Interpreting the Hexagrams
The Four Lines (A Brief Review)
When we toss the three coins, they land in combinations of heads and tails. When the numeric significance is considered, we have four possibilities: Old Yin (6), Young Yang (7), Young Yin (8), and Old Yang (9). Each is a separate line. The Old lines (Old Yin, 6, and Old Yang, 9) "move" to their respective opposite. The six lines we cast are written from the bottom-up. (The first line we create is drawn first, then the second line is drawn on top of the first, and so on.)
We have our first (lower) trigram after three lines are complete. The second set of three lines (lines four through six) compose the second (upper) trigram. These two trigrams are the key to our Oracle reading. They each have a personality and function on their own, and when combined together, form a powerful and very accurate hexagram.
Line 6  Line 5  Line 4  |
The second (upper) trigram |
| Line 3 Line 2  Line 1 |
The first (lower) trigram |
The Eight Trigrams
For the trigrams, which are the building blocks of all hexagrams, we'll look at the stable, "final" lines, those being Young Yang (7) and Young Yin (8). The eight possible trigrams are:
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Ch'ien -- The Creative -- Heaven -- Firm, aggressive, masculine; the eldest male, the Father. Other imagery: Sunlight, daytime; just before mid-winter; strong, deep red, azure blue; the dragon; a time for being strong; all Libra, and beginning of Scorpio; fruit and fruit trees; firm, straight, and strong; the cutting edge of metal. |
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K'un -- The Receptive -- Earth -- Yielding, passive, feminine; the eldest female, the Mother. Other imagery: Cloudy and overcast, warm, night-time; early autumn; yellow; mare, cow, cow with calf; All Cancer, and beginning of Leo; brings things to completion; economy, frugality; soil that is black; level, flat, square; something spread out |
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Chen -- The Arousing -- Thunder -- The masculine entering from below, moving the passive/receptive with interest and arousal; the First (Oldest) Son. |
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K'an -- The Abysmal -- Water -- The masculine in the middle of the feminine, representing transition in the center of the passive/receptive which indicates difficulty or danger; the Second (Middle) Son. |
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Ken -- The Keeping Still -- Mountain -- The masculine resting upon the passive and receptive, producing stillness and resting; the Third (Youngest) Son. |
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Sun -- The Gentle -- Wind -- The feminine entering the Creative from below, the transition of gentleness into the masculine; the First (Oldest) Daughter. |
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Li -- The Clinging -- Fire -- The feminine in the middle of the Creative, and at the center of the unyielding, indicates flexibility; the Second (Middle) Daughter. |
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Tui -- The Joyous -- Lake -- The feminine resting at the top of the Creative, resting upon strength to produce tranquility and happiness; the Third (Youngest) Daughter. |
As shown above, the trigrams have significance in different contexts (family, nature, elements, etc.). The power of the resulting hexagram stems from the interaction of these significant meanings.
The interaction of the two trigrams is of significance. When certain trigrams are "above" or "below" other trigrams, particular situations and issues are clearly visible. Perhaps we have the Earth above the Sky. This might represent being burdened, sheltered, covered, repressed, or secured.
When shifting from the two trigrams to the whole hexagram itself, additional aspects can be evaluated and contemplated.
The placement of each line within the hexagram in general is of importance. For instance, the odd-numbered places (the first, third, and fifth lines) are masculine places, thus when a yang line is in an odd-numbered position, it is in a natural, thus strong, place. Likewise, when a yin line is in an even-numbered place (the second, fourth, and sixth lines) it is equally "at home."
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