Yu 雷地豫
A time to prepare with joy
When the mood is good, preparing ahead pays off. Have fun, but don’t let your guard down.
What does I Ching hexagram 16 (Enthusiasm) mean?
Thunder rolling over the earth and everything rejoicing, a hexagram of preparing in advance. Even in joy, prepare.
- Enthusiasm in love
- A happy mood ripens a connection. Just don’t get carried away.
- Enthusiasm at work and with money
- Work you prepared ahead of time goes smoothly.
- Advice
- When things are fun, prepare for what comes next.
The judgment and the image
Judgment · Enthusiasm
No blame“It is fitting to appoint feudal lords and set armies marching.”
The Image: Thunder comes out from the earth: enthusiasm. The ancient kings made music to honor virtue and offered it grandly to the supreme being.
原文 · 利建侯行師。 / 雷出地奮，豫。先王以作樂崇德，殷薦之上帝，以配祖考。
The six lines of hexagram 16
Lines are read from the bottom up. When you cast a reading and a line is changing, its statement becomes the key message.
Line 1 · 初六
Misfortune“Enthusiasm that announces itself: misfortune.”
Boasting about your good luck invites trouble. Keep your joy modest.
原文 · 鳴豫，凶。
Line 2 · 六二
Auspicious“Firm as a rock; not even a whole day passes before one acts; perseverance brings good fortune.”
You see the warning signs early and don’t get carried away. Act on them.
原文 · 介于石，不終日，貞吉。
Line 3 · 六三
Caution“Gazing up at enthusiasm: regret. Hesitating too long brings regret.”
Don’t wait for someone else’s happiness to cheer you. Decide for yourself.
原文 · 盱豫，悔。遲有悔。
Line 4 · 九四
Neutral“The source of enthusiasm; great gains. Don’t doubt; friends gather like hair in a clasp.”
You are the one who inspires the group. Trust yourself and friends come together.
原文 · 由豫，大有得。勿疑。朋盍戠。
Line 5 · 六五
Neutral“Persistent illness, yet one does not die.”
You are under chronic strain, but it keeps you alive and alert. Learn to live with it.
原文 · 貞疾，恆不死。
Line 6 · 上六
No blame“Blind enthusiasm; if it is completed, a change comes; no blame.”
You are lost in pleasure, but you can still change course. Turn around now.
原文 · 冥豫，成有渝，无咎。
Related hexagrams
- Opposite hexagram (every line flipped): 9. Xiao Xu (Small Taming)
- Reversed hexagram (turned upside down): 15. Qian (Modesty)
The classical text is in the public domain; the English translations and readings are our own, for reflection and entertainment.