Lake above Fire
I Ching Hexagram 49 – Ge (革), Revolution
What Is Hexagram 49?
Hexagram 49 is Ge, Revolution: Lake above Fire. Water and fire oppose, creating pressure for a fundamental change of skin or system.
Revolution is justified only when the old arrangement can no longer serve life. Timing, public trust, and clear purpose distinguish renewal from impulse.
- Upper trigram
- Dui — Lake
- Lower trigram
- Li — Fire
- Key themes
- revolution, transformation, timing, legitimacy
The Meaning of Hexagram 49
Ge asks what must be changed at the root, not cosmetically adjusted. A transformation should have a coherent successor, not only an enemy.
The lines move from hesitation to completed change, then warn against changing merely for novelty.
The Image of Hexagram 49
Lake quenches fire while fire warms and evaporates lake: a cycle of mutual transformation. The image is tension becoming a new form.
Name the old pattern, the needed replacement, and the cost of transition.
The Six Lines of Hexagram 49
Lines are numbered from the bottom of the hexagram upward. In a cast, give particular attention to any positions that appeared as changing lines.
Line 1
Yellow oxhide: restraint before the time. Do not begin a revolution before legitimacy exists.
Line 2
Change begins when the moment is ripe. Act with support, not private impatience.
Line 3
Repeated announcements bring danger. Secure the coalition and sequence before escalating.
Line 4
Regret disappears as trust is established. The transformation can now be public and purposeful.
Line 5
A great person changes like a tiger: visible, coherent, and not cosmetic.
Line 6
The exemplary person changes like a leopard; the ordinary person changes face. Distinguish deep reform from posture.
What Hexagram 49 Can Mean in Different Situations
Relationships
Change the pattern, not only the argument. A real transformation needs shared consent and a credible new way of relating.
Work and Career
Reform structures that no longer work, with evidence and a transition plan. Do not call disruption revolutionary without a better order.
Decisions
Wait for timing, legitimacy, and a viable successor. Radical change is responsible when the old form truly cannot continue.
Personal Direction
Release an identity or habit whose season has ended. Let transformation be visible in conduct, not slogans.