R is for Return

“The ABC’s of the Tao of Forex” series

复 — "Return, the Turning Point"

The winter solstice. The darkest day. The light begins its return.

复 (Fù) is the name of Hexagram 24 of the I Ching, "Return" or "The Turning Point." The hexagram depicts a single Yang line at the bottom, with five Yin lines above it. The Yang light, which had been completely driven out during the depths of winter (Hexagram 23, "Splitting Apart"), has returned. It is the winter solstice—the darkest moment of the year, in which the first pulse of returning light is felt.

The Judgment says: "Return. Success. Going out and coming in without error. Friends come without blame. The way of heaven is cyclic. After a time of decay comes the turning point."

The Taoist Principle

Return is one of the deepest principles of the Tao. All things that go out must return. All things that rise must fall and rise again. The Tao itself is described in Chapter 40 of the Taodejing as "returning"—the movement of the Tao is reversal.

This is not a punishment. It is the fundamental rhythm of existence. Exhalation returns to inhalation. Summer returns to winter returns to summer. The wave returns to the ocean. The market's expansion returns to contraction, and contraction returns to expansion.

The Trading Application

Return is the principle behind every trend reversal, every mean reversion, every cycle bottom and top. The trader who understands Return does not panic at the bottom and does not get euphoric at the top. They know that the Tao is always returning.

Practically, Return teaches:

- After a strong trend, expect a reversion. Not immediately, not predictably, but inevitably. The further the market stretches in one direction, the more powerful the returning force becomes.

- At major turning points, look for the single Yang line. In the I Ching, Return is one Yang line at the bottom. In the market, this is the first sign of buying after a relentless sell-off—a hammer candle, a bullish divergence, a failed breakdown. The crowd is still in winter. The Taoist trader sees the first light.

- After a personal drawdown, know that your Return is coming. 否极泰来 (Pǐ jí tài lái). The Return hexagram is the promise that no winter is permanent.

The Daily Practice

Study a historical major market bottom—the 2009 financial crisis low, the 2020 COVID crash low, a major currency pair reversal. Identify the "Return" moment: the single candle, the subtle shift, the first Yang line that preceded the massive rally. Meditate on the fact that, at that moment, the crowd was in maximum despair. The Return had already begun, but almost no one could see it.

Now, ask yourself: Where in my own life or trading is the Return already quietly beginning, even if I cannot fully see it yet?

Closing Mantra

‍ ‍"The Tao always returns. I watch for the first light in the darkness."

This is one letter of the ABCs of The Tao of Forex—a 26-part journey through the ancient principles that transform trading from a struggle into a practice. Each letter stands alone, but together they form a complete path: from Alignment to Zenith.

If this resonated with you, save it. Sit with it. Let it find its way into your next session, your next trade, your next moment of stillness before the charts. The Dao does not rush, and neither should you.

Ready for the next letter?

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