18
Hexagram 18, Gu — “Decay,” “Work on What Has Been Spoiled.” The image is worms in a sealed, stale vessel.
The image of the hexagram
Below is the trigram Xun (wind), above is Gen (mountain). The mountain over the wind: the wind is trapped beneath the mountain, the air doesn't move — what stagnates, spoils.
General meaning
The answer: deal with what has been neglected. Gu points to a long-standing problem that has gone untouched for a long time: accumulated debts, things left unsaid, postponed repairs, a bad habit. The hexagram is favorable precisely for setting things right: the classical text promises success to whoever tackles the source of the decay rather than its consequences.
In love and at work
In relationships — an old unresolved issue, often with family roots; silence only makes it worse. At work — technical debt, tangled accounts, a legacy from a predecessor. For a new venture the time is bad: clear things up first.
What to do
Find the oldest thing you've been putting off and start with it. That's what is dragging everything else down.