Hexagram 40, Thunder over Water: Release (Jie), is the 40th of the 64 hexagrams of the I Ching. It is made of Zhen (thunder) above and Kan (water) below, and it speaks about what to do once a hard stretch has been loosened: how to relax, and how to finish off whatever is left.

Picture someone who has just wrapped up a very stressful project, or settled an argument that dragged on for months. They feel relieved, yet they are not sure whether to sprint ahead right away or pause first. The six lines of Hexagram 40 answer the different situations that show up at exactly this turning point.

Hexagram 40 (Jie) at a Glance

Attribute	Detail
Number	40 of 64
Name	Thunder over Water: Release (Jie)
Image	☳ over ☵ (thunder over water)
Inner (lower) trigram	Kan ☵, water, danger
Outer (upper) trigram	Zhen ☳, thunder, movement
Element	Wood
Time it describes	Release, a moment of untying and easing
Yang lines	2 of 6
Reversed hexagram (turned upside down)	Hexagram 39, Water over Mountain: Obstruction (Jian)

The Original Text and Its Meaning

This part gives the classical wording of Hexagram 40 in English, with a plain explanation. If you only care about how the hexagram applies to daily life, feel free to skim it and jump to the later sections.

The Judgment

Release: the southwest is favorable. If there is nowhere to go, returning brings good fortune; if there is something to do, doing it early brings good fortune.

In plain words: the southwest is the direction of Kun, which stands for level ground and a settled, steady mood. The Judgment splits the moment right after a crisis into two cases. If nothing is left to handle, go back to ordinary life. If something is still unfinished, do not delay. Rest when it is time to rest, and act when it is time to act.

The Image

Thunder and rain arise: this is Release. A noble person, seeing this, pardons faults and forgives lesser offenses.

This is the most beautiful picture in the hexagram. After thunder and lightning have built up pressure, rain falls and the air softens. Forgiveness is the rain of everyday life. People in ancient times, when they read this hexagram, were inclined to pardon minor offenders and set old grudges aside. Someone who has just come through a hard time but still clings to old resentments never really gets free.

The Six Lines

The six lines of Release describe six situations right after a stalemate has loosened, from the first easing of tension to the moment when the last problem has to be settled firmly. Read from the bottom up: Line 1 is the lowest line and Line 6 is the highest.

Line	Classical wording	Plain meaning
Line 1 (six at the start)	No fault.	Nothing to blame, nothing to worry about
Line 2 (nine in the second place)	In the field, three foxes are caught and a yellow arrow is obtained. Perseverance brings good fortune.	A hunt catches three foxes and finds a golden arrow; staying on the right path is favorable
Line 3 (six in the third place)	Carrying a load while riding in a carriage invites robbers to come. Persisting brings regret.	A porter riding in a carriage draws thieves; carrying on this way is a pity
Line 4 (nine in the fourth place)	Release your big toe; then friends arrive and trust one another.	Untie the thing that holds you back, and real friends come with sincerity
Line 5 (six in the fifth place)	The noble person is released: good fortune. There is proof of it even among petty people.	The one in charge unties the knots, which is good; even small-minded people show their true colors
Line 6 (six at the top)	The duke shoots a hawk on top of a high wall. He hits it, and nothing is unfavorable.	An authority figure shoots a hawk from a high wall and brings it down; nothing goes against him

Reading the Six Lines in Everyday Terms

The six lines of Hexagram 40 are six situations that come after a hard stretch has just ended, from resting properly to clearing away the troubles that remain. It is a hexagram of transition: the hard part is over, but things are not fully calm yet.

Line 1: Nothing to worry about. This line is surprisingly short, only two words in the original. It describes someone who has just stepped out of trouble. Things have just loosened and there is nothing left to fear. The line does not tell anyone to do anything: it does not push forward and it does not warn to retreat. It simply says to let yourself breathe. After a period of tension, being allowed some quiet is a good thing. There is no need to fill that empty space with a new task before you have to.

If you would like to cast a hexagram of your own and read the matching explanation, you can try it in HOROS.

Line 2: Catching foxes and finding a golden arrow. The three foxes in the I Ching are often read as three kinds of people with crooked motives around you: the flatterers, the gossips, and those who only want to profit. In this line, someone who has just escaped trouble gets a chance to clear those three types out of their life. After that comes the golden arrow, which stands for holding on to honesty and the middle path. The lesson is clear: after a crisis, tidy up the relationships that made you suffer too. Keeping to this measured, decent way of doing things brings good fortune.

