What is Hexagram 23, Splitting Apart?
Hexagram 23, Splitting Apart (剝 Bō), is built from Mountain (艮 Gèn) over Earth (坤 Kūn), and the Wilhelm-Baynes translation reads its themes as dissolution, letting go, erosion. The classical sources describe it as a pattern in the Book of Changes (易經 Yìjīng), a situation to recognise, not a verdict to obey.
Key Takeaways
- Hexagram 23 is built from Mountain (艮 Gèn) over Earth (坤 Kūn).
- Its central themes, dissolution, letting go, erosion, acceptance, sit in the Wilhelm-Baynes lineage.
- The classical pairing matches the hexagram to Black Obsidian as the meditation stone.
- Read alongside BaZi, Kua, and Compass School sector mapping for a fuller picture.
- This is a pattern, not a verdict, the I-Ching frames reflection, not prediction.
The Judgment
Splitting Apart. It does not further one to go anywhere.
The Image
The mountain rests on the earth: the image of Splitting Apart. Thus those above can ensure their position only by giving generously to those below.
Master Wei Lin's Interpretation
Interpretation by Master Wei Lin, Chinese Metaphysics Scholar, pattern recognition, not fortune-telling
The mountain erodes from below, what seemed solid is being undermined. Splitting Apart is not a comfortable hexagram, but it is an honest one. Something in your situation is falling away, and the I-Ching's counsel is: let it. Do not try to prop up what is collapsing. Instead, observe what remains when the inessential is stripped away. What's the large fruit that has not yet been consumed?
The Six Lines
When a changing line appears in your reading, its text carries special guidance for your situation.
Line 1 (bottom)
“The leg of the bed is split. Those who persevere are destroyed. Misfortune.”
Line 2
“The bed is split at the edge. Those who persevere are destroyed. Misfortune.”
Line 3
“One splits with them. No blame.”
Line 4
“The bed is split up to the skin. Misfortune.”
Line 5
“A shoal of fishes. Favor comes through the court ladies. Everything acts to further.”
Line 6 (top)
“There is a large fruit still uneaten. The superior person receives a carriage. The house of the inferior person is split apart.”
🔮 Crystal for Hexagram 23
Black Obsidian
Hold Black Obsidian while meditating on Splitting Apart. Its energy resonates with the themes of dissolution, letting go, erosion.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Hexagram 23 (Splitting Apart) mean?
In the Wilhelm-Baynes translation of the I-Ching (易經 Yìjīng), Hexagram 23, Splitting Apart (剝 Bō), is read through Mountain (艮 Gèn) over Earth (坤 Kūn). The classical sources describe its themes as dissolution, letting go, erosion. This is pattern recognition, not prediction.
What is the Judgment for Splitting Apart?
The Judgment reads: "Splitting Apart. It does not further one to go anywhere.", the Judgment is the I-Ching's classical summary of the situation the hexagram describes, and what the present moment is asking of the reader.
What is the Image for Splitting Apart?
The Image reads: "The mountain rests on the earth: the image of Splitting Apart. Thus those above can ensure their position only by giving generously to those below.", in the classical sources the Image is the elemental picture, the upper and lower trigrams in conversation, that the reader holds while sitting with the hexagram.
What crystal pairs with Hexagram 23?
Black Obsidian is the traditional pairing for Splitting Apart. The classical Chinese gemology lineage associates this stone with the hexagram's central themes, hold it during meditation on the reading. This is reflective practice, not divination-as-prediction.
How is Hexagram 23 read in BaZi or Feng Shui?
An I-Ching cast is one consultation. The fuller reading, Four Pillars (四柱 Sì Zhù), Kua personal feng shui, and Compass School sector mapping, reads the hexagram alongside the chart. Master Wei Lin's Master Reading section synthesizes the Book of Changes alongside BaZi and the other Chinese metaphysics traditions.
More Hexagrams
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