Hexagram 48
The Well
井 (Jǐng)
Water over Wind
Hexagram 48 in the I Ching represents the well - an inexhaustible source of nourishment and sustenance for the community. This iching hexagram 48 symbolizes the constant, reliable resources that sustain life, embodying renewal, shared wisdom, and the importance of maintaining what serves the common good.
Key Concepts
The Judgment
Hexagram 48 represents the unchanging source of life and wisdom that serves all who approach it properly. This iching hexagram 48 teaches us about the importance of maintaining our inner resources and making them available to others. Like a well that serves generation after generation, true value lies in what remains constant and reliable through all changes.
The Image
The image of this hexagram shows water drawn up from the depths by wooden buckets, representing how leadership should draw forth and distribute resources for the benefit of all. In iching hexagram 48, we learn that true service comes from maintaining reliable sources of nourishment and ensuring everyone has access to what sustains life and growth.
Interpretation & Guidance
When hexagram 48 appears in your reading, it signals a time to focus on what is truly essential and enduring. You are called to be a source of nourishment and wisdom for others, maintaining your inner resources so they remain available to all who need them. The well serves everyone without discrimination or depletion.
This hexagram encourages you to examine the quality and accessibility of what you offer to the world. Are your talents and resources being properly maintained? Are they available to those who need them? Like a well that must be kept clean and its equipment in good repair, you must tend to your own development and ensure your contributions remain pure and effective.
In all areas of life, iching hexagram 48 suggests that lasting value comes from what we consistently provide rather than dramatic one-time efforts. Focus on building sustainable systems and reliable sources of support that will serve for the long term.
The Six Lines (六爻)
Six at the Beginning (初六)
Bottom line - Yin
"One does not drink the mud of the well. No animals come to an old well."
The first line represents a well that has fallen into disrepair and no longer serves its purpose. Your resources or talents may have been neglected and are not being utilized. This is a call to renewal and restoration - clean out what has become stagnant and make yourself useful again.
Nine in the Second Place (九二)
Second line - Yang
"At the wellhole one shoots fishes. The jug is broken and leaks."
This line indicates misuse of resources or misdirected efforts. You may be using your talents for trivial purposes or your methods are inadequate for the task at hand. Focus on proper preparation and appropriate application of your abilities to serve genuine needs.
Nine in the Third Place (九三)
Third line - Yang
"The well is cleaned, but no one drinks from it. This is my heart's sorrow, for one might draw from it. If the king were clear-minded, good fortune might be enjoyed in common."
A time of unrecognized value and unused potential. You have much to offer but are not being utilized or appreciated. Continue to maintain your excellence and clarity - eventually the right people will recognize and draw upon your resources. Do not let lack of recognition cause you to neglect your development.
Six in the Fourth Place (六四)
Fourth line - Yin
"The well is being lined. No blame."
This line represents necessary maintenance and improvement. You are working to strengthen and preserve your resources for future use. Though this period may not be productive in obvious ways, this essential work ensures long-term reliability and value. Take time for self-improvement and infrastructure building.
Nine in the Fifth Place (九五)
Fifth line - Yang
"In the well there is a clear, cold spring from which one can drink."
The ideal line represents a well in perfect condition, offering pure, refreshing water to all. You have achieved a state where your resources are excellent, accessible, and beneficial to others. Your contributions are recognized and valued. Continue to maintain this standard of quality and availability.
Six at the Top (上六)
Top line - Yin
"One draws from the well without hindrance. It is dependable. Supreme good fortune."
The top line represents the well at its most beneficial - freely accessible to all without restriction. You have become a reliable source of nourishment and wisdom for your community. Your generosity and consistency bring blessings to many and create lasting positive impact.
Love & Relationships (爱情)
In love, hexagram 48 represents relationships built on reliable emotional nourishment and mutual support. This is a time to be a consistent source of care and understanding for your partner, while also ensuring your own emotional well is maintained and not depleted.
For those seeking love, this hexagram suggests that you should focus on developing your inner qualities and making yourself emotionally available. Like a well that attracts those who are thirsty, your genuine depth and reliability will draw the right person to you.
The key message of iching hexagram 48 in relationships is sustainability - love that endures comes from partners who consistently nourish each other without exhausting their own resources. Maintain your individual wholeness while sharing generously with your beloved.
Career & Business (事业)
Professionally, hexagram 48 indicates the importance of being a reliable resource in your workplace or industry. Your value comes not from flashy achievements but from consistent, high-quality contributions that others can depend upon. Focus on building expertise that serves genuine needs.
For entrepreneurs, this hexagram suggests creating businesses that provide essential services or products that people will need repeatedly over time. Subscription models, essential services, or businesses that solve ongoing problems are favored. Build something that sustains both you and your customers.
In established careers, iching hexagram 48 encourages you to become the person others turn to for wisdom, resources, or support. Develop deep expertise and make it accessible. Your reputation for reliability and quality will bring long-term career success.
Health & Wellness (健康)
Health-wise, hexagram 48 emphasizes the importance of maintaining your vital resources and energy reserves. Focus on sustainable health practices that nourish you consistently rather than extreme or temporary measures. Your body is like a well that must be kept clean and properly maintained.
This hexagram particularly highlights the importance of hydration, proper nutrition, and maintaining the systems that sustain your health. Pay attention to what you take in and how you process it - ensure you're drawing from pure sources and eliminating what doesn't serve you.
For those dealing with health challenges, iching hexagram 48 suggests looking at underlying systems and long-term maintenance rather than quick fixes. Build sustainable health practices that will serve you for years to come.
Financial Matters (财运)
Financially, hexagram 48 favors building reliable income streams and maintaining financial resources that can be drawn upon consistently. Rather than seeking windfall profits, focus on creating sustainable revenue sources that provide steady returns over time.
This hexagram encourages investment in infrastructure, education, and systems that will continue to generate value. Like a well that serves generation after generation, build financial foundations that will sustain you and potentially your descendants for the long term.
The wisdom of iching hexagram 48 in finances is to maintain your resources carefully, neither hoarding them uselessly nor depleting them recklessly. Share generously while ensuring the source remains viable and productive.
Personal Growth (个人成长)
On a personal level, hexagram 48 represents the development of inner resources and wisdom that can nourish both yourself and others. Focus on deepening your knowledge, cultivating your talents, and maintaining your spiritual and emotional well-being.
This hexagram encourages you to see yourself as a source of value for your community. What unique gifts or wisdom do you have to offer? How can you make these accessible to others while maintaining their quality and your own well-being?
The challenge of iching hexagram 48 is learning to be both generous and sustainable - giving freely while ensuring you don't deplete yourself. True personal growth comes from developing resources that naturally replenish and can be shared without diminishment.
Timing & Advice (时机与建议)
The timing associated with hexagram 48 is one of patient, consistent effort rather than dramatic action. This is not a time for radical changes but for maintaining and improving what already exists. Focus on reliability and quality over innovation or expansion.
The best advice for those receiving this hexagram is to tend to your inner resources and ensure they remain pure, accessible, and valuable. Like maintaining a well, this requires regular attention and care, but the rewards are lasting and benefit many.
Remember that a well serves all who come to it without discrimination. Be generous with your gifts and knowledge, but also ensure you maintain proper boundaries and don't allow yourself to be depleted. The well that is properly maintained can serve indefinitely.