Hexagram 55, Thunder over Fire: Abundance (Feng), is the 55th of the 64 hexagrams of the I Ching. It is made of the Zhen trigram (thunder) above and the Li trigram (fire) below, and it speaks about a moment when things reach their fullest, and how to hold yourself when you stand at the top.

Hexagram 55 (Feng) at a Glance

Attribute	Detail
Number	55 of 64
Name	Thunder over Fire: Abundance (Feng)
Image	☳ over ☲ (thunder over fire)
Inner (lower) trigram	Li ☲, fire
Outer (upper) trigram	Zhen ☳, thunder
Element	Upper trigram Wood (Zhen), lower trigram Fire (Li)
Overall tone	Success, no need to worry, act like the sun at midday
Yang lines	3 of 6
Opposite hexagram (every line flipped)	Hexagram 59, Wind over Water: Dispersion (Huan)
Reversed hexagram (turned upside down)	Hexagram 56, Fire over Mountain: The Wanderer (Lu)

The Original Text and Its Meaning

This part gives the classical wording of Hexagram 55 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

Abundance: success. The king reaches it. Do not worry; be like the sun at midday.

In plain words: Feng means plenty, fullness and smooth passage. A ruler has arrived at a time of abundance, and he need not worry, because the right moment to act is when the sun stands at the center of the sky. The phrase "do not worry" looks simple, but it holds a quiet contrast: why remind someone not to worry when things are going well? Because people at the top are often the ones most afraid of losing it, afraid they cannot hold on. The Judgment advises: do not worry, make full use of what is in front of you. Midday is the brightest moment, and also the moment just before the sun leans west. Knowing that and still giving your all is the spirit of Feng.

The Image

Thunder and lightning arrive together: Abundance. The noble person judges cases and carries out sentences accordingly.

In plain words: thunder and lightning come as a pair, and that is the picture of Feng. The noble person takes from it a lesson in clear judgment and fair sentencing. Thunder stands for authority and lightning for brightness. When both are present, they are well used to tell right from wrong. The Image suggests that a time of abundance is a good moment to settle problems that have piled up for a long time, because you now have the resources and the credibility to do the right thing.

The Six Lines

The six lines of Feng describe six situations at the height of abundance, from smooth sailing to a gradual covering over of the light. Read from the bottom up: Line 1 is the lowest line and Line 6 is the highest.

Line	Classical wording	Plain meaning
Line 1 (nine at the start)	He meets his matching lord. Though they are equals, there is no fault; going forward earns esteem.	He meets a partner who fits him. Even if the two are evenly matched, nothing is wrong, and moving ahead is praised
Line 2 (six in the second place)	Abundance with a thick screen; at midday the Dipper is seen. Going brings suspicion and illness; if sincerity stirs others, there is good fortune.	The screen is so thick that stars show in daylight. Moving ahead invites doubt, but sincerity can turn it around. Good
Line 3 (nine in the third place)	Abundance with a heavy curtain; at midday tiny stars are seen. He breaks his right arm; no fault.	The covering is even denser, and even faint little stars appear at noon. He loses his right arm, yet there is no fault
Line 4 (nine in the fourth place)	Abundance with a thick screen; at midday the Dipper is seen. He meets his equal lord. Good fortune.	The screen is thick again and the stars show at noon. He meets a partner of equal standing. Good
Line 5 (six in the fifth place)	Brilliance comes, bringing celebration and praise. Good fortune.	Beauty and light arrive, with joy and good reputation. Good
Line 6 (six at the top)	Abundance in his house, with his home screened off. Peering through the door, it is silent and no one is there. For three years he sees no one. Misfortune.	A huge house sealed up tight. Looking in, there is no sound and no one inside, and for three years no one shows up. Unfavorable

Reading the Six Lines in Everyday Terms

The six lines of Hexagram 55 are six situations at a time of abundance: some people make good use of it, some have their view blocked, and some lose everyone around them because they have grown too big. Here is each line in everyday language.

