Hexagram 10.6 — Treading (Top Line)

Original Text & Translation

「視履考祥，其旋元吉。」 — Look back and examine your conduct; review the omens. If the pattern is complete and whole, great fortune.

The image is of someone who has walked a long path and now turns to trace the footprints left behind. The power is in honest assessment, not self-congratulation or regret. The counsel is to observe the full arc of your actions, notice what signs emerged along the way, and recognize whether your treading created harmony or discord. Great endings require clear seeing: patterns are acknowledged, lessons are integrated, and the circle closes with understanding.

Core Meaning

Line six sits at the apex of the hexagram, where the journey reaches its natural end. In Treading, this position asks you to evaluate the quality of your conduct across the entire sequence. Have you walked with care, respect, and awareness? Have you noticed the feedback the world gave you—small signals, responses from others, the ease or friction of each step?

Practically, this line separates those who learn from experience and those who merely accumulate it. The person who examines their conduct sees patterns: which behaviors led to trust, which to tension; which strategies opened doors, which closed them. This is not about judgment or shame—it is about pattern recognition that informs future treading. The top line of Hexagram 10 rewards those who can look back with clarity and say, "Here is what I did, here is what happened, here is what I understand now."

Symbolism & Imagery

The act of looking back evokes the tracker studying a trail: every footprint tells a story of weight, intention, hesitation, or confidence. Heaven above, lake below—the structure of Hexagram 10 places joy beneath strength, suggesting that proper conduct creates delight. At the top line, you stand at the edge of the lake and see the entire shore you have walked. The water reflects your path; the reflection is honest.

This imagery also addresses accountability. Treading is about navigating delicate situations—stepping on the tiger's tail without being bitten. The top line asks: did you succeed? If so, what made it possible? If not, where did awareness lapse? The "omens" (祥, xiáng) are the signs that appeared during the journey—responses, outcomes, synchronicities. Examining them reveals whether your conduct was aligned with the Tao or at odds with it.

Action Guidance

Career & Business

• Conduct a retrospective: review the project, campaign, or quarter. What worked? What didn't? What patterns emerged that you didn't notice in real time?
• Gather feedback systematically: ask colleagues, clients, or stakeholders for honest input. Look for themes, not isolated complaints or praise.
• Document lessons: write down what you learned. Make it specific and actionable, not vague platitudes.
• Acknowledge consequences: if your conduct created friction, own it. If it built trust, recognize what behaviors made that possible.
• Close the loop: communicate findings to your team. Share what will change going forward. Completion requires transparency.
• Celebrate wisely: if the pattern is whole and the omens favorable, mark the achievement—but stay grounded. Success is a data point, not an identity.

Love & Relationships

• Review the relationship arc: look at how you've shown up over weeks or months. Have you been consistent, reactive, withdrawn, generous?
• Notice the other's responses: their behavior is feedback. If they've grown more open, your conduct likely created safety. If they've grown distant, examine what shifted.
• Own your part: this is not about blame—it's about understanding your contribution to the dynamic. What did you do that helped? What didn't?
• Have the completion conversation: if a chapter is ending, name it clearly. If a new phase is beginning, acknowledge what you've learned and what you'll carry forward.
• Integrate the lessons: don't repeat the same patterns unconsciously. Let this reflection inform how you tread in future relationships.

Health & Inner Work

• Assess your practices: what routines have you maintained? Which fell away? What does that tell you about your true priorities versus stated ones?
• Track outcomes, not intentions: did your sleep improve? Did your energy stabilize? Did your mood become more even? Let results speak.
• Notice the body's signals: pain, fatigue, vitality—these are omens. They tell you whether your conduct (diet, movement, rest, stress) has been aligned.
• Reflect on mental patterns: which thoughts recurred? Which emotions dominated? What does that reveal about unresolved material or growth edges?
• Close the cycle: if a healing phase is complete, mark it. Acknowledge progress. If more work remains, name it without judgment.

Finance & Strategy

• Review your trades or investments: what was your hit rate? What were the common factors in wins and losses?
• Examine decision quality: did you follow your rules? Where did emotion override process? Where did discipline pay off?
• Look at the omens: market responses, liquidity events, timing—what signals did you catch? Which did you miss?
• Document your edge: if your conduct was sound and results favorable, codify what worked. Make it repeatable.
• Adjust for next cycle: if the pattern reveals weaknesses, update your rules, risk parameters, or research process.
• Close positions cleanly: if a strategy has run its course, exit with clarity. Don't let attachment cloud judgment.

Timing, Signals, and Readiness

The top line of Treading marks a natural pause—a moment when the path you've been walking reaches a vista. This is not the time for new initiatives; it is the time for integration. The signal that you are ready to move forward again is simple: you can articulate what you learned, you feel no need to justify or defend your conduct, and you have a clear sense of what to keep and what to release.

If you feel defensive when reviewing your conduct, that is a sign more reflection is needed. If you feel curious and calm, that is a sign the pattern is becoming clear. The "great fortune" promised by the text comes not from perfection, but from wholeness—the ability to see the entire journey, accept it, and carry forward only what serves.

When This Line Moves

A moving top line usually marks the transition from completion to a new beginning. The reading often indicates that your cycle of careful conduct is ending, and the wisdom you've gained will inform a different kind of movement—perhaps bolder, perhaps quieter, but certainly more informed. Depending on your casting method, the resultant hexagram will show the nature of the next phase; use the hexagram number produced in your divination to study the specific tendencies of the change.

Practical takeaway: do not rush from reflection into action. Move from retrospective clarity to intentional rest, then to renewed preparation. Let the lessons settle into your body and mind. The next path will reveal itself when the current one is truly complete.

Concise Summary

Hexagram 10.6 is the wisdom of the completed journey. It asks you to turn and look at the path you have walked, examine the quality of your conduct, and read the omens that appeared along the way. "Look back and examine" protects you from unconscious repetition and opens the door to genuine learning. When the pattern is whole and the reflection honest, great fortune arises—not as reward, but as natural consequence of clear seeing.