Hexagram 9 · Line 6
Small Taming — 上九
Xiao Chu · Shang Jiu
The Line
The rain comes, the rest comes. This is owed to the lasting effect of character. The woman comes into danger through perseverance. The moon is nearly full. If the noble one persists, misfortune comes.
Interpretation
Success is at hand. The wind has driven the clouds together. A firm standpoint has been reached. This has come about through the gradual accumulation of small effects arising from reverence for a superior character. But such a success, gathered piece by piece, requires great caution. Were one now to give oneself over to the fancy that one could rely on it, that would be dangerous. The feminine, the weak, that has gained the victory must never insist on it stubbornly. That would bring danger. The shadowy power in the moon is at its strongest when the moon is nearly full. When, as a full moon, it stands directly opposite the sun, its waning is inevitable. In such conditions one must be content with what has been attained. To press further before the time has come for it would bring misfortune.