What is Hexagram 34, Great Power?
Hexagram 34, Great Power (大壯 Dà Zhuàng), is built from Thunder (震 Zhèn) over Heaven (乾 Qián), and the Wilhelm-Baynes translation reads its themes as power, strength, ethics. The classical sources describe it as a pattern in the Book of Changes (易經 Yìjīng), a situation to recognise, not a verdict to obey.
Key Takeaways
- Hexagram 34 is built from Thunder (震 Zhèn) over Heaven (乾 Qián).
- Its central themes, power, strength, ethics, restraint, sit in the Wilhelm-Baynes lineage.
- The classical pairing matches the hexagram to Tiger's Eye as the meditation stone.
- Read alongside BaZi, Kua, and Compass School sector mapping for a fuller picture.
- This is a pattern, not a verdict, the I-Ching frames reflection, not prediction.
The Judgment
The Power of the Great. Perseverance furthers.
The Image
Thunder in heaven above: the image of the Power of the Great. Thus the superior person does not tread upon paths that do not accord with established order.
Master Wei Lin's Interpretation
Interpretation by Master Wei Lin, Chinese Metaphysics Scholar, pattern recognition, not fortune-telling
Thunder above heaven, immense power surging forward. You have real strength in your situation, but the I-Ching warns: power without ethics is just force, and force without wisdom gets its horns tangled in the hedge. Use your strength, yes, but along righteous paths only. What would it look like to be powerful and also correct?
The Six Lines
When a changing line appears in your reading, its text carries special guidance for your situation.
Line 1 (bottom)
“Power in the toes. Continuing brings misfortune. This is certainly true.”
Line 2
“Perseverance brings good fortune.”
Line 3
“The inferior person works through power. The superior person does not act so. To continue is dangerous. A goat butts against a hedge and gets its horns entangled.”
Line 4
“Perseverance brings good fortune. Remorse disappears. The hedge opens; there is no entanglement. Power depends upon the axle of a big cart.”
Line 5
“Loses the goat with ease. No remorse.”
Line 6 (top)
“A goat butts against a hedge. It cannot go backward, it cannot go forward. Nothing serves to further. If one notes the difficulty, this brings good fortune.”
🔮 Crystal for Hexagram 34
Tiger's Eye
Hold Tiger's Eye while meditating on Great Power. Its energy resonates with the themes of power, strength, ethics.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Hexagram 34 (Great Power) mean?
In the Wilhelm-Baynes translation of the I-Ching (易經 Yìjīng), Hexagram 34, Great Power (大壯 Dà Zhuàng), is read through Thunder (震 Zhèn) over Heaven (乾 Qián). The classical sources describe its themes as power, strength, ethics. This is pattern recognition, not prediction.
What is the Judgment for Great Power?
The Judgment reads: "The Power of the Great. Perseverance furthers.", the Judgment is the I-Ching's classical summary of the situation the hexagram describes, and what the present moment is asking of the reader.
What is the Image for Great Power?
The Image reads: "Thunder in heaven above: the image of the Power of the Great. Thus the superior person does not tread upon paths that do not accord with established order.", in the classical sources the Image is the elemental picture, the upper and lower trigrams in conversation, that the reader holds while sitting with the hexagram.
What crystal pairs with Hexagram 34?
Tiger's Eye is the traditional pairing for Great Power. The classical Chinese gemology lineage associates this stone with the hexagram's central themes, hold it during meditation on the reading. This is reflective practice, not divination-as-prediction.
How is Hexagram 34 read in BaZi or Feng Shui?
An I-Ching cast is one consultation. The fuller reading, Four Pillars (四柱 Sì Zhù), Kua personal feng shui, and Compass School sector mapping, reads the hexagram alongside the chart. Master Wei Lin's Master Reading section synthesizes the Book of Changes alongside BaZi and the other Chinese metaphysics traditions.
More Hexagrams
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