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Hexagram 24
復Fù
The first movement back after a course has reached its limit.
Success. Coming and going meet no affliction; companions arrive without fault. The path turns back in its cycle, and return comes in seven days. Proceeding is beneficial.
亨。出入无疾，朋來无咎。反復其道，七日來復，利有攸往。
Thunder rests within the earth: Return. At the solstice, the former kings closed the passes. Merchants and travelers did not journey, and the ruler did not inspect the regions.
雷在地中，復。先王以至日閉關，商旅不行，后不省方。
Bottom to top
Line 1
不遠復，无祗悔，元吉。
Returning before going far leaves no regret. Greatly favorable.
The bottom line turns back before the first firm step can become a separate course. Changing Line 1 yields Hexagram 2: the lone firm line becomes yielding, leaving an entirely receptive field.
Read Line 1 in contextLine 2
休復，吉。
An admirable return. Favorable.
Line 2 is close to the returning firm line at the base. The traditional reading connects its admirable return with following that example. Changing Line 2 makes Earth above Lake, Hexagram 19.
Read Line 2 in contextLine 3
頻復，厲，无咎。
Returning again and again. Danger, but no fault.
Repeated return reaches the top of inner Thunder at Line 3. Once that yielding line turns firm, the figure is Hexagram 36, Fire beneath Earth, with brightness held below the surface.
Read Line 3 in contextLine 4
中行獨復。
Walking in the midst, one returns alone.
Line 4 is the first line of outer Earth. Making it firm turns that upper trigram into Thunder and produces Hexagram 51, doubled Thunder rather than a single movement below still ground.
Read Line 4 in contextLine 5
敦復，无悔。
A generous, grounded return. No regret.
At Line 5, a yielding center gives return weight rather than haste. Its change makes Water above Thunder, Hexagram 3, where the new beginning still meets difficulty.
Read Line 5 in contextLine 6
迷復，凶，有災眚。用行師，終有大敗。以其國君，凶。至于十年不克征。
Losing the way back brings misfortune, with disaster and error. An army so used ends in great defeat; for the ruler, misfortune. Even in ten years, the campaign cannot succeed.
The top line has missed Return's turning point. Changing Line 6 closes the upper boundary and produces Hexagram 27, Mountain above Thunder, with an open center framed by firm lines.
Read Line 6 in contextOne line away
One classical protocol
A cast determines which part of a hexagram governs the reading. When one line moves, that line is read as the focus; other moving-line counts use different focus rules.
Read the changing-line protocol
Cast this properly