In love
Withdrawal is called for: avoid radical decisions, protect what is solid, and let moments of wear pass.
Hexagram 23
I Ching hexagram 23: Splitting Apart (Bo)
Bo, Splitting Apart, is the hexagram of crumbling: when everything comes undone from below, it is better to stay quiet.
- crumbling
- restraint
- patience
The essentials
Bo at a glance
For you, Bo describes a period of wear: do not embark on big movements, and protect what still holds.
A strength
The lucidity of someone who recognizes a time of withdrawal, and prefers to preserve rather than wear themselves out.
Something to watch
Pressing on with big undertakings in a period of wear: action then becomes more costly.
- What it advises
- Stay quiet, preserve what holds, avoid big undertakings, and lean on those close to you.
- Its opposite
- 43. Breakthrough (Guai)
The situation
Bo describes wear: five broken lines climb toward a single solid line at the very top, like a house whose foundation is undermined. The ancient text says it bluntly: this is not the time to go anywhere, for nothing is advantageous.
The hexagram does not predict a fall. It describes a time when small forces gain ground and when the person of worth is better inspired to keep quiet, preserve what remains, and lean on what resists.
The last line, the great fruit that is not eaten, already holds what comes next: the seed of renewal is preserved.
The image: the Mountain above Earth
- AboveMountain: the stillness that steadies
- BelowEarth: the welcome that carries
Earth at the foot of the Mountain: the mount crumbles and flattens. The commentaries link it to the one who, by being generous toward those below, secures the solidity of his own dwelling.
Consult the I Ching
Throw three coins six times: your hexagram, the lines that change, and the direction they point to.
Free, no account · nothing is sent · no predictions
The six lines
- 1st line (bottom) · brokenThe legs of the bed are undermined: this wears away uprightness itself. An unfavorable omen: the damage starts at the base.
- 2nd line · brokenThe frame of the bed is undermined: the damage spreads and eats away at firmness. A bad omen.
- 3rd line · brokenJoining those who undermine, but without fault: the ancient text excuses it, for he acts in break with his companions.
- 4th line · brokenThe bed is undermined down to the skin of the one lying on it: the omen stays dark, for the damage touches the person.
- 5th line · brokenLike a string of fish, you line up behind the master: you receive the favors of the house, and everything is favorable.
- 6th line (top) · solidA great fruit is not eaten: the person of worth is carried as if by a cart, while small people tear down their own dwelling.
Bo in your life
At work
Caution dominates: consolidate, save your strength, and put off ambitious projects until the ground is firmer.
The I Ching helps you reflect on how to act: it does not say what is coming.
How is it built?
- Character
- 剝 (bō)
- Number
- 23 in the King Wen sequence
- Trigrams
- Mountain (艮) above, Earth (坤) below
- Inner hexagram
- 2. The Receptive (Kun) (lines 2 to 4 and 3 to 5)
- Read upside down
- 24. Return (Fu)
- Symbol
- ䷖ (U+4DD6)
The English names are the usual renderings of the Chinese characters; the texts rely on the Chinese and on early public-domain translations (Legge, 1882; Philastre, 1885–1893).
Sources
- Wikipedia (English), “List of hexagrams of the I Ching,” read on October 15, 2026: numbers, characters, pinyin, lower and upper trigrams.
- Wikipedia (English), “Bagua,” read on October 15, 2026: lines of the eight trigrams, from bottom to top.
- James Legge (1815–1897), The Yî King, Sacred Books of the East, vol. XVI, 1882 (Wikisource): public domain.
- Paul-Louis-Félix Philastre (1837–1902), Le Yi King ou Livre des changements de la dynastie des Tsheou, Annales du Musée Guimet, 1885–1893: public domain (the author died more than 70 years ago).
Frequently asked questions about hexagram 23
What does hexagram 23 of the I Ching mean?
Hexagram 23, Bo, means splitting apart: a period of crumbling when it is better to stay quiet, preserve the essentials, and avoid big undertakings.
Does hexagram 23 announce a fall?
It describes a moment, not a destiny. The top line, the great fruit not eaten, already holds what comes next: renewal remains possible. The I Ching speaks of conduct.