易經 · I Ching · #33
䷠
Dun · Retiring · Retreat
遯
Retreat — one of the sixty-four archetypal situations in the Book of Changes.
The Judgment
A strategic withdrawal at the right moment is success, not defeat. Keep your dignity.
The Image
A mountain beneath the sky, so the wise person keeps a calm distance from what is small-minded.
How to use it
Step back before things get worse. Keep your reserve without anger.
Structure
Six lines: 乾 Heaven (Qian) above and 艮 Mountain (Gen) below. Lines are read from the bottom up.
Related hexagrams
- ䷒ 19. Nearing · Approach — Opposite: every line reversed
- ䷡ 34. Great Invigorating · Great Power — Reversed: the same lines turned upside down
- ䷫ 44. Coupling · Coming to Meet — 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.