Hexagram 48, Water over Wind: The Well (Jing), is the 48th of the 64 hexagrams of the I Ching. It is made of Kan (water) above and Xun (wind, also wood) below, and it speaks about a well and the lasting, unchanging way of nourishing others.

Hexagram 48 (Jing) at a Glance

Attribute	Detail
Number	48 of 64
Name	Water over Wind: The Well (Jing)
Image	☵ over ☴ (water over wind, or water over wood)
Inner (lower) trigram	Xun ☴, wind and also wood
Outer (upper) trigram	Kan ☵, water
Element	Wood (belongs to the Zhen house)
Overall tone	Steady nourishment that does not change
Key phrase	The town may change, but the well does not
Yang lines	3 of 6
Opposite hexagram (every line flipped)	Hexagram 21, Fire over Thunder: Biting Through (Shi He)
Reversed hexagram (turned upside down)	Hexagram 47, Lake over Water: Confinement (Kun)

The Original Text and Its Meaning

This part gives the classical wording of Hexagram 48 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

The Well: one may change the town but not the well. It neither decreases nor increases. People come and go and draw from the well. If one almost reaches the water but has not yet lowered the rope, or breaks the jug, misfortune.

In plain words: a town may change hands, but the well stays where it is, with nothing lost and nothing added, and everyone who comes and goes draws from the same well. When you are nearly at the water but have not yet pulled the rope up out of the well and the jug breaks, that is unfavorable. This is one of the most vivid passages in the I Ching. The well rests quietly and does not leave because the town changes owners. But whoever draws the water has to finish the job: if you ease off with only an arm's length left, the whole effort may be spoiled.

The Image

Water over wood: the Well. In the same way, the noble person encourages the people at their work and urges them to help one another.

In plain words: water lifted up through wood is the picture of the Well. The image is very ordinary: a tree draws water up from the earth, just as a bucket draws water from a well. A good leader is not someone who sits on top and makes others serve. It is someone who knows how to encourage, to recognize effort, and to arrange things so that people help one another. A well nourishes the whole village without picking and choosing.

The Six Lines

The six lines of Jing describe six states of a well, from being abandoned to becoming a great shared well that feeds the whole village. Read from the bottom up.

Line	Classical text	Plain meaning
Line 1 (six at the beginning)	The well is muddy and cannot be drunk from; an old well has no birds.	A well full of mud cannot be drunk from, and no birds visit an old, neglected one
Line 2 (nine in the second place)	At the well-hole one shoots the little fish; the jug is broken and leaks.	Only small fish can be caught at the bottom, and the jug is cracked and leaking
Line 3 (nine in the third place)	The well is cleaned but no one drinks from it; this is the sorrow of my heart. It could be drawn from; if the king were clear-sighted, together they would receive blessing.	The well has been cleared, yet nobody uses it, and that is sad. It could be used, and a discerning ruler would let everyone share the benefit
Line 4 (six in the fourth place)	The well is lined with stone; no fault.	Lining the well wall is not wrong
Line 5 (nine in the fifth place)	In the well there is a clear, cold spring from which one drinks.	A clear, cold spring that can be drunk
Line 6 (six at the top)	One draws from the well and does not cover it; if there is sincerity, supreme good fortune.	Once the well is done, leave it uncovered; with a sincere heart, this is very favorable

Reading the Six Lines in Everyday Terms

The six lines of Hexagram 48 are six stages of a well, and also six stages of a person, an organization, or a relationship that is being looked after. At times it is neglected until it turns murky, at times it is cleaned out, and at times it becomes a shared well feeding the whole village.

Line 1: A muddy well, and no birds. This is the picture of a well forgotten for a long time: silt has settled at the bottom, the water is cloudy, it cannot be drunk, and even the birds do not stop by. Today it could be a person who has not looked after themselves for a while, a relationship that has not been nurtured, or a skill that has not been used. Without noticing, the well inside you turns cloudy. No one blames you, but no one comes either. Neglecting yourself has a price.

