Something is about to collapse. A great pressure is causing an imbalance that needs correction. If the dam is about to burst, moving out of the way is your first priority! Likewise, if you are in an old mine shaft and feel the earth begin to tremble, it is a time for quick, instinctive action and nimble footwork—only extraordinary measures can produce a successful outcome. When the roof is collapsing, run first, and choose your destination later.
Extraordinary times bring out the best and worst in people. Natural disasters produce stories of heroism but also of looting and rioting. When a great weight is upon your world, powerful moments present opportunities to make great gains, because everything is in a state of flux. One can either move in the direction of positive change and improvement or toward stagnation. To achieve the former, one must go gently to the heart of the issue—to the cause. Then a smooth transition is assured.
This may be the moment you have been waiting for. Although the current challenge may seem to be more than you can handle, remember that a flood usually reaches its high-water mark for only a few brief moments before it begins to subside. Action must be taken now to ensure opportunities for success later on. You never know the true extent of your abilities until you, at least once in your life, dive into a crisis with complete abandon, dedicating every ounce of your energy and every fiber of your being to the cause at hand. Now is that time. Dare to win.
Changing Line Interpretations
Line 1 (bottom line)
When embarking on an ambitious undertaking during turbulent times, the wise take great care, especially in the beginning. Proper planning and the laying of a good foundation are too often neglected in the excitement of the moment. Such carelessness is bound to cause problems later. Attending to careful preparation now will leave you in a much better position in the future.
Line 2
Unusual partnerships are favored, like an old tree putting forth new shoots into the earth or an older man marrying a young woman. Despite the uniqueness of the situation, all goes well. This is a time of renewed vitality and rejuvenation—a time of advancement.
Line 3
Plunging willfully ahead during risky times, against the advice of your friends and intimates, invites trouble and is likely to make things far worse. Action is not advised, but neither is obstinacy.
Line 4
Friendly relations with different people can become critical, bringing good fortune in times of crisis. But if you depend upon the support of others, you must keep their interests at heart as well as your own. Otherwise, misfortune results.
Line 5
The person who aspires only to relationships with those of higher status, greater wealth, or more power creates an unstable situation. The tree that sinks its roots deepest into the earth is the one that is able to stretch its limbs highest into the sky.
Line 6 (top line)
Brave determination can lead one into deep water. Though it is careless to forge ahead while ignoring threats, sticking to your principles can seem more important than mere survival. There is no shame in this as long as you remain aware that plunging ahead on your own is risky, and perhaps quite dangerous. Nobody can blame such courage.
