Hexagram 24 · Kun / Earth (坤) palace · Earth (土) · First generation (一世) · Six-combination
Fu · Return
Hexagram 24, Fu · Return, has Kun / Earth (坤) above Zhen / Thunder (震). It belongs to the Kun / Earth (坤) palace, whose reference element is Earth (土).
Updated
Fu has Zi Water Wealth at Self on the bottom line and Chou Earth Sibling at Other on line 4. It is a six-combination hexagram, giving a traditional theme of gathering and gradual return. Self at the beginning suggests room to shape an early-stage matter, while Other introduces shared or competing interests. Parent is absent, limiting direct conclusions about documents, exams, elders or property.
Relationships
The six-combination structure can frame gradual connection and continuity. Sibling at Other adds peer or friendship considerations, but does not prove interference by a third party. A wish for immediate certainty or a clean break may conflict with the traditional slow-moving theme.
Money
Wealth at Self makes the questioner’s resources directly visible as a category. Sibling at Other raises the question of shared costs or divided interests. The combination pattern emphasizes accumulation and attachment rather than speed, but cannot establish the quality of an investment or loan.
Career
The bottom Self position can be read as an early stage with room for initiative. Other’s Sibling role adds partnership or competition, and the six-combination structure suggests a measured pace. Neither starting low nor moving slowly is the same as being powerless.
Health
Officer at line 2 is a traditional pressure reference; it does not identify an organ problem or prove that any condition is mild. Parent is absent for questions about records or elders. Follow actual medical information rather than deriving severity from a static combination label.
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復：亨。出入無疾，朋來無咎。反復其道，七日來復，利有攸往。
Image雷在地中，復；先王以至日閉關，商旅不行，后不省方。
The Judgment describes return and renewal through a recurring path. The Image places Thunder within Earth and associates the turning point with a pause in outward activity. The classical seven-day phrase belongs to the text’s imagery; this page does not convert it into an event deadline.
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.
Kun / Earth (坤) above Zhen / Thunder (震) · Self: line 1 · Other: line 4
| Line | Figure | Branch | Element | Relationship | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Line 6 | Yin | You (酉) | Metal (金) | Child (子孫) | — |
| Line 5 | Yin | Hai (亥) | Water (水) | Wealth (妻財) | — |
| Line 4 | Yin | Chou (丑) | Earth (土) | Sibling (兄弟) | Other (應) |
| Line 3 | Yin | Chen (辰) | Earth (土) | Sibling (兄弟) | — |
| Line 2 | Yin | Yin (寅) | Wood (木) | Officer (官鬼) | — |
| Line 1 | Yang | Zi (子) | Water (水) | Wealth (妻財) | Self (世) |
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 24, Fu · Return, has Kun / Earth (坤) above Zhen / Thunder (震). It belongs to the Kun / Earth (坤) palace, whose reference element is Earth (土).
This is the First generation (一世) stage. Self is line 1: Zi (子), Water (水), Wealth (妻財). Other is line 4: Chou (丑), Earth (土), Sibling (兄弟). 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 Parent (父母) 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.
This is a six-combination hexagram: lines 1/4, 2/5 and 3/6 combine in all three pairs. Traditional themes include cohesion, attachment and a slower pace. Connection can support cooperation or delay a desired separation, depending on the question.
Frequently asked questions
- Does six-combination mean quick success?
- No. Its traditional themes include cohesion and slowness. It cannot establish a short deadline.
- Can Fu directly answer a paperwork or exam question?
- Parent is absent, so the direct subject category is missing. The limitation must remain explicit.
- Does Self on the bottom line mean I am passive?
- No. The original interpretation treats it as an early stage with room to act, not an automatic lack of agency.
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.