Hexagram 2 of 64
The Receptive 坤为地
☷☷ Earth over Earth
Receptive support.
In the I Ching, Hexagram 2 is receptive strength: patient, supportive and yielding. Its power comes from following well rather than leading. It suggests that steady, unforced support can carry more than force can, and that going first is not always wise. The question is where you are being asked to support, and whether that support sustains you.
Judgment
元亨，利牝马之贞。君子有攸往，先迷后得主，利。西南得朋，东北丧朋。安贞吉。
Sublime success. Steady, yielding endurance furthers. Going first leads you astray; following brings you back on course. The southwest brings companions, the northeast does not. Quiet perseverance brings good fortune.
Image
地势坤，君子以厚德载物。
The earth is receptive. The noble person carries all things with broad virtue.
The six lines
Read from the bottom line (the beginning) to the top line (the outcome). Each line gives the classical text, our English translation, and a plain-language reading.
初六：履霜，坚冰至。
Stepping on frost, you know hard ice is coming.
An early sign of a larger change. Notice the small signals now, while they are still easy to respond to.
六二：直方大，不习无不利。
Straight, square and vast. Without special training, nothing is unfavorable.
Sincere, grounded conduct works without display. Natural integrity needs no performance.
六三：含章，可贞。或从王事，无成有终。
Hold your beauty within; steady perseverance is possible. If you serve a greater task, you may not claim the completion, but you see it through.
Keep your talents modest. Supporting others' work may bring little personal credit, yet you can carry it to the end.
六四：括囊，无咎无誉。
Tie up the sack. No blame, and no praise.
When speaking is risky, staying quiet is wise. Discretion avoids trouble, even though it earns no applause.
六五：黄裳，元吉。
A yellow lower garment, the color of the center. Sublime good fortune.
Acting from the center, with humility and balance, brings the best result.
上六：龙战于野，其血玄黄。
Dragons fight in the open field, and their blood is dark and yellow.
When yielding is pushed too far, conflict breaks out. Balance returns only when both sides see the limits.
用六：利永贞。
It is favorable to persevere over the long term.
Enduring, steady receptivity is this hexagram's lasting strength.
In practice
Love and relationships
Care, patience and a steady presence matter most here. The risk is over-giving: if you always yield, resentment can build quietly. Say what you need plainly, and stay open to the other person's needs.
Work and decisions
Good for supporting a team or a leader's plan, and for building trust through reliability. Make sure the support you give still moves your own goals forward.
Money
This hexagram favors steady, long-term saving and careful stewardship over bold bets. Read the terms before you commit, and keep reserves for the unexpected.
How to use this reading
Ask where you are being asked to support rather than lead, and whether that support is steady or draining.
New to the method? Start with the six-line basics.
For cultural reflection only. This is not a prediction guarantee or professional advice.