I Ching Hexagram 56: Lü (旅), The Wanderer — Meaning and Lines
I Ching hexagram 56, Lü (旅): The Wanderer. Mountain beneath Fire, the judgment, six lines, and a careful reading.
Key points
| Number | 56 of 64 (King Wen sequence) |
|---|---|
| Chinese name | Lü (旅) |
| Name in French | Lü (voyageur), le Voyageur |
| Lower trigram | ☶ Gen, the Mountain |
| Upper trigram | ☲ Li, the Fire |
| Image | Fire on the mountain: a flame that does not linger, the wanderer |
| Reversed hexagram | No. 55, Feng, Abundance |
| Nature of the text | A book of wisdom and oracle, a tool for reflection, not a prediction |
Lü (The Wanderer): what is it about?
Hexagram 56, Lü (旅, pronounced roughly "lyew"), is the hexagram of the wanderer: the one who is far from home, a temporary guest. Note: this Lü is written differently from the Lü of hexagram 10 (Treading, 履). According to the commentary on the sequence of the hexagrams, it follows Abundance: whoever has lost all their place sets out on the road.
The two trigrams
The first three lines (at the bottom) form the lower trigram, the last three the upper one. Here, the Mountain (Gen) sits beneath the Fire (Li).
| Position | Trigram | Image |
|---|---|---|
| Upper (top) | ☲ Li, the Fire | The fire |
| Lower (bottom) | ☶ Gen, the Mountain | The mountain |
Fire above the Mountain: a flame running along the ridges and never stopping anywhere, like someone who passes through without settling. The Image adds the prudence of the judge, who does not let cases drag on.
The judgment in brief
The judgment is modest: small success, and the perseverance of the wanderer is good. My summary: a wanderer cannot demand everything, and succeeds by remaining courteous, discreet and attentive. Strength lies in keeping one's ambitions within measure.
General meaning
Lü speaks of the condition of the stranger: without local support, he depends on the welcome he receives and on his own conduct. The hexagram describes the fragility of this position, but also the dignity of a right attitude.
Modern historians, since the 1920s, have suggested that line 6 alludes to an ancient story, that of a Shang ancestor who lost his oxen among foreigners; the hypothesis is debated.
The six lines, from bottom to top
Each line is summarised in my own words; the ancient text is very elliptical, and commentators complete it in different ways.
- Line 1, at the bottom (yin). The wanderer frets over trifles and brings trouble on himself. Pettiness is costly.
- Line 2 (yin). He finds a lodging, keeps his belongings and gains a loyal young servant. A good welcome.
- Line 3 (yang). He burns the lodging and loses his servant: danger. Arrogance comes at a price.
- Line 4 (yang). He rests in a place, receives resources and an axe, but his heart is not content. One has resources and is not at home.
- Line 5 (yin). He shoots a pheasant and loses an arrow, but in the end receives praise and a commission. A small loss, an honour.
- Line 6, at the top (yang). The bird burns its nest: the wanderer laughs first, then weeps; he loses his ox at the border. Misfortune. Confidence that does not see the danger.
The changing lines
A "changing" line is about to turn into its opposite. One reads its text, then the hexagram that arises from the change, taken as the direction the situation is taking; the schools diverge when several lines are changing.
| Changing line | Change | Resulting hexagram |
|---|---|---|
| Line 1 | yin becomes yang | No. 30, Li, The Clinging Fire |
| Line 2 | yin becomes yang | No. 50, Ding, The Cauldron |
| Line 3 | yang becomes yin | No. 35, Jin, Progress |
| Line 4 | yang becomes yin | No. 52, Gen, Keeping Still |
| Line 5 | yin becomes yang | No. 33, Dun, Retreat |
| Line 6 | yang becomes yin | No. 62, Xiao Guo, Preponderance of the Small |
Changing all six lines together would give No. 60 (Jie, Limitation). Lines 3 and 6 are the darkest: the wanderer's pride destroys his shelter there; lines 2 and 5, by contrast, show what measure brings.
A careful modern reading
Lü suits periods of transition: a journey, a move, a new job, a stay abroad, any moment in which one is the guest. Modern readings retain tact, prudence and the refusal to impose oneself. The text does not offer a lesson to those who have been displaced against their will: it first evokes the humility of the guest.
Questions for reflection
- Where am I currently the guest, and how should I conduct myself?
- What, on the road, makes me fret over trifles?
- Which shelter do I need to protect?
- What small loss am I ready to accept in order to keep what is essential?
Mistakes to avoid
- Confusing Lü 56 (旅, the wanderer) with Lü 10 (履, treading): two characters, two hexagrams.
- Looking for a travel calendar in it: the text describes a state of mind, not a date.
- Taking hexagram 56 as a prediction or as medical, financial, legal or safety advice: the I Ching is a tool for reflection, and such decisions belong to a professional.
Other names and other translations
The name "Lü, The Wanderer" follows one translation tradition among others; in Chinese, it is Lü (旅). Other translations speak of the traveller, the stranger, the sojourn or the pilgrim; in English, "the wanderer" or "sojourning".
In King Wen's sequence, it forms a pair with No. 55 (Feng, Abundance), whose figure is this one turned upside down. Full list: the 64 hexagrams of the I Ching.
Frequently asked questions
What does hexagram 56 of the I Ching mean?
Lü, the wanderer: the condition of one who is far from home and depends on the welcome he receives and on his own conduct.
Which trigrams make up hexagram 56?
Gen, the Mountain, below, and Li, the Fire, above.
Are Lü 56 and Lü 10 related?
No. They are two different characters (旅 and 履) that pinyin writes in the same way: the wanderer and treading.
Does Lü predict a journey?
No. The text describes an attitude, that of the wanderer, which is useful in any situation of passage or transition.
What happens when a line of hexagram 56 is changing?
It turns into its opposite and gives rise to a second hexagram, read as the direction the situation is taking. The table on this page gives the resulting hexagram for each of the six lines.
Can hexagram 56 be relied on to make a decision?
It can feed reflection, but it can never replace the advice of a professional. For health, money, law or safety, consult the competent person; in case of distress, call 3114 (in France) or 112 (the emergency number across the European Union).
Also read
The meanings mentioned belong to tradition and symbolism. They are neither promises of results nor medical advice. Back to The 64 hexagrams of the Yi King.