9
Hexagram 9, Xiao Chu: “The Taming Power of the Small.” The small holds back the great — briefly, and not completely.
The image of the hexagram
Below is the Qian trigram (heaven), above is Xun (wind). Wind over heaven: the wind does not stop heaven, it only holds it back for a while.
General meaning
The answer is mixed. Xiao Chu says that movement is being held up by something minor — a shortage of money, someone’s mood, a formality. The restraint is weak but real, and you won’t break through it by force. The classic image is a cloud that has not yet turned into rain: the result is close, but has not arrived yet.
In love and at work
In relationships: small obstacles — daily life, distance, someone’s opinion; the feelings themselves are fine. At work: the project is stalled on an approval or the budget. It is a bad time for a big bet, a good time for preparation.
What to do
Don’t push. Remove that one small obstacle — the whole question lies in it.