Hexagram 40 of 64
Deliverance 雷水解
☳☵ Thunder over Water
Release from the knot.
In the I Ching, Hexagram 40 is release after strain. Thunder and rain arrive, and plants burst open. It is a time to forgive, to untie what has been knotted, and to act promptly once the moment opens. The advice is to let go of old tension rather than hold on to it.
Judgment
利西南。无所往，其来复吉；有攸往，夙吉。
It is favorable to head southwest. If there is nowhere to go, returning brings good fortune; if there is somewhere to go, going early brings good fortune.
Image
雷雨作，解；君子以赦过宥罪。
Thunder and rain arise: deliverance. The noble person pardons faults and forgives offenses.
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：无咎。
No blame.
At the start of a release, there is no fault yet. Keep it that way.
九二：田获三狐，得黄矢，贞吉。
In the field, three foxes are caught and a yellow arrow is gained. Steady perseverance brings good fortune.
Hard-won gains can follow once obstacles are cleared. Stay steady to keep them.
六三：负且乘，致寇至，贞吝。
Carrying a load while riding in style invites robbers. Steady perseverance brings distress.
Showing off wealth or status when you are exposed invites trouble. Travel with humility.
九四：解而拇，朋至斯孚。
Release the big toe, and friends arrive and place their trust in you.
Let go of what holds you back, and trust with others returns.
六五：君子维有解，吉；有孚于小人。
Only the noble person can truly release. Good fortune, and sincerity even toward petty people.
Real release is done with fairness, even toward those who were difficult.
上六：公用射隼，于高墉之上，获之，无不利。
A duke shoots a falcon on the high wall and captures it. Nothing unfavorable.
A firm, decisive act against a clear obstacle, taken from a position of standing, succeeds.
In practice
Love and relationships
A chance to ease tension, or to reconcile. Forgive what can be forgiven. Release can bring real closeness when it is offered sincerely.
Work and decisions
A period when pressure eases. Use the opening to clear backlogs and renegotiate what has been heavy.
Money
Debts or pressures are easing. Use the relief to restructure rather than to spend freely.
How to use this reading
Name one thing you can release, and one action to take while the moment is open.
New to the method? Start with the six-line basics.
For cultural reflection only. This is not a prediction guarantee or professional advice.