Introduction to the Symbols of the Eight Trigrams

The hexagram of "zhen" symbolizes thunder and represents the vitality of spring, when thunder awakens all living things. Its numerical value in the Earlier Heaven arrangement is four, while in the Later Heaven arrangement, it is three.

In terms of human characters, it represents the eldest son, characterized by robust physique and vigorous spirit, signifying the most flourishing period of life. In the human body, the hexagram "zhen" corresponds to the feet. Geographically, its Earlier Heaven position is in the northeast, while its Later Heaven position is in the east. In the context of the Five Elements, it represents wood. In the seasons, it corresponds to spring, and in terms of color, it is associated with green or cyan.

 

"The Xun Gua symbolizes wind, conveying the idea of penetration and permeation. Its original number is five, and its transformed number is four. In human relationships, it represents the eldest daughter, a young woman with gentle and compliant virtues. In the human body, the Xun Gua represents the legs. In geography, its original direction is southwest, and its transformed direction is southeast. In the Five Elements, it represents wood. In terms of seasons, it corresponds to the transition between spring and summer. Its color is blue."

 

"The Li Gua symbolizes fire, with two yang lines outside and one yin line inside, representing brightness and the characteristics of being firm externally and gentle internally, as well as hot externally and cold internally. Its original number is two, and its transformed number is nine. In human relationships, it represents the middle daughter, scholars, and soldiers. In the human body, the Li Gua represents the eyes, heart, and upper burner. In geography, its original direction is east, and its transformed direction is south. In the Five Elements, it represents fire. In terms of seasons, it corresponds to summer. Its colors are red and variegated."

 

"The Kun Gua symbolizes earth, representing yin, softness, stillness, and compliance with the movement of heaven. Its original number is eight, and its transformed number is two. In human relationships, it represents the mother and subjects. In the human body, the Kun Gua represents the abdomen. In geography, its original direction is north, and its transformed direction is southwest. In the Five Elements, it represents earth. In terms of seasons, it corresponds to the transition between summer and autumn. Its color is yellow."

 

"The Dui Gua represents marshes, symbolizing water and serving as a gathering place for various life forms, fostering and accommodating life with a sense of joy. Its original number is two, and its transformed number is seven. In human relationships, it represents young girls, geishas, and servants, exhibiting a character that is gentle yet firm, with a serious and decisive approach to tasks. In the human body, the Dui Gua symbolizes the mouth, tongue, lungs, phlegm, and saliva. In geography, its original direction is southeast, and its transformed direction is west. In the Five Elements, it represents metal. In terms of seasons, it corresponds to autumn. Its color is white."

 

"The Qian Gua symbolizes the constantly moving universe, serving as the prime mover of all things and radiating vitality, with connotations of health and vigor. Its original number is one, and its transformed number is two. In human relationships, it represents rulers, fathers, elders, seniors, superiors, bosses, officials, and dignitaries. In the human body, the Qian Gua symbolizes the head and bones, representing the mind, central nervous system, and intellect, serving as the master of the body and the source of spirituality. In geography, its original direction is south, and its transformed direction is northwest. In the Five Elements, Qian represents metal, the hardest substance. In terms of seasons, Qian corresponds to the intersection of autumn and winter. In terms of color, Qian is represented by deep red and golden yellow."

 

"The Kan Gua symbolizes water, representing outward gentleness and inward strength, but because water often accumulates in low-lying areas, it also represents danger. Its original number is six, and its transformed number is one. In human relationships, it represents middle-aged men and those who are poor and toiling. In the human body, the Kan Gua represents the ears. In geography, its original direction is west, and its transformed direction is north. In the Five Elements, it represents water. In terms of seasons, it corresponds to winter. Its color is blackish-purple."

 

"The Gen Gua symbolizes the mountain, representing stability and stillness. It serves as an obstacle to teach people to develop good conscience, eliminate greed, and follow the principle of moderation. Its original number is seven, and its transformed number is eight. In human relationships, it represents young men and individuals with promising futures. In the human body, the Gen Gua represents the hands. In geography, its original direction is northwest, and its transformed direction is northeast. In the Five Elements, it represents earth. In terms of seasons, it corresponds to the transition between winter and spring. Its colors include brown, coffee, and tan."

 

The Uses of the Eight Trigrams

Fu Xi created the Pre-Heaven Eight Trigrams based on the Hetu, while King Wen of Zhou created the Post-Heaven Eight Trigrams based on the Luo Shu. The Eight Trigrams, in fact, are a scientific representation of ancient people's understanding of the universe. They not only contain the laws of the universe's operation but also reflect the countless phenomena arising from the eight natural phenomena in the universe. Among them, the Pre-Heaven Eight Trigrams mainly embody the process of the generation and evolution of all things in the universe, while the Post-Heaven Eight Trigrams reflect the laws of development and evolution of all things. Therefore, if one wants to predict the overall trend of the world macroscopically, they mainly use the Pre-Heaven Eight Trigrams, while deducing personal fortune or family destiny, they should focus on the Post-Heaven Eight Trigrams. In geomancy, Feng Shui masters often comprehensively use these two kinds of trigrams to grasp the laws of changes in things based on their basic information.

The Hexagrams

Yao, or lines, are the basic units of the Eight Trigrams, divided into yin lines "  " and yang lines "  ". Yin and yang lines represent the two primal forces in the universe. In the Eight Trigrams, yin and yang lines are combined in groups of three to derive eight possible combinations, which are called the Eight Trigrams or "Jing Gua" or "San Yao Gua".

The Six-Line Hexagrams

To allow hexagrams to represent more natural phenomena, Feng Shui combines two trigrams of the Eight Trigrams in a top-and-bottom arrangement to form a compound hexagram, resulting in sixty-four hexagrams. The lower trigram is called the inner trigram or lower trigram, while the upper trigram is called the outer trigram or upper trigram. The compound hexagram has six line positions, so it is also called the Six-Line Hexagram.

When reading a hexagram, the outer trigram should be read first, followed by the inner trigram. However, the names of the hexagrams should not be read, but rather the hexagram symbols: Qian for Heaven, Kun for Earth, Zhen for Thunder, Gen for Mountain, Li for Fire, Kan for Water, Dui for Lake, and Xun for Wind.

For example, when the upper trigram is Kan and the lower trigram is Qian, it is called the 'Water over Heaven' hexagram."