Hexagram 18 · Gu (Work on What Has Been Spoiled)
Shan Feng Gu (Mountain over Wind)
Upper: Gen / Lower: Xun
Earth
Reforming Corruption
Judgment
Primordial success. It is beneficial to cross the great river. Three days before the Jia day, three days after the Jia day.
Image
Wind beneath the mountain: Gu; the noble person thus stirs the people and cultivates virtue. — Wind blows beneath the mountain, symbolizing accumulated decay giving rise to corruption; the noble person should inspire the people's hearts and cultivate virtue.
Interpretation
The Gu hexagram symbolizes long-standing corruption in need of reform. In career matters, problems should be rectified promptly and not delayed; in relationships, if cracks appear, one should take the initiative to repair them; in decision-making, one should be bold in reform, breaking the old and establishing the new, to achieve primordial success.