The Zhen hexagram signifies shock. Heavy thunder rumbles and roars over a thousand miles. Men who have done nothing bad are shocked and frightened. He can get what he seeks, except he has no way to get an official post and title. People can only hear thunder but cannot see its form.

When Heavenly Master Li Jing met with Mother Dragon and begged to stay for a night and moved the rain for the dragons, he obtained this hexagram, and was promoted in the end to the post of the vice prime minister.

King Wen's Judgment: The Zhen hexagram signifies success. The thunder clashes - crack! crack! Afterwards there is laughter and talking - ha! ha! The thunder shocks [roars and resonates, travels] for a thousand miles. The superior man calmly performs the sacrificial service without dropping the spoon and chalice.

Symbol Tradition: The Double Zhen trigram symbolizes Thunder. The superior person with concerned mind examines himself [his own faults] and cultivates his virtue [improves himself, sets his life in order].

Confucius: The Zhen hexagram indicates success. Shock: at the time of thunder roaring. Alarm: to be frightened and panicked looking book. Rumbling: appalling resounding of thunder over a hundred miles. Sacrifice: the superior man is calm, the eldest son performs the sacrificial service holding the spoon and chalice with steady hands. The oracle for this hexagram says that fear can lead to blessing.

At first he looked for repentance, then comes success.
Among the rumbling of thunder arrives the splendid Spring.
When orioles sing, all the flowers are in riotious colors,
From then on, appointment will ensure the meeting of each other.

Six at the top line: The thunder brings terror. He looks about in panic. Action brings misfortune. The thunder will not affect him directly, for he has taken precautions. There will be no blame, but his short-sighted colleagues gossip about it.

This line indicates that he lacks talent, so he cannot avoid the disaster.

For an individual of great virtue and merit, the individual takes precautions before danger and harm appear. His prestige enables him to win the trust of the townspeople, and he can keep himself and his family safe.

For just an ordinary individual, the individual cannot be prudent and God-fearing; he is tyrannical and cruel and easily invites troubles. His wife and concubine are not on good terms, and he looks dispirited and lacking in vitality.

In such a year, an official should be alert against demotion, and a scholar should be aware of suspension and demotion. If a commoner takes precautions, he will avoid disaster and trouble or fright. If he does some self-examinations, there will be good fortune. Or husband and wife will receive punishment, or his relatives or neighbors will meet disaster.

Three poems for the top line:

Wind blows on the river as the strike of a big ship;
The lonely small boat drags the net in the waves.
He hopes to find a peaceful living place,
But he must wait for someone to offer him help.

The second:

The worries and disaster will befall him
And it is difficult for him to make any advance.
He examines himself and receives no blame;
At the same time, someone comes to talk about marriage.

The third:

Misty rains fall and hang over the river;
The road to the riverside has not been followed.
The traveller is still on the way and has not arrived;
He needs to borrow the east wind with magic power.

Weather: There are rumbles and roars of thunder. If the first line of the hexagram is reversed there will be black clouds and heavy rain. If the third line of the hexagram is reversed, there will be wind and rain.

House: It is a residence on the east or the west side of a temple or near a stream. Nearby there are historic sites and altars. If there is an alarm in the house, be on your guard against disaster and the six domestic animals. It is better to move. Incense burning helps a lot.

Seeking an official post: If you get the hexagram in spring or summer, you are sure to be promoted to a high post. If in winter and autumn, it will be just a title without anything real or solid.

Marriage: Two go-betweens come to talk about the matter. It will be a success for the northwest one, and failure for the southeast one. The woman with purple color is reticent, cruel and strict toward her husband.

Pregnancy: It is a boy born on the Chinese calendar day of chen or si . The labor brings fear and alarm. If the third line of the hexagram is reversed there will be disaster for the mother. If the first line of the hexagram is reversed, the son will get hurt.

Traveler: The letter will arrive on the Chinese calendar day of chen or mao . There will be no misfortune or danger if three men travel together.

Looking for a person: One can see him on the way in the southeast.

Location of family tomb: It is in the directions of yi  (East) and geng (West). The mountain in the West is low. It is near fields and water.

Seeking wealth: Seek in a hurry on the day and/or in the Chinese month of shen (lunar September) or you (lunar October).

Dealings: It is settled on the Chinese calendar day of wu or wei .

Chasing a robber: There is an alarm and a fear. He can be caught in the southwest.

Calling on a noble man: He can be seen on the Chinese calendar day of wu or wei .

Expecting a thing: It is difficult to succeed.

The lost: It can be found in the direction of either east or west.

Harvest of crops or cocoons: It is ample.

Illness: He went to the southwest before the temple and offended the three saints, the ghost of weapons, the ghost of the wounded and dead, the ghost of grass and wild land, and the ghost of five magic powers. They took away his ethereal and corporal souls. He was frightened and fell ill on the way, or he met with the ghost of ancient tombs, or the corpse embracing ghost. He then has fits of cold and fever, pains in his bones and joints. Blood and qi rush to the head. Offer sacrifice to the family ancestors, the ghost of weapons, the ghost of the wounded and dead, the ghost of the underwood, the god of the temple, the god of five magic powers, the god of roaming plagues, the god of armor, the flying snake and white tiger.

