Hexagram 33.6 — Retreat (Top Line)

Original Text & Translation

「肥遯，无不利。」 — Soaring retreat — nothing that is not favorable.

The image is of a bird taking flight, rising above the landscape with ease and grace. "Soaring" (肥) suggests abundance, richness, fullness — a retreat so complete it becomes nourishing rather than diminishing. The counsel is to withdraw with total commitment, leaving behind all attachments, doubts, and backward glances. When retreat is this complete, every door opens.

Core Meaning

Line six sits at the apex of the hexagram, where retreat reaches its natural conclusion. In Retreat, this position represents the person who has withdrawn so thoroughly that they are beyond the reach of what they left. There is no conflict, no pursuit, no unfinished business. This is not running away — it is rising above.

Practically, this line distinguishes incomplete retreat from total release. Incomplete retreat leaves threads: emotional hooks, financial ties, unspoken resentments, the hope of return. Total release cuts cleanly. You do not withdraw partway or conditionally. You commit fully to the new direction, and because of that completeness, you gain everything. The universe rewards wholehearted movement.

This line also speaks to timing. By the sixth line, the moment for strategic retreat has passed. Now is the time for absolute departure. Hesitation at this stage creates drag. Decisiveness creates lift.

Symbolism & Imagery

The "soaring" retreat evokes a bird that has climbed beyond the treeline, beyond the reach of hunters, beyond the pull of the ground. The sky is open. The horizon is limitless. This imagery contrasts sharply with the lower lines of the hexagram, where retreat is cautious, measured, and sometimes painful. By the top line, retreat has transformed into flight.

"Favorable in every way" (无不利) is rare language in the I Ching. It signals that this is one of the few positions where total commitment to a single course — in this case, withdrawal — brings universal benefit. There is no downside because there is no ambivalence. You are not torn between staying and going. You have gone, completely, and that clarity is its own reward.

This imagery also addresses the paradox of retreat: sometimes the way forward is to leave entirely. By withdrawing from a situation that no longer serves you, you create space for what does. The soaring retreat is not about loss — it is about making room for gain.

Action Guidance

Career & Business

• Exit cleanly: if you are leaving a role, project, or partnership, do so with finality. No half-measures, no "let's stay in touch" unless you mean it. Close loops, transfer knowledge, and move on.
• Burn no bridges, but cross them fully: professionalism does not mean lingering. Complete your obligations, communicate clearly, and then release the relationship.
• Redirect all energy forward: do not reserve mental bandwidth for what you left. Invest it in what comes next.
• Trust the opening: complete withdrawal from the wrong thing creates space for the right thing. Do not fear the gap.
• Document and delegate: ensure nothing is left unfinished. A clean handoff is part of soaring retreat.
• Celebrate the decision: treat this as a positive milestone, not a failure. You are choosing alignment over inertia.

Love & Relationships

• If ending, end completely: do not leave doors ajar. Ambiguity prolongs pain. Clarity, even when hard, is kind.
• Release with respect: you can honor what was while fully releasing what is no longer viable.
• No contact means no contact: if you have decided to withdraw, follow through. Checking in "just to see" undermines the retreat.
• Grieve fully, then move: allow yourself to feel the loss, but do not dwell. Soaring retreat means you process and release, not suppress and circle.
• Open to new: complete withdrawal from the past makes you available for the future. Trust that.
• Model integrity: how you leave teaches others how to treat transitions. Leave well.

Health & Inner Work

• Eliminate, don't moderate: if something is truly harmful (a substance, a habit, a thought pattern), total cessation is easier than partial control.
• Create distance: change your environment if needed. Physical space supports mental release.
• Commit to the new baseline: declare the old pattern finished. Speak it aloud, write it down, tell a trusted friend.
• Replace, don't just remove: soaring retreat works best when you move toward something, not just away. What will fill the space?
• Trust your body's wisdom: if you feel lighter, more energized, more clear after withdrawing, that is confirmation. Follow it.
• Ritual closure: mark the transition with a symbolic act — a letter you don't send, a donation, a final walk. Then turn forward.

Finance & Strategy

• Exit losing positions fully: do not average down or "wait for a bounce." If the thesis is broken, close the position and reallocate.
• Simplify ruthlessly: complexity is a form of entanglement. Consolidate accounts, reduce holdings, clarify strategy.
• Reallocate immediately: cash sitting idle after an exit is incomplete retreat. Move it into alignment with your current goals.
• No sunk-cost reasoning: what you invested in the past is irrelevant. What matters is where capital should be now.
• Review and learn, then release: extract the lesson, document it, and move on. Do not replay the loss.
• Trust the reset: a clean portfolio, a clear strategy, and full commitment to the new direction create conditions for growth.

Timing, Signals, and Readiness

The top line of Retreat is not about waiting. It is about acting with finality. The time for gradual withdrawal has passed. Now is the moment for complete departure. You know you are ready when hesitation feels heavier than commitment, when staying costs more than leaving, and when the vision of what comes next is clearer than the memory of what was.

Look for these signals: (1) you have done all you can in the current situation; (2) further engagement yields diminishing or negative returns; (3) you feel a pull toward something new, not just away from something old; and (4) you are willing to accept the uncertainty of the transition. When these align, soaring retreat is not only possible — it is inevitable.

Do not wait for permission. Do not wait for the "perfect" moment. The top line teaches that perfect moments are created by decisive action, not discovered through delay. Move now, fully, and the path will clear.

When This Line Moves

A moving top line in Retreat signals a major life transition. The change is not incremental — it is categorical. You are leaving one chapter and entering another, and the oracle affirms that this movement is correct. The resultant hexagram (determined by your casting method) will show the nature of what you are moving toward. Study it carefully, as it represents the new ground beneath your feet.

Practical takeaway: do not second-guess the withdrawal. The moving line is confirmation that complete retreat is the right path. Any impulse to "just check" or "maybe reconsider" is residual attachment, not wisdom. Trust the line. Trust the movement. Soar.

Concise Summary

Hexagram 33.6 is the liberation that comes from total release. It asks you to withdraw completely, without reservation or regret, and promises that such wholehearted retreat brings universal benefit. "Soaring retreat" is not escape — it is ascent. When you leave fully, you rise freely, and nothing can hold you back.