易經 · I Ching · #24
䷗
Fu · Returning · Return
復
Return — one of the sixty-four archetypal situations in the Book of Changes.
The Judgment
A turning point. Light begins to come back and friends return without blame, all in its own natural cycle.
The Image
Thunder returns inside the earth, so ancient rulers rested at the solstice and kept travel and trade quiet.
How to use it
Make a gentle new start. Rest, and do not rush the recovery.
Structure
Six lines: 坤 Earth (Kun) above and 震 Thunder (Zhen) below. Lines are read from the bottom up.
Related hexagrams
- ䷫ 44. Coupling · Coming to Meet — Opposite: every line reversed
- ䷖ 23. Stripping · Splitting Apart — Reversed: the same lines turned upside down
- ䷁ 2. Field · The Receptive — Inner (nuclear): the hidden structure formed by lines 2 to 5
Each BaZi pillar maps to a hexagram through its stem and branch. Coin casting uses a different method — both are valid paths into the Book of Changes. The I Ching is a traditional wisdom text. It describes the character of a moment, not a fixed outcome.