What is Hexagram 48, The Well?
Hexagram 48, The Well (井 Jǐng), is built from Water (坎 Kǎn) over Wind (巽 Xùn), and the Wilhelm-Baynes translation reads its themes as source, nourishment, constancy. 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 48 is built from Water (坎 Kǎn) over Wind (巽 Xùn).
- Its central themes, source, nourishment, constancy, depth, sit in the Wilhelm-Baynes lineage.
- The classical pairing matches the hexagram to Aquamarine 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 Well. The town may be changed, but the well cannot be changed. It neither decreases nor increases. They come and go and draw from the well.
The Image
Water over wood: the image of the Well. Thus the superior person encourages the people at their work and exhorts them to help one another.
Master Wei Lin's Interpretation
Interpretation by Master Wei Lin, Chinese Metaphysics Scholar, pattern recognition, not fortune-telling
Water drawn up through wood, the well that nourishes the entire community. The Well is a profound hexagram about the source within you that doesn't change regardless of external circumstances. Towns rise and fall, but the well remains. Your question is being directed toward something essential: what is the inexhaustible source within you? Are you drawing from it, or has it been neglected?
The Six Lines
When a changing line appears in your reading, its text carries special guidance for your situation.
Line 1 (bottom)
“One does not drink the mud of the well. No animals come to an old well.”
Line 2
“At the wellhole one shoots fishes. The jug is broken and leaks.”
Line 3
“The well is cleaned, but no one drinks from it. This is my heart's sorrow, for one might draw from it. If the king were clear-minded, good fortune might be enjoyed in common.”
Line 4
“The well is being lined. No blame.”
Line 5
“In the well there is a clear, cold spring from which one can drink.”
Line 6 (top)
“One draws from the well without hindrance. It is dependable. Supreme good fortune.”
🔮 Crystal for Hexagram 48
Aquamarine
Hold Aquamarine while meditating on The Well. Its energy resonates with the themes of source, nourishment, constancy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Hexagram 48 (The Well) mean?
In the Wilhelm-Baynes translation of the I-Ching (易經 Yìjīng), Hexagram 48, The Well (井 Jǐng), is read through Water (坎 Kǎn) over Wind (巽 Xùn). The classical sources describe its themes as source, nourishment, constancy. This is pattern recognition, not prediction.
What is the Judgment for The Well?
The Judgment reads: "The Well. The town may be changed, but the well cannot be changed. It neither decreases nor increases. They come and go and draw from the well.", 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 The Well?
The Image reads: "Water over wood: the image of the Well. Thus the superior person encourages the people at their work and exhorts them to help one another.", 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 48?
Aquamarine is the traditional pairing for The Well. 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 48 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.
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