Hexagram 14.5 — Great Possession (Fifth Line)

Original Text & Translation

「厥孚交如，威如，吉。」 — Their sincerity meets and mingles. Dignified and awe-inspiring. Auspicious.

The classical text describes a state where trust flows in both directions — "交如" (jiao ru) suggests交流, an exchange, a meeting, an intermingling. This is not one-way obedience but mutual recognition. The leader's sincerity (孚, fu) invites reciprocal openness.威如 (wei ru) then describes the natural authority that emerges: not harsh, not forced, but commanding respect through presence, consistency, and moral weight.

Core Meaning

The fifth line is traditionally the position of the ruler, the sovereign, the one who holds central authority. In Great Possession, this authority is surrounded by abundance — resources, talent, opportunity, influence. The danger in such a position is isolation: wealth can build walls, power can create distance, success can breed suspicion. This line teaches that the antidote is deliberate, sincere connection.

"厥孚交如" means your inner truth meets the inner truth of others. You do not perform leadership; you embody it. You do not guard your position jealously; you share credit, resources, and access. This openness does not diminish your authority — it amplifies it. People follow not because they must, but because they trust.威如, the dignified bearing, arises naturally when your actions align with your words, when your generosity is genuine, and when your confidence is grounded in service rather than ego.

Practically, this line indicates a moment when you hold significant influence or resources. The oracle confirms that the right path is to use that position to foster connection, collaboration, and mutual benefit. Hoarding, secrecy, or displays of dominance will backfire. Transparency, accessibility, and authentic engagement will multiply your effectiveness and secure lasting success.

Symbolism & Imagery

The image is of a leader standing at the center of a thriving court or organization. Doors are open; communication flows freely. The ruler does not sit behind barriers but moves among the people, listens, and responds. Yet there is no confusion about who holds authority — the dignified bearing, the clarity of purpose, and the consistency of character create a natural hierarchy based on respect rather than fear.

In the structure of Hexagram 14, the fifth line is the single yang line in a position of honor, surrounded by yin lines that represent receptivity, cooperation, and support. This yang line does not dominate; it illuminates. It provides direction without micromanaging, sets standards without rigidity, and inspires without manipulation. The fire (upper trigram Li) shines from heaven (lower trigram Qian), visible to all, warming all, excluding none.

The symbolism also addresses the relationship between inner and outer. 孚 (sincerity) is an inner quality; 交如 (mutual exchange) is its outer manifestation. 威如 (dignified presence) is the synthesis — when inner integrity and outer openness align, authority becomes magnetic rather than coercive. People are drawn to it, trust it, and willingly align with it.

Action Guidance

Career & Business

• Lead with transparency: share your reasoning, your constraints, and your uncertainties. Invite input before finalizing decisions. This does not weaken your authority; it strengthens buy-in and surfaces better solutions.
• Make yourself accessible: establish regular office hours, open forums, or feedback channels. Let people see that their concerns reach you directly and are taken seriously.
• Distribute credit generously: highlight team contributions publicly. When success is shared, loyalty deepens and collaboration improves.
• Set clear standards, then trust: define expectations and outcomes, then give people autonomy. Micromanagement signals distrust; delegation signals confidence.
• Cultivate presence, not performance: your authority comes from consistency, integrity, and calm competence. You do not need to prove yourself constantly. Show up, listen, decide clearly, and follow through.
• Build alliances across boundaries: connect with peers, partners, and even competitors where mutual benefit exists. Great Possession thrives on networks, not silos.

Love & Relationships

• Practice vulnerable honesty: share your hopes, fears, and uncertainties. Intimacy deepens when both people feel safe to be seen fully.
• Balance strength with softness: you can be confident and tender, decisive and receptive. 威如 in relationships means being a steady presence without being controlling.
• Create space for reciprocity: let your partner contribute, lead, and shine. Mutual exchange (交如) means both people give and receive, speak and listen, support and are supported.
• Respect without rigidity: maintain your boundaries and values, but hold them with grace. Dignity does not require defensiveness.
• Celebrate together: Great Possession is about shared abundance. Mark successes, express gratitude, and enjoy what you have built together.

