Hexagram 13: Fellowship
By Wendy Zhang, Founder of Solacely · Updated
同人 · Tóng Rén
Fellowship with others out in the open. Success. It is favorable to cross the great river. The noble person’s persistence is favorable.
The judgment
同人于野，亨。利涉大川，利君子貞。
Fellowship with others out in the open. Success. It is favorable to cross the great river. The noble person’s persistence is favorable.
The image
天與火，同人；君子以類族辨物。
Heaven together with fire: fellowship. The noble person groups people by kind and makes clear distinctions among things.
Fire burns beneath Heaven, and both rise upward toward the same place. It pictures people united by a shared light: clarity inside, broad strength outside, joined in a common direction.
What Fellowship means
Tong Ren is fellowship on a wide scale: people united not by private interest but by a shared purpose that is open to all. The judgment places this union in the open country, far from closed circles, and says that such fellowship can take on great challenges. The single yielding line in the second place, central and correct, answers the strong ruler in line five, picturing loyalty that crosses distance and resistance. The Image adds a subtle point: real community is not vague sameness. The wise person recognizes differences and organizes them well, so each kind of person finds a proper place. For you, this hexagram suggests that alliances, teams and friendships built on honest common ground are favored now. Widen your circle. Avoid cliques, hidden agendas, and suspicion that keeps you from joining with people who could help.
In love and relationships
Shared values and friendship are a strong foundation now. If single, you may meet someone through a group, cause or community. In a relationship, doing things together, with friends and family included, strengthens the bond. Be open rather than possessive, and let differences enrich rather than divide you.
At work
Teamwork and broad collaboration are favored. Bring people together around a clear, worthwhile goal and keep communication transparent. Avoid office factions or favoritism. Partnerships across departments or with outside groups can help you accomplish something ambitious. Inviting outsiders in may bring exactly the skill you lack.
The six lines
Read a line when it is a changing line in your cast (a 6 or a 9).
同人于門，無咎。
Fellowship at the gate. No blame.
At the very beginning, fellowship happens at the threshold, open to anyone who passes by. You have no hidden ties or private agendas yet, so relationships start on equal footing. Reach out freely and without bias. This openness keeps you free of blame and lays the groundwork for a broader, healthier circle.
同人于宗，吝。
Fellowship within the clan. Regret.
This line has a natural partner in line five, yet the risk is closing ranks around a narrow group. If you keep company only with those who are already like you, or favor insiders, you will regret it. Broaden your loyalties. Real fellowship is not tribal; it extends trust beyond familiar faces.
伏戎于莽，升其高陵，三歲不興。
Troops hidden in the thicket. He climbs a high hill to watch. For three years he does not rise up.
This strong line, in a strong place but without a partner, distrusts others and plots in secret. Suspicion and hidden motives keep you stuck. If you are waiting for someone to make the first move while preparing to attack, nothing will happen. Drop the defenses and look for honest connection instead.
乘其庸，弗克攻，吉。
He climbs onto his wall, but does not attack. Good fortune.
You reach a position where you could fight for what you want, then you see that attacking is wrong or futile. Choosing restraint is wise. Stepping back from conflict, even when you have the advantage, brings good fortune. The willingness to reconsider is a sign of maturity.
同人，先號啕而後笑。大師克相遇。
In fellowship, first weeping and wailing, then laughter. After great battles, they find each other.
This ruling line truly belongs with line two, but obstacles separate them. Real union may require struggle, delay and sorrow. Stay committed. After the difficulty is overcome, the reunion is all the sweeter. Persistent sincerity wins through resistance and brings the joy of true connection.
同人于郊，無悔。
Fellowship in the meadows outside the town. No regret.
At the edge of the hexagram, connection is distant and not deeply intimate. You may be on the outskirts of a group or not fully involved. That is no cause for regret. It is acceptable to stand a little apart, offering what you can without needing to be at the center.
Advice
Join with others openly around a shared goal, and include people beyond your usual circle. Value differences while building common ground.
A question to reflect on
Who could I join forces with if I looked beyond my usual circle?