Hexagram 23: Splitting Apart
䷖ 剝 Bō – The Book of Changes
The Judgment
Splitting Apart indicates that, in the state which it symbolizes, it will not be advantageous to make a movement in any direction whatever.
The Image
A mountain adhering to the earth: the image of Splitting Apart. Thus superiors seek to strengthen those below them, to secure the peace and stability of their own position.
Description
Splitting Apart (Bo) shows a house whose supports are being worn away from below until only the roof beam remains. Decline is underway, and inferior forces are advancing. This is no time for bold action; strengthen the foundation, be generous to those below you, and let what must fall, fall.
The six lines
A line's place shapes its role: 1 the beginning, 2 the center of the inner world, 3 the threshold to the outside, 4 close to power, 5 the ruler's place, 6 the end and the excess. Keep this grid in mind and the line texts become much easier to read. More in the guide →
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Line 1: Old Yin (bottom)
The mountain crumbles. Danger — erosion begins within; face the fracture.
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Line 2: Old Yin
Splitting in silence. Danger — decay hidden from view grows stronger; speak the truth.
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Line 3: Old Yin
Splitting with awareness. Favorable — knowing what must fall brings peace; release the old.
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Line 4: Old Yin
Splitting with resistance. Danger — clinging to ruins delays rebirth; let go.
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Line 5: Old Yin
Splitting with grace. Favorable — endings can be beautiful; honor the cycle.
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Line 6: Old Yang (top)
Splitting complete. Favorable — the ground is cleared; new foundations await.
Reading by area of life
❤️ What does hexagram 23 mean for relationships and private life?
Erosion is underway, slow or sudden: trust, closeness, a shared way of life. Dramatic moves won't stop it now and may speed it up. Protect what is still sound. Be kind, keep your word in small things, and don't feed gossip or intrigue. If a relationship is ending, let it end with dignity. Foundations matter more than gestures.
💼 What does hexagram 23 mean for work and money?
Decline sets in: shrinking budgets, internal politics, unreliable partners. Avoid new ventures and big risks. Cut nonessentials, secure cash flow, and look after the people who actually keep things running. Don't fight every battle; some structures are meant to collapse. Keep your integrity intact and your expenses low, and you will be ready to rebuild when the cycle turns.
🌌 What does hexagram 23 mean for your personal path and spirituality?
Old supports are falling away: certainties, identities, routines that once held you. It hurts, and it clears ground. Resist the urge to cling or to act out of panic. Return to basics: sleep, breath, simple honest practice. What remains when everything else is stripped away is the seed of what comes next. Endings, accepted calmly, prepare the return.
Nuclear hexagram
Lines 2, 3 and 4 form the lower trigram, lines 3, 4 and 5 the upper one. Leaving out the beginning and the end reveals the core of the situation, what is at work out of sight. It is a secondary aspect, not a second verdict. If it seems to contradict the main hexagram, that happens and is not an error. More in the guide →
Lines 2, 3, 4 and 3, 4, 5 form nuclear hexagram 2, The Receptive. It shows what is at work beneath the surface – an inner tendency, not a verdict on the situation itself.
Hexagram 2 – The Receptive
The Receptive is great and originating, penetrating, advantageous, correct and having the firmness of a mare. When the superior man has to make any movement, if he takes the initiative he will go astray; if he follows, he will find his proper lord. The advantage will be seen in his getting friends in the southwest and losing friends in the northeast. If he rests in correctness and firmness, there will be good fortune.
The two trigrams
- Upper, outer: Gen – Mountain
- Keeping Still (Youngest Son). Within, it means gathering, boundaries and stillness; without, stability, reflection and the completion of a cycle.
- Lower, inner: Kun – Earth
- The Receptive (Mother). Within, it appears as devotion, patience and support; without, as a nourishing space where forms and ideas take shape.