元亨

The phrase denotes a process where a primary impulse or source unfolds without obstruction.

• 元 (yuán): Primacy, an archetypal source, or potentiality.
• 亨 (hēng): Smoothness and successful passage. In ritual contexts, this specifically refers to an offering being "accepted" by the divine.

• Directionality: The phrase moves from the abstract/potential (元) to the manifest/actualized (亨).
• Function: Often serves as a compound descriptor; it may function as a predicate or as an attributive modifier for a state of affairs.

• Qualitative Primacy: 元 is treated here as a qualitative origin (the seed or source) rather than a numerical sequence ("first").
• Passage vs. Fortune: 亨 refers to the quality of flow and passage; it should be distinguished from mere "luck" or "wealth."

Depending on syntax, consider three primary functions:

1. As a process: "To originate and flourish" or "the successful unfolding of the source."

2. As a state/quality: "Primal success" or "fundamentally unobstructed."

3. As a formulaic summary: A descriptor for a condition aligned with natural or divine order.

In cosmological or divinatory contexts, this phrase typically refers to the initial phase of a cycle (cf. the sequence 元、亨、利、貞).