Why does the text say “sitting on the eggs”? When the second line moves, the original hexagram changes into a triple Kun stacked beneath Gen. Gen represents the bird and the body, while Kun represents wrapping and covering, emptiness, yin energy, the mother, and stillness. This corresponds to the scene of the mother bird remaining still and covering the fertilized eggs, whose embryos have not yet fully developed, with her body. Hidden L2 changes into Dui and Qian. Dui represents leakage, escape, and young life; Qian represents vital energy, healthy growth, and victory or success. This indicates that the mother bird transforms her own vital energy into heat energy in order to promote the development of the eggs and the growth of the young life. At the same time, the Dui-Qian image also suggests that the mother bird’s health is impaired, since Dui means damage while Qian means health. Taken together, these images all correspond to the scene of a mother bird incubating eggs. Therefore, the text says “sitting on the eggs.”

Why does the text say “auspicious”? “Auspicious” means that a favorable change appears in the external environment for our side: a good thing that may or may not happen has in fact happened. This refers to the image in which the lower trigram of the original hexagram changes from Kan into Kun. Kan represents the harm associated with the obstacle side, while Kun represents emptiness and nonexistence. Kan changing into Kun means that the harm that might originally have arisen has disappeared. This is a favorable development for the focal player, and therefore the text says “auspicious.”

A good thing that may or may not happen, once it happens, is called “auspicious.” “Taking a wife is auspicious” means that marrying this woman will bring a good result. Why? The next phrase immediately explains the reason: because she is able to manage the household. This line describes a mother bird with a strong sense of responsibility: she broods over the eggs, sits on the nest without moving, and thereby promotes the healthy development of the next generation. From the perspective of analogy, this means that the woman taken as a wife here is like a brooding mother bird: she has a strong sense of responsibility.

In Transformed L1, Gen carries the image of a household. It is positioned at the top of the hexagram, representing the greatest scope that Gen can reach. Kun represents material resources, savings, and abundance. Gen stacked with triple Kun indicating that the household prospers, material resources are ample, and its full potential is realized.

In Hidden L2, Dui represents giving and sacrifice, while Qian means exerting great effort, the right way. This shows that the wife is willing to give and sacrifice. Dui also means guidance, and Qian represents prosperity and success, showing that the wife can guide the family toward prosperity.

Combining these two sets of hexagram images, the line statement therefore says “she can make the family prosper.”