Health & Inner Work

• Align inner and outer: notice where your actions diverge from your values. 孚 (sincerity) means your body, mind, and spirit move in the same direction.
• Cultivate dignified self-regard: treat yourself with the same respect you offer others. 威如 begins with self-respect that is neither arrogant nor self-diminishing.
• Practice embodied presence: breathwork, posture work, and somatic practices help you inhabit your authority physically, not just mentally.
• Balance giving and receiving: if you are always the strong one, the giver, the leader, you will deplete. Allow yourself to be supported, to rest, to receive care.
• Simplify to clarify: abundance can become clutter. Regularly release what no longer serves — commitments, possessions, habits — to maintain clarity and energy.

Finance & Strategy

• Invest in relationships: the fifth line's wealth is relational. Strengthen partnerships, support collaborators, and build networks. Returns come through people, not just assets.
• Be transparent about value: clearly communicate what you offer and what you expect. Ambiguity breeds mistrust; clarity fosters exchange.
• Share upside strategically: equity, profit-sharing, and co-investment models align incentives and deepen commitment. Generosity here is strategic, not sentimental.
• Maintain liquidity and flexibility: Great Possession can tempt over-commitment. Keep reserves, preserve optionality, and avoid being asset-rich but cash-poor.
• Reputation is capital: 威如 in finance means your word is trusted, your deals are fair, and your integrity is unquestioned. Protect this above all.

Timing, Signals, and Readiness

This line appears when you are in or approaching a position of influence. You may already hold formal authority, or you may be the informal leader others turn to. The timing is ripe for leveraging that position — not for personal gain, but for collective benefit. The oracle confirms that now is the moment to open doors, invite collaboration, and lead through example and sincerity.

Watch for these signals that you are aligned with the line's energy: people seek your counsel without you needing to assert yourself; your ideas gain traction easily; collaborations form naturally; and you feel a sense of ease and flow in your leadership role. If instead you feel the need to defend your position, prove your worth, or control outcomes tightly, you have drifted from 孚 (sincerity) into ego or fear.

The line also suggests that this is a time of peak influence. Use it wisely. Build structures, relationships, and precedents that will outlast the current moment. Great Possession is not permanent; cycles turn. What you establish now through sincere connection and dignified leadership will serve you and others when conditions shift.

When This Line Moves

A moving fifth line in Hexagram 14 often signals a transition from holding abundance to circulating it, from being the central authority to empowering distributed leadership, or from individual success to collective achievement. The resultant hexagram (which depends on your divination method) will show the next phase of development — how the energy you have gathered and the trust you have built will evolve or be tested.

Practical takeaway: if this line is moving, prepare to shift from consolidation to distribution, from gathering to giving, from establishing authority to delegating it. The change is not a loss of power but an evolution of it. Your influence becomes embedded in systems, relationships, and culture rather than dependent on your constant presence. This is the mark of mature leadership: you create conditions where others can thrive, and your absence does not collapse what you have built.

Consider what structures, agreements, or transitions need to be formalized now. Document processes, mentor successors, and clarify roles. The moving line asks you to institutionalize the sincerity and dignity you embody so they persist beyond your direct involvement.

Concise Summary

Hexagram 14.5 is the pinnacle of Great Possession — the moment when abundance, authority, and influence converge in a leader who wields them with sincerity and grace. The oracle teaches that true power is relational: it flows through trust, transparency, and mutual respect. 厥孚交如 — your sincerity meets the sincerity of others, creating a field of collaboration and exchange. 威如 — your dignified presence inspires without intimidating, commands without coercing. This is leadership as service, wealth as circulation, and authority as stewardship. Lead openly, share generously, and let your integrity be the foundation of your influence. When you do, success is not only auspicious — it is sustainable, meaningful, and deeply fulfilling.