火泽睽
Hexagram 38 describes a situation of opposition, estrangement, or fundamental difference between people or forces. The counsel is not to force unity where genuine divergence exists, but to find the small points of agreement that allow limited cooperation — and to recognize that opposition itself can be a source of creative tension rather than pure obstruction.
睽：小事吉。
乖背离异之时：大事难成，谨慎处理小事反而吉祥。
Interpretive translationOpposition. In small matters, good fortune.
彖曰：睽，火动而上，泽动而下；二女同居，其志不同行；说而丽乎明，柔进而上行，得中而应乎刚；是以小事吉。天地睽，而其事同也；男女睽，而其志通也；万物睽，而其事类也；睽之时用大矣哉！
象曰：上火下泽，睽；君子以同而异。
火上炎、泽下润，两相乖违；君子效法它，在大同之中保持自己的特质。
悔亡，丧马勿逐，自复；见恶人，无咎。
象曰：见恶人，以辟咎也。
Remorse disappears. If you lose your horse, do not run after it; it will come back of its own. When you see evil people, guard against mistakes.
遇主于巷，无咎。
象曰：遇主于巷，未失道也。
One meets his lord in a narrow street. No blame.
见舆曳，其牛掣，其人天且劓，无初有终。
象曰：见舆曳，位不当也。无初有终，遇刚也。
One sees the wagon dragged back, the oxen halted, a man's hair and nose cut off. Not a good beginning, but a good end.
睽孤，遇元夫，交孚，厉无咎。
象曰：交孚无咎，志行也。
Isolated through opposition, one meets a like-minded man with whom one can associate in good faith. Despite the danger, no blame.
悔亡，厥宗噬肤，往何咎。
象曰：厥宗噬肤，往有庆也。
Remorse disappears. The companion bites his way through the wrappings. If one goes to him, how could it be a mistake?
睽孤，见豕负涂，载鬼一车，先张之弧，后说之弧，匪寇婚媾，往遇雨则吉。
象曰：遇雨之吉，群疑亡也。
Isolated through opposition, one sees one's companion as a pig covered with dirt, a wagon full of devils. First one draws the bow, then one lays it aside: not a robber — a suitor. Going, one meets with rain, and good fortune comes.
Structure
Kuí is formed by Fire (Li ☲) above Lake (Dui ☱). Fire moves upward while water moves downward — two forces with opposite natures moving in opposite directions. The lower trigram Dui represents joy and openness; the upper Li represents clarity and illumination. Despite their different natures, both have their own integrity. Together they depict a situation where difference is real but not necessarily destructive.
Judgment and Image
The Judgment states: Opposition. In small matters, good fortune. The Image shows fire above and the lake below — the superior person retains their individuality amid togetherness. The key insight is that opposition does not require resolution into sameness. Small matters can proceed even when large ones cannot. Individuality within relationship is not a failure of unity but a natural condition.
Core meaning
The central teaching of Kuí is that opposition is a natural feature of reality, not an aberration to be eliminated. Fire and water do not become the same thing — they remain themselves. The question is not how to dissolve the difference but how to navigate it wisely, finding the limited cooperation that is possible without pretending to a unity that does not exist.
The hexagram warns against two opposite errors: forcing premature unity (which suppresses genuine difference and creates resentment) and treating all difference as irreconcilable conflict (which forecloses the limited cooperation that is actually available). The middle path is to see clearly what is shared and what is not, and to work within those limits.
In Liuyao readings, Kuí often appears when the querent is in a relationship — personal or professional — characterized by fundamental differences in values, perspective, or approach. The hexagram asks whether the querent is trying to force agreement where none is possible, or whether they are finding the genuine common ground that does exist. It may also appear when the querent is experiencing internal opposition — conflicting desires or values within themselves.
The hexagram also speaks to the creative potential of opposition. Two different perspectives, held in tension without forcing resolution, can generate insights that neither perspective could produce alone. Kuí asks whether you can hold the tension of difference long enough to learn from it.
In personal development, Kuí can indicate a time to examine your relationships honestly — to see where genuine alignment exists and where it does not, and to adjust your expectations accordingly. Not every relationship needs to be everything. Some can be valuable within their actual limits.
In divination
When Kuí appears in a reading, the primary question is whether the querent is accurately perceiving the nature and extent of the opposition they face. For relationship questions, it may counsel realistic assessment of compatibility and the identification of genuine common ground. For career questions, it may suggest that a conflict cannot be fully resolved and that limited cooperation is the best available outcome.
Kuí is favorable for small, specific agreements and for maintaining individuality within relationships. It is unfavorable for large joint ventures, forced consensus, or situations requiring deep mutual trust.
Move from research into a real reading
If this page helped you frame the question, the next step is to run a reading with that same clarity.