Hexagram 48 of 64
The Well 水风井
☵☴ Water over Wind
The well that nourishes, staying rooted.
In the I Ching, Hexagram 48 is the well. It stays in place and feeds everyone who comes to it. Its lesson is dependable service and maintenance: a well must be kept clean and deep to keep giving water. It favors steady care for what sustains you and the people around you.
Judgment
改邑不改井，无丧无得，往来井井。汔至亦未繘井，羸其瓶，凶。
Change the town but not the well. Nothing lost, nothing gained; people come and go and draw from the well. If one nearly reaches the water but does not lower the bucket, or breaks the jar, there is misfortune.
Image
木上有水，井；君子以劳民劝相。
Water above wood: the well. The noble person encourages the people through labor and mutual help.
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：井泥不食，旧井无禽。
The well is muddy, and no one drinks from it. An old well draws no birds.
A neglected source falls out of use. It needs maintenance before people return to it.
九二：井谷射鲋，瓮敝漏。
Shooting fish in the well's hollow. The jar is cracked and leaks.
Effort spent on small, unpromising targets, with a container that no longer holds. Repair your tools before you go on.
九三：井渫不食，为我心恻，可用汲，王明，并受其福。
The well is cleaned, yet no one drinks, and my heart aches for it. It can be drawn from. When the ruler is wise, all receive its blessing.
Something useful is ready but unused. Put it to work; its benefit reaches everyone once it is recognized.
六四：井甃，无咎。
Lining the well with brick. No blame.
Repairing the walls protects the well's future. Careful maintenance is good work.
九五：井冽，寒泉食。
The well is clear, and its cold spring water is drunk.
A pure, refreshing source can sustain others. Keep it clean.
上六：井收勿幕，有孚元吉。
The well is finished being drawn from, but its cover is not put on. With sincerity, sublime good fortune.
Keep your resources open to others. A generous, trustworthy source brings great good fortune.
In practice
Love and relationships
Relationships that rest on steady care rather than excitement. Small acts and reliability matter most.
Work and decisions
Long-term service and dependable systems earn trust. Keep your core tools and processes clean and maintained.
Money
Steady, unglamorous saving and maintenance of what you own, rather than dramatic gains.
How to use this reading
Ask what sustains you and the people around you, and what small maintenance it needs this month.
New to the method? Start with the six-line basics.
For cultural reflection only. This is not a prediction guarantee or professional advice.