Line 1: The right person at the right time. A person may be at the start of a favorable stretch and meet a partner or collaborator who fits well, in both ability and goals. The line says that even if the two are evenly matched, nothing is wrong, and moving ahead earns praise. This stage is ideal for starting a partnership, signing an agreement, or taking on something big together. Do not let the person standing in front of you slip by.

Line 2: Covered over at the brightest moment. You are in good times, but someone or something blocks the light. Seeing stars in broad daylight means that the truth is covered by a layer of suspicion. You may be misunderstood, gossiped about, or blocked by someone jealous. The advice of the line is: do not rush to explain, hold on to sincerity. Long-term honesty usually clears the doubt, while people who try to prove themselves with words tend to draw even more suspicion.

Line 3: Losing the right arm, but no fault. This is the heaviest line in the lower half of the hexagram. A person may lose an important assistant, a close partner, or a key resource. "Breaking the right arm" is a way of saying that you have lost what you leaned on the most. Yet the line still says "no fault," because without a helper you are forced to do things yourself. Sometimes that becomes the turning point that makes you stronger.

Line 4: Finding an equal in the dim light. Like Line 2, you are covered over. But unlike Line 2, you find someone in the same situation to join forces with. Two people are both clouded, yet recognize each other in the dark. The line says "good" because this alliance is born from understanding, not from advantage. At this stage, look for people who stand at a similar level and share your direction.

Line 5: Light arrives on its own, with good fortune. This is the most beautiful line of the whole hexagram. You do not need to show off or try to prove anything. Good results find you, and praise follows. "Brilliance comes" means that clarity appears naturally when you are worthy of it. This stage usually arrives after a long stretch of patience. People who got through the covered stages of Lines 2 and 4 may receive a fitting reward at Line 5.

Line 6: A huge house, empty, and nobody comes for three years. This is the strongest warning in Feng. A person may have grown so big, so rich or so successful that they isolate themselves. The house is large, but the door is shut, and looking in there is no one. Three years without seeing anyone means every connection has been lost. This line is for people at the top who forget that the top needs company. Wealthy but lonely, thriving but with no one to share it, is what the I Ching calls unfavorable.

If you want to cast a hexagram and read the matching explanation, you can try it on HOROS.

What Hexagram 55 Means for Love, Career, Money and Health

Love

Casting Hexagram 55 often signals that a relationship is at its brightest stage: strong feelings, lots of time together, lots of sharing, and everything seems perfect. But the hexagram reminds you that every peak has a way down. Do not ignore small signals just because things are happy. People who treasure the good times, say thank you before it is needed and listen before an argument starts, often keep the relationship going longer than its brightest moment.

Career

In career matters, Hexagram 55 leans toward the fullest period: a project is rising, the team is complete, and results beat expectations. This is a time to act big, to clear problems that have been sitting around, and to expand if the base is solid. But the Judgment says "be like the sun at midday," meaning you should know that this is both the brightest moment and the moment just before it leans west. Make use of it, but do not squander it. Nobody's peak lasts forever.

Money

For money, Hexagram 55 shows income at a high point and cash flow that is plentiful. It is a good time to harvest, take profits, or reallocate assets. On the other hand, it is not the time to keep pouring more money into something that has already peaked. Line 6 is clear about this: a huge house that is empty. It means that having a lot of money but not knowing how to use it well may end up costing you both the money and the people. In good times, money is best used to share, to protect, and to prepare for the downswing.

Health

For health, Hexagram 55 suggests high energy that is easy to overload. The image of thunder and fire arriving together shows a body running at high intensity: many tasks, many appointments, little rest. The risk is that you feel fine, so you do not rest, and when you finally crash, it happens fast. The priority now is planned rest: cut back on late nights out, sleep on time, eat proper meals, and keep at least one day a week free of everything. Even a peak in health needs maintenance.

Final Thoughts: At the Peak, Learn to Keep What You Have

The spirit of this hexagram can be boiled down to the three words in the Judgment: be like the sun at midday. It does not mean fearing the peak. It means knowing that the peak has a limit. Feng does not tell you to withdraw. It encourages you to give your all right now, because later it will not be as bright as this. People who make good use of the bright hours do not need to fear the dark.