Hexora · Hexagrams · #14

14. Possession in Great Measure

大有

Upper: Fire  ·  Lower: Heaven  ·  Pinyin: dà yǒu

Judgment

Possession in Great Measure — supreme success. What is great has been achieved, but remain humble and resist arrogance.

Image

Fire in heaven above — the superior person suppresses evil and exalts the good, following the will of heaven.

Changing Lines

Line 1

No connection with harmful things — no blame. Stay aware of difficulty and remain blameless.

Line 2

A great wagon loaded — one can undertake something. Carry your responsibilities without fear.

Line 3

A prince makes an offering to heaven — good fortune through sincerity and gratitude.

Line 4

The neighbor refrains — pressing one's advantage without arrogance distinguishes the wise.

Line 5

Sincerity that binds — awe-inspiring good fortune through truth shared with others.

Line 6

Blessed by heaven — all things are favorable. Nothing that does not benefit.

Reading Possession in Great Measure today

When Possession in Great Measure (大有) appears in a modern casting, it's rarely about ancient kings or dragons in any literal sense. The hexagram speaks in metaphor about a shape your situation is taking right now. The lower creative heaven sits beneath the upper clinging fire, pairing tireless force, initiative, the will to begin with clarity, attachment to what shines, perception. Read this as the inside meeting the outside: how you carry yourself underneath versus how the situation arrives on top.

The hexagram's recurring themes — abundance, great_possession, wealth — usually surface in real life around decisions where the question is less "what should I do" and more "what does this moment actually want from me." Read the Legge judgment above slowly, then sit with the changing lines if any showed up in your cast: the lines are where the hexagram's advice becomes specific to your question, not the situation in general.

Questions Possession in Great Measure answers well

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