Line 2: Only small fish at the bottom. The well has run down so far that there is not enough water, only small fish at the bottom can be caught, and the jug used to hold it is cracked too. This describes someone in a stretch of fussing over small things, spending energy on what does not matter while resources leak away. It is not a lack of ability but a lack of knowing what the main task is. The lesson of the line: even a good source is wasted if the container is broken. Fix the jug first.

Line 3: Cleaned, yet no one drinks. This is one of the saddest lines in the I Ching. The well has been cleared and the water is clean, but nobody has come to draw from it. Talent is ready, a product is finished, an open heart is offered, but the time has not come and the person who can see its worth has not appeared. The text says "the sorrow of my heart," unusually emotional wording for the I Ching. The next phrase opens the door to hope right away: it can be drawn from, and a discerning ruler lets all receive the blessing. Wait for the right person, and good work tends to get noticed.

Line 4: Lining the well. The well's mouth has been repaired and stones laid around it to keep it steady. This is the stage of investing in the foundation. It is not something to show off, yet it is indispensable: learning more in your field, taking care of a concern properly, strengthening a bond with small daily acts, rebuilding a healthy routine. The text says no fault. It takes time and effort without visible results right away, but it is the base for every later stage.

Line 5: A clear, cold spring. This line holds the ruling position of the hexagram and its loveliest image. The well has become a good well: clear, cool, ready to drink. It is a person who has matured, with solid skills, a clean heart, and the ability to nourish themselves and others. The text adds only one plain thing: it can be drunk. At this level there is little need for advertising. Good water tends to find people to draw it. A life that reaches the clear well inside itself is already valuable.

Line 6: The well is done; leave it uncovered. This is the closing line and the finest in terms of principle. The well is finished and full of water. What should the keeper do? Not cover it. Let others come and use it. A heart of sharing is very favorable. Someone who has become capable, found a place, and built up some strength does not keep it all to themselves but opens it so others can use it too. This is the highest level of the hexagram: having nourished yourself, it is time to nourish others.

If you want to cast a hexagram and see its reading, you can try it on HOROS.

What Hexagram 48 May Say About Everyday Life

Love

Casting Jing on a love question often points to a relationship that needs regular tending, the way a well needs water drawn and silt cleared. This is not glittering romance but the love of two people building a settled place together. For someone in a relationship, it is worth asking: have I been neglecting it, and am I letting it grow cloudy from lack of attention? For someone who is single, it may help to build the well inside yourself first: be healthy, steady, and of real value. Clear water tends to draw people on its own.

Career

On career, Jing leans toward the value of staying power in one place over constant job-hopping. The well does not move when the town changes, which suggests keeping your core skills and craft steady even as your surroundings shift. It is also a fine hexagram for those whose work nourishes others: teachers, doctors, advisers, creators. Its advice: clean the well, line it so it holds, keep the water clear, and people will come. Do not push people to come while the well is still muddy. Investing in your core expertise is the most lasting investment.

Money

On money, Jing is the hexagram of steady income that comes from a core ability you can keep for a long time: a salary from your main trade, income from regular clients, rent from an asset you invested in carefully. Cash flows like these resemble well water: slow, regular, no sudden spikes, but never stopping. This is not a time for big deals. It is a time to tidy personal finances: close accounts you do not use, review recurring payments that leak, and strengthen a reserve fund. Line 2 warns about the cracked jug: a good source loses value if the container leaks.

Health

On health, Jing stresses steady nourishment over bursts of effort. Drinking enough water is the first lesson, almost the literal image of the hexagram. Eat regularly, sleep regularly, and move regularly. Think of rest and routine as drawing a little water each day: it is the habit that counts, not the occasional big effort. Slow, steady care is the key. The well inside a person only needs to be looked after, and it may then keep serving for a long time.

Closing Thought: The Well That Stays Put

What is most interesting about this hexagram is the well that stays in one place while the town changes owners again and again. Times rise and fall, people come and go, but the water is still there. A well does not need to go anywhere to prove its worth. It stays clear, stays cool, and stays available in the right place, and people find it. At some point a life may be like this too: build a well inside yourself, keep the water clear, and leave the mouth open so others can drink.