Hexagram 44: Encounter
Outer trigram (upper)
Càn
Heaven · Metal
Inner trigram (lower)
Tốn
Wind · Wood
Judgment
姤：女壯，勿用取女.
Translation
Coming to Meet: the woman is forceful — one should not marry her.
Commentary
Above is Càn, heaven; below is Tốn, wind. Wind moves freely beneath heaven, meeting everything in its path. A single yin line meets five yang lines, like a forceful woman overpowering everyone around her. Encounters call for caution — one should not fall in with someone strong and ill-intentioned.
Line Readings
Line 1 (yin)
初六：繫于金柅，貞吉，有攸往，見凶，羸豕孚蹢躅.
Translation
Tied to a metal chock, holding to what is right brings good fortune. Going forward brings misfortune, like a lean pig restlessly pacing.
Commentary
Line 1, yin, represents a petty influence just emerging, and it needs to be restrained at once — tied down, as it were. Holding firm to what is right brings good fortune; letting it roam freely would bring misfortune.
Line 2 (yang)
九二：包有魚，无咎，不利賓.
Translation
A fish in the wrapping — no blame, though not favorable for receiving guests.
Commentary
Line 2 is yang and centered, keeping line 1 — the fish — contained and under control, preventing it from causing harm elsewhere — no fault. There is no need to entertain the guest represented by line 5.
Line 3 (yang)
九三：臀无膚，其行次且，厲，无大咎.
Translation
Raw and tender as skinless flesh, one moves forward haltingly — there is danger, but no great fault.
Commentary
Line 3 is yang, neither centered nor correctly placed, and sits near line 1, the petty influence, though it does not correspond with it directly. It stays untempted despite the difficulty, so while there is danger, no serious harm follows.
Line 4 (yang)
九四：包无魚，起凶.
Translation
No fish in the wrapping — if this stirs up trouble, misfortune follows.
Commentary
Line 4, yang, has lost its hold on line 1 — the fish has slipped out of the wrapping, meaning the petty influence has escaped its control. Letting it roam free brings misfortune.
Line 5 (yang)
九五：以杞包瓜，含章，有隕自天.
Translation
A melon wrapped and shaded by willow leaves — inner beauty held within, and good fortune descends as if from heaven.
Commentary
Line 5 is yang, centered and correctly placed, holding the position of honor. Through sheltering, tolerant virtue — like leaves shading a melon — it restrains the petty influence of line 1. Its inner goodness is real, and favor comes to it naturally.
Line 6 (yang)
上九：姤其角，吝，无咎.
Translation
Meeting comes only at the horns — some regret, but no blame.
Commentary
Line 6, yang, sits at the very top, proud and isolated like a horn set high above everything else. Encounters are difficult here, bringing some regret, but there is no real fault, since it stays apart from the petty influence below.