For a child: Offer sacrifice to the parents of his pervious life, the god of Wuyou, drive away the earth demons, and there will be good fortune.

Lawsuit: There is an alarm concerning an argument. Repeated persuasion bring no harm. The person with ["kou" - mouth] or  ["mu" - tree, wood] in his name is a noble man.

The Wuwang hexagram signifies heaven's [unexpected] calamity. The thunder in heaven roars, strikes terror and spreads danger everywhere. If a man is ill, do not give him medicine. It is because ghosts in the family are making troubles. Misfortune at the beginning turns out to be good fortune in the end. What has been scattered will return, disaster [misfortune] does not bring great harm. When one lives in peace, he should take precautions against danger.

Li Guang, a general of the Han Dynasty, obtained this hexagram and knew nothing would be favorable for him.

King Wen's Judgment: The Wuwang hexagram signifies supreme success. It is favorable [beneficial] to persevere [firmly continue to maintain correctness]. Impropriety [acting incorrectly] will bring misfortune [calamity]. It is unfavorable to undertake anything [take action, new undertakings].

Symbol Tradition: Thunder rolls beneath Heaven. All things [plants and animals] behave naturally. The ancient kings, in harmony with the different seasons [in tune with nature], nourished [fostered, nurtured] the myriad things at the appropriate time.

Confucius: Action without impropriety means propriety. The nine at the fifth line is firm in the central position and properly related to the six at the second line of the hexagram. So the oracle says there will be great fortune and it is favorable to persevere.

He became an official through the nationwide examination,
But he strives for promotion not at the royal court.
An unusual person like Jiang Shang waits for his master,
Surely he is a hero and will achieve great deeds.

Nine at the fifth line: He is sick without any reason and will recover without taking medicine.

This line indicates the ruler and the minister share the same will, but an unexpected occurrence causes some change. However, with no effort, they resume their normal relationship.

For an individual of great virtue and merit, the individual has just and unyielding virtue is capable of freeing the country from great difficulties and leads the people in the fight against natural calamities and troubles. He brings benefits to the ruler above, and to his family and himself. He sets a good example for the present and for the generations to come.

For just an ordinary individual, the individual is a man with blessings. He meets no disaster but more celebrations.

One poem for the fifth line:

He recovers without taking medicine,
And never worries about anything.
Once he turns to the northwest,
Wind will quicken the boat forward.

Weather: There are steady sunny days. If the second or the sixth line of the hexagram is reversed, there is wind. If the first line of the hexagram is reversed, there will be rain.

Seeking an official post: Perseverence may bring success. He can receive the official letter.

Tomb siting: It is near a small stream. There is water. It bodes there will be a lustful woman in the family, or a concubine; or there will be harm to the bad woman.

House: There is no strong sign. Burning incense bodes no favor. A move to a new house will bring good fortune.

Marriage: They have no inclination to live together, though they get married. It can be a successful second marriage.

Pregnancy: It is a son with good prospects. If a girl she will bring disaster to the mother.

Arresting a criminal: He is not far away in the southwest at an altar. He will be caught in the Chinese lunar month of si (lunar June) or shen (lunar September).

Looking for a person: The person comes to look for you.

Traveler: He has not set out. There is a false scare on the way. Nothing big happens. The message will arrive on the Chinese calendar day of chou or wei .

Going out: There is no harm to go out. It will bring satisfaction if you go.

Dealings: Failure.

Seeking wealth: There is a sign of difficulty at first and easiness thereafter. Do not seek too much or it will cause some loss.

Harvest of crops and silk cocoons: Average.

Seeking an employment: It is a success in spring and summer, but a failure in autumn and winter. Be aware of women.

Lost things: For an object, a woman got it or it was lost in love. You cannot remember the time, it is in the north. For a creature, you can ask a woman, and can find it under a tree.

Illness: He went to the convent on the southwest corner. Before it he offended the ghost of weapons, the ghost of the wounded and dead, the god of the half day, the god of Wuyou, the god of grass and wild land, and the god of five magic powers, so they took away his ethereal and corporal souls or the female ghost makes troubles. He has fever inside and feels cold outside. He has rapid breathing, vomits blood and has pus. There will be good fortune for a man, but the worst fortune for a woman. Offer sacrifice to the family ancestors, the ghost of weapons, and other gods, express thanks to heaven and earth, send away his substitute, the white tiger, redeem any old vows, and send away the god of stars.

For a child: Offer sacrifice to the family ancestors, the five road boy, the ghost of the underwood, the ghost of the wounded and dead, the god of Wuyou, the gods of the bedchamber, the parents of his previous life, the old couple of transformation, drive back the earth demon, send back the god of stars, and there will be good fortune.

Lawsuit: It is most probably about the matter of death, or an unhappy fight and dispute between women. Surely there will be a compromise. But at present, some ghosts and thieves are making troubles. Then a noble man comes. After the solution, he will have nothing to worry about.