I CHING HEXAGRAM 40

Hexagram 40: Deliverance / 雷水解

Meaning & Interpretation

QUICK ORIENTATION

What this pattern asks of you

Resolve what remains, return to ordinary life, and avoid recreating pressure through unnecessary complexity.

LOWER TRIGRAMWater (Kan)

The inner condition and the way the situation begins.

UPPER TRIGRAMThunder (Zhen)

The surrounding field and the way the pattern develops.

THE TRADITIONAL IMAGE

Thunder (Zhen) above Water (Kan)

Thunder and rain release pressure from the air. Relief becomes real when the source of tension is addressed, remaining obligations are completed, and movement resumes without carrying the old knot forward.

Core Meaning

Deliverance is the release that follows tension, danger, or obstruction when the knot can finally be loosened.

Resolve what remains, return to ordinary life, and avoid recreating pressure through unnecessary complexity. In a Liu Yao reading, this general pattern is only the starting point: moving lines, Self and Other, Six Relatives, and seasonal strength determine how it applies to a specific question.

In Love & Relationships

Relief may come through forgiveness, a clear decision, or the end of uncertainty. Use the opening to establish healthier patterns.

In Career & Work

Close the incident, simplify procedures, and restore normal operations. Deal with residual risks before attention moves elsewhere.

Changing Lines

1
Once released, return without delay.
2
Remove corrupting influences from the center.
3
Do not display resources in a way that invites trouble.
4
Free yourself from attachments that block true allies.
5
A responsible person proves release through action.
6
Address the final threat decisively and at the right distance.

Questions for Reflection

01
Where is the pattern of deliverance already visible in the situation you are asking about?
02
Which part of this guidance is within your control now: Resolve what remains, return to ordinary life, and avoid recreating pressure through unnecessary complexity.
03
What observable change would show that the situation is becoming more workable—or less so?

READ THE CHART, NOT ONLY THE NAME

Put this hexagram in context

Understand changing lines →See the Liu Yao method →