Hexagram 45 · 萃 · Cuì
Gathering Together
- Element:
- Lake over Earth
- Key themes:
- unity, community, collaboration, harmony, shared purpose
Image
People gathering around a central point, symbolizing unity and shared purpose.
Overall message
Hexagram 45 represents the power of gathering together in unity and shared purpose. It emphasizes collaboration, trust, and harmonious relationships. Success comes from fostering a strong sense of community and working toward common goals.
Foster unity and collaboration. Bring people together for a common goal. Success comes from working harmoniously with others and valuing the strength of community.
Classical text (Legge, 1882)
Judgment. In (the state denoted by) Žhui, the king will repair to his ancestral temple. It will be advantageous (also) to meet with the great man; and then there will be progress and success, though the advantage must come through firm correctness. The use of great victims will conduce to good fortune; and in whatever direction movement is made, it will be advantageous.
Image. (The trigram representing the) earth and that for the waters of a marsh raised above it form Žhui. The superior man, in accordance with this, has his weapons of war put in good repair, to be prepared against unforeseen contingencies.
From James Legge's translation of the I Ching (Sacred Books of the East, vol. XVI, 1882). Public domain.
The six lines
Line 6 · Maintaining Unity
The gathering must be maintained with care and effort.
Continue to nurture relationships and uphold shared values.
Line 5 · Harmonious Gathering
The gathering achieves harmony and shared purpose.
Celebrate the unity and build on the collective strength.
Line 4 · Strong Leadership
Effective leadership is needed to guide the gathering.
Lead with wisdom and fairness. Inspire others to work together.
Line 3 · Overcoming Division
Differences may arise. Focus on common goals to overcome division.
Address conflicts with patience and seek compromise.
Line 2 · Building Trust
Trust and cooperation are essential for a successful gathering.
Be honest and reliable. Foster mutual respect and understanding.
Line 1 · Initial Gathering
The first steps toward gathering are taken. Be open and welcoming.
Encourage participation and create a sense of belonging.
Related hexagrams
Opposite: If every line of this hexagram were inverted (yang to yin and vice versa), you would have Hexagram 26 · 大畜 · Dà Chù. This is the hexagram's structural counterpart — the situation it could become if every dynamic flipped.
Nuclear: The hexagram hidden inside this one, built from lines 2-3-4 and 3-4-5, is Hexagram 53 · 渐 · Jiàn. The nuclear hexagram describes the inner pattern that produced this situation — what is going on underneath.
If only one line of this hexagram changed in your cast, you would arrive at:
- Line 1 changing → Hexagram 17 · 随 · Suí
- Line 2 changing → Hexagram 47 · 困 · Kùn
- Line 3 changing → Hexagram 31 · 咸 · Xián
- Line 4 changing → Hexagram 8 · 比 · Bǐ
- Line 5 changing → Hexagram 16 · 豫 · Yù
- Line 6 changing → Hexagram 12 · 否 · Pǐ