Hexagram 39.6 — Obstruction (Top Line)

Original Text & Translation

「往蹇来硕，吉；利见大人。」 — Going forward brings obstruction; coming back brings greatness. Auspicious. It furthers one to see the great person.

The image is of someone who has traveled far into difficulty and now stands at a threshold. Continuing alone would mean deeper entanglement. Turning back — not in defeat, but in wisdom — allows reunion with resources, mentors, and community. "Greatness" (硕) suggests abundance, fullness, and the support of something larger than oneself. The great person represents guidance, alliance, or institutional strength that can transform isolated struggle into coordinated progress.

Core Meaning

Line six sits at the apex of the hexagram, the farthest point from the foundation. In Obstruction, this position represents maximum distance from safety, support, and solid ground. The line is yin at the top of an already difficult structure — soft, yielding, and exposed. To press on from here is to exhaust what little strength remains.

The wisdom of this line is counter-intuitive in achievement-oriented cultures: it says that turning around is not failure but maturity. You have learned what the obstacle teaches. Now the task is integration, not conquest. Return to your base, share what you've discovered, recruit allies, and build the infrastructure that allows the group to succeed where the individual cannot. This is the difference between stubborn persistence and strategic perseverance.

Practically, this line often appears when someone has been fighting alone for too long — carrying a project without resources, managing a relationship without reciprocity, or pushing a vision without buy-in. The oracle says: stop. Regroup. Seek the great person — the mentor, the partner, the team, the institution — and let shared strength accomplish what isolated effort cannot.

Symbolism & Imagery

The image of "going forward brings obstruction, coming back brings greatness" evokes a mountain climber who has reached a false summit in worsening weather. The true peak is obscured; the route ahead is unknown and dangerous. Wisdom dictates descent, regrouping at base camp, consulting the guide, waiting for conditions to improve, and attempting the summit again with the right team and timing.

"Coming back brings greatness" (来硕) suggests harvest, fullness, and reunion. It is the image of returning to the village with hard-won knowledge, being welcomed, and using that knowledge to prepare a stronger, collective effort. The solitary hero becomes the experienced advisor; the isolated struggle becomes shared strategy.

"It furthers one to see the great person" points to the necessity of guidance and alliance. The great person may be a literal mentor, a governing body, a funding source, a therapeutic relationship, or simply the community you left behind. The point is that obstruction at this stage cannot be overcome by more of the same effort — it requires a qualitative shift, and that shift comes through connection, not isolation.

Action Guidance

Career & Business

• Stop solo heroics: if you've been carrying a project, initiative, or responsibility alone and progress has stalled, this is the signal to involve others. Seek sponsorship, delegate, or formally request resources.
• Return to stakeholders: schedule a review meeting. Present what you've learned, acknowledge the obstacles, and co-design the next phase with input from leadership or partners.
• Consolidate rather than expand: pull back from new commitments. Focus on strengthening what already exists — documentation, team cohesion, process clarity.
• Seek mentorship actively: identify someone who has navigated similar obstacles. Ask specific questions. Let their experience inform your next move.
• Reframe "retreat" as "strategic repositioning": communicate clearly that stepping back now enables a stronger, better-supported advance later.
• Build coalition: if you've been advocating for change alone, find allies. A shared proposal carries more weight than a solo crusade.

Love & Relationships

• Stop pushing for resolution alone: if you've been trying to fix, improve, or advance the relationship single-handedly, pause. Invite the other person into the process.
• Seek counsel: talk to a therapist, trusted friend, or mediator. Bringing a third perspective often breaks stalemates that two people cannot resolve alone.
• Return to shared values: revisit what brought you together. Reconnect with the foundation rather than fixating on the current impasse.
• Acknowledge limits: if you've been carrying emotional labor disproportionately, name it clearly and request reciprocity. If reciprocity is not possible, that itself is important information.
• Regroup with community: spend time with friends, family, or support networks. Isolation intensifies relationship stress; connection provides perspective and resilience.
• Let go of the need to "win": if the relationship has become adversarial, stepping back and seeking help is not surrender — it is maturity.

Health & Inner Work

• Stop forcing progress: if you've been pushing through pain, fatigue, or burnout, this line says rest is not optional — it is strategic.
• Seek professional guidance: consult a doctor, therapist, coach, or bodyworker. The "great person" here is the trained expert who can see what you cannot.
• Return to basics: prioritize sleep, hydration, gentle movement, and nourishing food. Let the body rebuild its foundation.
• Acknowledge accumulated stress: if you've been managing anxiety, grief, or trauma alone, bring it into a supportive container — therapy, group work, or trusted conversation.
• Reframe rest as productive: recovery is not lost time; it is the phase that makes future effort sustainable.
• Build support systems: identify people, practices, or structures that help you regulate and recover. Make them non-negotiable parts of your routine.

Finance & Strategy

• Do not chase losses: if an investment, venture, or strategy has stalled or declined, resist the urge to double down. Step back and reassess with fresh data.
• Consult advisors: bring in a financial planner, accountant, or experienced peer. Outside perspective prevents emotional decision-making.
• Consolidate positions: reduce complexity. Close underperforming positions, simplify your portfolio, and focus on what is working.
• Return to cash or low-risk assets: if uncertainty is high, moving to safety is not cowardice — it is preservation of capital for better opportunities.
• Seek institutional support: if you're an entrepreneur or freelancer, explore grants, partnerships, or collaborations that provide stability and resources.
• Reframe "retreat" as "capital preservation": stepping back now protects your ability to act decisively when conditions improve.

Timing, Signals, and Readiness

How do you know when "coming back" is the right move? Look for these signals: (1) effort is increasing but results are diminishing; (2) you feel isolated, unsupported, or unseen; (3) the obstacle feels larger than your current resources can address; (4) you notice fatigue, frustration, or a sense of futility; and (5) opportunities for collaboration, mentorship, or institutional support are available but you haven't pursued them.

When these are present, the oracle's counsel is clear: stop advancing alone. Turn back toward community, guidance, and shared strength. This is not the end of the endeavor — it is the transition from solo struggle to collective strategy. The timing is not "give up" but "regroup now so you can succeed later, together."

Conversely, if you feel energized, supported, and resourced, and the path forward is clear, this line may be signaling a different kind of "coming back" — returning to foundational principles, core values, or proven methods rather than chasing novelty or shortcuts.

When This Line Moves

A moving top line in Obstruction signals a major transition. The phase of isolated difficulty is ending; the phase of collective action is beginning. Depending on your casting method, the resulting hexagram will show the new configuration of forces once you have regrouped and sought support. Study that hexagram carefully — it reveals the opportunities that become available when you stop fighting alone.

Practical takeaway: the movement from line six is not about abandoning your goal. It is about changing your approach. You have learned what the obstacle teaches. Now the task is to integrate that learning within a larger system — a team, a relationship, a community, an institution — so that the next advance is sustainable, supported, and successful. The dragon does not hide forever, but it does return to gather strength before it rises.

Concise Summary

Hexagram 39.6 teaches the wisdom of strategic retreat. Going forward alone deepens obstruction; coming back to community, guidance, and shared resources brings greatness. This is not failure — it is maturity. Seek the great person, consolidate your strength, and prepare for collective action. The obstacle that defeats the individual can be overcome by the group. Turn around, regroup, and let reunion transform struggle into success.