Shih / The Army

above: K'un The Receptive, Earth
below: K'an The Abysmal, Water

The third [six], divided, shows how the host may possibly have many inefficient leaders. There will be evil.

The symbolism of line 3 is very perplexing. Canon McClatchie has: - 'Third-six represents soldiers as it were lying dead in their baggage carts, and is unlucky.' To the same effect was my own translation of the paragraph, nearly 30 years ago. But the third line, divided, cannot be forced to have such an indication. The meaning I have now given is more legitimate, taken character by character, and more in harmony with the scope of the hexagram. The subject of line 2 is the one proper leader of the host. But line 3 is divided and weak, and occupies the place of a strong line, as if its subject had perversely jumped over two, and perched himself above it to take the command. This interpretation also suits better in the fifth paragraph.