地水师
Hexagram 7 points to organized collective effort under clear leadership. The image is an army — not chaos or aggression, but disciplined force moving toward a defined objective. The emphasis is on structure, coordination, and the legitimacy of the cause.
师：贞，丈人吉，无咎。
兴师动众须以正道为本，并由老成持重之人统率，方可吉祥无咎。
Interpretive translationThe Army. The army needs perseverance and a strong man. Good fortune without blame.
彖曰：师，众也；贞，正也。能以众正，可以王矣。刚中而应，行险而顺，以此毒天下，而民从之，吉又何咎矣。
象曰：地中有水，师；君子以容民畜众。
地中藏水，聚众之象；君子效法它，包容民众、蓄养众人。
师出以律，否臧凶。
象曰：师出以律，失律凶也。
An army must set forth in proper order. If the order is not good, misfortune threatens.
在师中，吉无咎，王三锡命。
象曰：在师中吉，承天宠也。王三锡命，怀万邦也。
In the midst of the army: good fortune, no blame. The king bestows a triple decoration.
师或舆尸，凶。
象曰：师或舆尸，大无功也。
Perchance the army carries corpses in the wagon. Misfortune.
师左次，无咎。
象曰：左次无咎，未失常也。
The army retreats. No blame.
田有禽，利执言，无咎。长子帅师，弟子舆尸，贞凶。
象曰：长子帅师，以中行也。弟子舆尸，使不当也。
There is game in the field; it furthers one to catch it. No blame. Let the eldest lead the army; the younger transports corpses — perseverance brings misfortune.
大君有命，开国承家，小人勿用。
象曰：大君有命，以正功也。小人勿用，必乱邦也。
The great prince issues commands: found states, vest families with fiefs. Inferior people should not be employed.
Structure
Shi is formed by Earth (Kun ☷) above Water (Kan ☵). Water hidden beneath the earth — reserves of strength that are not immediately visible. The image suggests that real power in this hexagram comes from depth and organization rather than surface display.
Core meaning
The central theme of Shi is that collective effort requires a legitimate leader and a just cause. An army without discipline becomes a mob. A campaign without a clear purpose wastes the energy of everyone involved. The hexagram asks whether the organizing principle behind the effort is sound.
In practical terms, Shi often appears when a situation requires mobilizing people, resources, or effort toward a shared goal. This could be a business initiative, a community project, a legal campaign, or any situation where coordination matters more than individual action.
The hexagram also carries a warning: force used without proper justification tends to create backlash. The cause must be defensible, and the leader must be trusted by those they are leading.
In divination
When Shi appears in a reading, the key questions are about leadership and legitimacy. Who is directing the effort? Is the goal clear and shared? Are the people involved willing participants or reluctant followers? The answers to these questions shape how the hexagram should be read.
Shi is generally favorable for questions about organizing, leading, or executing a complex plan. It is less favorable when the situation calls for individual initiative or when the collective structure is absent or broken.
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.