Also known as Dispersion, Dissolution, Dispersing, Scattering.
The character 渙 shows water spreading out and scattering. Hexagram 59 is about dissolving: melting what has hardened, whether that's a grudge, a rigid ego or a group split into factions. Spring wind breaks up ice. Something shared and larger than everyone brings people back together.
The figure
Wind over Water. Wind blows across the water and scatters it into foam and spray. It is the reverse of hexagram 60.
The judgment
It goes through. The king goes to the temple. This is the moment for the big crossing, and it pays to hold.
When people drift apart, something sacred or shared draws them back. This is a time for big undertakings, done steadily.
The image
Wind moving over water and scattering it. Make the offering, and build the place where people gather.
Places and rituals that gather people overcome what divides them.
The six lines
Counted from the bottom, the way the figure is built when you cast it.
- Line 1, at the bottom. Help comes with the strength of a horse. Act early, before the split widens. It goes well.
- Line 2. As things break up, you hurry to what supports you. Regret fades.
- Line 3. You let go of your own self-interest. No regret.
- Line 4. You break away from your own faction. This goes very well. Scattering leads to a bigger gathering, which most people don't foresee.
- Line 5. A great call goes out, like sweat breaking a fever. The leader holds the centre. Not a mistake.
- Line 6, at the top. You dissolve what could have drawn blood, and get yourself and yours clear of danger. Not a mistake.
Reading it for a question
Hexagram 59 says something hard needs to melt: a rift, a fixed position, a fear. Look for what everyone shares and bring people back around it. Letting go of narrow interests opens the way.