attending to actual symptoms and ongoing strain.
Health themes are traditional symbolism, not a diagnosis. Seek medical care for symptoms or concerns.
These themes describe the static structure. A particular cast also needs its moving lines, month and day, and focus-line context. The same hexagram can support different interpretations in different situations.
Judgment and Image
Judgment剝：不利有攸往。
Image山附於地，剝；上以厚下，安宅。
The Judgment cautions against pressing forward in a stripping-away situation. The Image of Mountain resting on Earth emphasizes strengthening what supports a structure. Our explanation is about attending to foundations, not predicting inevitable collapse.
The Chinese Judgment is from the Zhou Yi; the Image is from the Image commentary. The displayed Chinese was collated against the recorded sources. This English explanation is our own, not a quotation from a modern translation. Read the Chinese source (opens a new tab).
The six lines: branches, Self/Other and relationships
Use the table to inspect each line’s branch, relationship and Self/Other role. To create your own cast, open the Six-line I Ching tool and cast three coins six times.
Gen / Mountain (艮) above Kun / Earth (坤) · Self: line 5 · Other: line 2
| Line | Figure | Branch | Element | Relationship | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Line 6 | Yang | Yin (寅) | Wood (木) | Wealth (妻財) | — |
| Line 5 | Yin | Zi (子) | Water (水) | Child (子孫) | Self (世) |
| Line 4 | Yin | Xu (戌) | Earth (土) | Parent (父母) | — |
| Line 3 | Yin | Mao (卯) | Wood (木) | Wealth (妻財) | — |
| Line 2 | Yin | Si (巳) | Fire (火) | Officer (官鬼) | Other (應) |
| Line 1 | Yin | Wei (未) | Earth (土) | Parent (父母) | — |
Swipe sideways to view the full table
Explore each layer: branch assignment in Na Jia, question categories in focus selection, and line positions in Self and Other.
Six Spirits depend on the casting day and are omitted from this static library. Hidden spirits are not calculated. A specific cast adds its Six Spirits, moving lines and resulting hexagram.
Reading the structure
Hexagram 23, Bo · Stripping Away, has Gen / Mountain (艮) above Kun / Earth (坤). It belongs to the Qian / Heaven (乾) palace, whose reference element is Metal (金).
This is the Fifth generation (五世) stage. Self is line 5: Zi (子), Water (水), Child (子孫). Other is line 2: Si (巳), Fire (火), Officer (官鬼). Self locates the questioner’s side; Other locates the counterpart or target. They do not by themselves determine an outcome.
The palace element is the reference for the Five Relationships: what generates it is Parent; what it generates is Child; what controls it is Officer; what it controls is Wealth; the same element is Sibling. These are symbolic subject roles, not necessarily literal family members.
The visible lines have no Sibling (兄弟) category. Traditional practice may look for hidden spirits in the palace’s primary hexagram, but MingLiMR does not calculate that layer. A reading must disclose the missing focus and work only with the available Self/Other and moving-line context.
Frequently asked questions
- Does fifth generation mean success is near?
- No. It is a structural stage with Self high in the figure, not a countdown to completion.
- Can I directly assess a colleague partnership?
- Sibling is absent. MingLiMR does not supply a hidden line, so any discussion must keep that gap visible.
- Does Child at Self guarantee an easy experience?
- No. It can describe a desire for ease, while the actual situation still depends on the full cast and real conditions.
Explore one question
Form one clear question and cast six lines. No birth information is needed. The free chart includes Six Spirits, moving lines and a resulting hexagram when applicable; the result page explains the available reading options.
Cast a hexagramNew to casting? Read the beginner’s I Ching guide for the three steps, example questions and how to distinguish primary and resulting hexagrams.
The library is for learning and reflection. It is not medical, legal or financial advice.