Line 3: A porter in a grand carriage. This line has an image that is both funny and deep. A small person who normally just carries loads is suddenly sitting in the carriage of the powerful. The position does not fit the person, it shows right away, and it becomes bait for robbers. Today, think of someone who has barely gotten through a hard time and rushes to show off money, a new status, or achievements they do not yet hold firmly. Showing off at the wrong moment tends to invite trouble. Carrying on in that style is also a pity. After a crisis, it is wiser to keep a low profile.

Line 4: Releasing the big toe. The big toe is what an unsteady person grips the ground with. It is also a figure for a close friend who is heading the wrong way, a bad habit that still clings, or a bond whose time has passed but which you have not dared to cut. The line says: untie it. Only when you let go of what holds you back will a true friend arrive, and sincerity meet sincerity. The period right after a crisis is a very good time to look at where you are gripping on without need.

Line 5: The noble person is released, and that is good. This line holds the ruling place of the hexagram. Someone in a high position with responsibility must, once the moment has opened up, take the lead in untying the remaining knots. There is no room for dragging things out, and no room for a half-way relationship with someone who caused harm. In the end, small-minded people reveal for themselves who is genuine and who is not. A person who manages a team, a family or a project and casts this line often finds that it is time for a thorough cleanup.

Line 6: Shooting the hawk on the high wall. The hawk is a fierce bird, often used as a figure for an aggressive person who has retreated to a spot that is hard to reach. The duke raises the bow himself, hits the target, and brings it down. This is the final line of the hexagram and the most decisive one. When you have the power and the opening, you deal with the last source of harm. Leniency is good for small matters, but for the root of the trouble you should not go easy. Once the root is handled, nothing is left that works against you. That is when you have truly come through.

What Hexagram 40 May Say About Daily Life

Love

Casting Release in a love question often signals a relationship that has just passed a tense stage and is starting to lighten. Arguments have settled, misunderstandings have cleared, and outside pressure has eased. This is a good moment for two people to reconnect, talk honestly and forgive old things. But Line 4 adds a reminder: if someone has been entangled for a long time with a person who is heading the wrong way, this is the time to let go. A single person who casts this hexagram may have just left an old relationship and be ready for something new.

Career

In career matters, Release leans toward the period right after a stressful project, a conflict at the company, or a stretch of professional stagnation. The pressure has eased, but do not rush straight into the next thing. The advice of Line 1 is plain: give yourself a pause. At the same time, follow Line 2: tidy up your working relationships and cut back on the colleagues or partners who caused trouble. If anything was left half-finished from the earlier stage, settle it fully and do not let it drag on. The Judgment says it already: if there is work to do, do it early.

Money

For money, Release is a hexagram of debts that have just been paid, financial snags that have just been untied, or a dispute that has just found a direction. Cash flow begins to move again. This is a fitting time to clear up the books, close out loans that have gone uncollected for too long, and wrap up open contracts. Line 3 carries a warning worth remembering: showing off the moment money arrives may bring trouble. When debt has only just eased, it is even more important to stay quiet, avoid risky lending, and avoid big investments made on a whim. In this period, protecting wealth matters more than chasing it.

Health

For health, Release often hints at an illness, a long period of stress, or a physical problem that is starting to ease. Medicine begins to work, treatment is going in the right direction, and the body is recovering. But this is also the easiest time to relax too much: stopping medication the moment you feel better, going back to heavy workouts as soon as you feel strong, or staying up late again once the tiredness fades. Line 6 reminds us that the root of the problem has to be settled before you can truly feel at ease. Go back for a check after treatment, follow the doctor's advice, and keep healthy habits for a while longer. Recovering well is the harder part, more than treating.

Final Thoughts: After the Release, Tidy Up

The most interesting thing in this hexagram is the picture of rain after thunder in the Image. After built-up tension there has to be a moment when it pours out and things feel lighter. But Release is not only about resting; it is also about cleaning up: forgive those who deserve forgiveness, cut ties with those who need to be cut, and finish what is still undone. Getting out of trouble is only half the road. Untying in the right place, keeping the right people, and ending things at the right time: only when all three rhythms are in place can you say you have truly come through.