Hexagram 2 · The Receptive
Kun
Upper Earth (Kun) · Lower Earth (Kun)
Judgment
Kun: Supreme success, furthering through the perseverance of a mare. If the superior man undertakes something and tries to lead, he goes astray; but if he follows, he finds guidance. It is favorable to find friends in the west and south, and to lose friends in the east and north. Quiet perseverance brings good fortune.
Lines
- First line (1): At the beginning, six: Treading on frost, the solid ice will come.
- Second line (2): Second, six: Straight, square, and great. Without effort, nothing is unfavorable.
- Third line (3): Third, six: Hidden beauty. One may remain persevering. If one serves a king, one will not seek credit but will bring matters to a good end.
- Fourth line (4): Fourth, six: A tied-up sack. No blame, no praise.
- Fifth line (5): Fifth, six: A yellow lower garment. Supreme good fortune.
- Top line (6): Top, six: Dragons fight in the field. Their blood is black and yellow.
Special
For the use of six: Lasting perseverance brings good fortune.
In Practice
The Receptive is the complement of the Creative: six yielding lines that do not initiate but carry. Its image is the earth, which receives the seed and brings it to fruition, and the mare, strong yet unassuming. This is not passivity; it is the power to sustain, to follow a direction faithfully, and to complete what another has begun. The teaching is that true receptivity knows its own worth and does not lose itself in serving.
In love
The Receptive favors the partner who listens, supports, and lets the other be seen. There is real strength in steadiness. But the hexagram also warns that yielding carried too far ends in conflict — a relationship built on one person's constant retreat is not balance, it is pressure building underground.
In career
You may not be the one setting the strategy now, and that is fine. Execute well, support the leader, and be the person others can rely on. Loyal competence is its own kind of power, and it gets noticed over time.
In money
A conservative, patient approach suits this hexagram: hold steady, follow proven trends rather than chasing them, and let assets grow quietly. The fortune here is built by consistency and waiting, not by bold timing.
Guidance
Do not force yourself into the lead. Support, carry, and complete with quiet reliability, while keeping a clear sense of your own boundaries and worth.
Watch out
Receptivity that forgets itself becomes self-erasure. A yielding that never asserts a limit will eventually break out in resentment — keep your own ground.
Got a question of your own?
Write down what is on your mind, and let the three coins reveal your hexagram.
Cast your hexagram →For entertainment purposes only. This site does not provide medical, legal, financial, or investment advice.