Wisdom from the I Ching: #23 Removing

The hexagram for the month of the 9th Moon is Hexagram #23, “Removing.”

It is composed of the trigram for Mountain above and the trigram for Earth below. So this hexagram depicts five Yin lines at the bottom pushing upward, leaving only one single Yang line at the very top. It is the image of a mountain resting on the earth being weathered away, or of fruit hanging at the top of a tree while the old foliage falls to the ground. Hexagram 23 represents the necessary decay or shedding of what is no longer viable, rotten, or structurally unsound.

Hexagram 23, “Removing,” is like the collapse of illusions. It strips away superficiality, unnecessary expansion, hype, and weak structures so that only the immutable inner truth remains. “Removing” is also a signifier for non-action and preservation. It warns that when decay is happening on the surface, it's not the time to initiate aggressive new outer actions. It is the time to sit tight, let what needs to fall drop away, and protect the fundamental seed at the top.

The hexagram for the year, Hexagram 46, “Ascending” (Earth over Wind), is depicted as a tree or sprout growing slowly and persistently out of the deep earth. It is not about sudden luck or immediate overnight gains. Instead, it's about incremental upward progress achieved through sheer willpower, steady labor, and adherence to sound principles. Ascending represents vertical expansion via climbing step-by-step, gaining recognition, ascending in hierarchy, and laying down strong roots to support height. Hexagram 46 requires adaptability and much effort. Like a root winding through rocks, it requires flexibility, persistence, and clear direction.

To picture a Hexagram 23 period in a Hexagram 46 year, think of a plant growing upward. But remember that no tree can grow endlessly wide and high without branches snapping under its own weight. Hexagram 23 appearing in a 46 year acts as a necessary structural check. It strips away the weak, dead, or bloated branches that were created during the year's upward climb. It forces one to ask the question: “Out of everything you have built or attempted this year, what is actually solid and what is really just insubstantial?”

The year’s current is upward expansion, building momentum, and climbing step-by-step (Hexagram 46), while the month’s current is about removing, stripping away, and the idea of pruning (Hexagram 23). This monthly period therefore indicates a transition from quantity to quality. While the year’s Hexagram 46 focuses on more. More reach, higher climbing, continuous effort, pushing forward, the month’s Hexagram 23 focuses on the essentials: reality-testing, cutting failed sub-projects, dropping unstable alliances, and eliminating noise.

Looking at the combination of the year and month hexagrams, this month is not a destruction of the year’s progress; rather, it's the process that prevents your expansion from collapsing under its own weight. By stripping away what isn't working, what remains then becomes rock-solid. This month, expect structural correction. This can show up in projects, organizations, or markets that expanded too fast without real foundations during the 46-year momentum. They may experience a sharp “stripping away” (23). Only the substantial value survives this month.

Hexagram 23, “Removing,” advises against fighting the pruning process. If dead weight, outdated systems, or unviable ideas fall away this month, it suggests that it is best to let them go.

Trying to hold onto rotting branches ruins the growth of the whole tree. In other words, yielding outer ground to preserve intrinsic value. By stripping down to the bare minimum during this month, you preserve the foundational seed of power for the future. The shift also has moved towards consolidation, reality-checks, and hard assets. This can manifest as the focus moving away from paper value or promises and towards physical real estate, grain/energy reserves, and foundational infrastructure.

Hexagram 23 paints the picture of a mountain being slowly eroded by the weather. The eroded earth falls to the valley below, enriching the soil. Historically, this combination reflected moments where top-heavy, overblown institutions yielded resources back to foundational levels. Broadly, we may see corporate layoffs, the dismantling of unprofitable corporate divisions, supply-chain contractions, and governmental policy cleanups. Essentially, the system is forcing an elimination of extra weight so the main trunk remains stable.

Preferably, do not wait for external pressure to force cuts. Conduct an immediate audit of your commitments, expenses, energy focus, and projects. Identify your absolute essential foundation, whether that be your primary skillset, main product, essential relationships, or cash reserves. Protect that foundational seed at all costs while allowing outer non-essentials to fall away. Keep in mind that Hexagram 46 ensures that overall long-term progress is happening, but that Hexagram 23 requires a temporary pause in forward momentum.