Retreat
The Timely Withdrawal
Heaven withdrawing above the mountain: the figure for retreat made in good order before a rising dark force.
Retreat sets Qian, heaven, above Gen, the mountain. The mountain rises as far as its nature allows and heaven draws back above it, always further out of reach. The two broken lines at the base are the dark force beginning its advance, and the four whole lines above give ground in order rather than waiting to be broken. The tradition reads this as withdrawal at the right moment, a strength that conserves itself by stepping back rather than a defeat; in the received cycle of waxing and waning hexagrams it stands where yin has begun to displace yang. The Image has the superior man keep the inferior man at a distance, not in anger but with reserve.
Light
Signifies knowing when to withdraw, strength conserved rather than spent, dignity in giving ground, and distance kept without hostility. Retreat taken in time turns a losing position into an ordered one.
Shadow
Can indicate flight rather than withdrawal, a retreat begun too late or carried too far, avoidance mistaken for prudence, or reserve that hardens into contempt for what has been left behind.
