Also known as Standstill, Stagnation, Obstruction.
The character 否 means "no". Hexagram 12 is the reverse of hexagram 11: nothing connects, communication breaks down, and the wrong people have the upper hand. It isn't a time to push. It's a time to keep your integrity and wait for the turn.
The figure
Heaven over Earth. It looks like the natural order, but heaven keeps rising and earth keeps sinking, so the two drift apart. Nothing passes between the top and the bottom.
The judgment
The wrong people are in the way. Holding your position does not help here. What was large is leaving and what is small is arriving.
The large is leaving and the small is arriving. Doing the right thing won't win the day right now. Don't pour effort into a system that isn't listening.
The image
Sky and ground pulling apart, nothing passing between them. Live plainly, keep out of the way, and do not take the money.
In a bad climate, step back. Keep your needs small and turn down rewards that would tie you to the wrong side.
The six lines
Counted from the bottom, the way the figure is built when you cast it.
- Line 1, at the bottom. Pull up one stalk of grass and the roots bring others with it. Withdraw together with people of good character. Holding steady goes well.
- Line 2. Putting up with things and going along. That suits small-minded people. Someone with character endures the standstill without joining in, and it serves them later.
- Line 3. Carrying shame. Those who rose by bad means start to feel it.
- Line 4. Acting on a higher calling, not on your own account. Not a mistake. Others who share the aim share the blessing.
- Line 5. The standstill is giving way. It goes well for the capable person. Keep asking "what if it fails?" and tie it to something firm, like a mulberry root.
- Line 6, at the top. The standstill ends. First stuck, then it goes well. This turn takes effort. It doesn't happen by itself.
Reading it for a question
Hexagram 12 says this isn't working right now, and more effort won't fix it. Protect your energy and your values. Stay close to good people and wait. Lines 5 and 6 show the block does lift.