Gua 卦
Trigrams and Hexagrams
As I started my writing about the hexagram #1, Qian 乾/Heaven, I realized that I should first share a little information about the relationship between trigrams and hexagrams. You might feel a little confused without having the necessary background knowledge of the Eight Trigrams. Why? We use the symbolism of the eight trigrams to interpret the symbolic meanings of each hexagram.
The Chinese character used for both trigram and hexagram is the same - Gua 卦. One of the classic interpretations of Gua 卦 is Gua 挂, meaning hang up, as in a trigram or hexagram looks like a picture, hung up, so that you could see it clearly. In other words, you should be able to learn the answer or master the guidance from a trigram or hexagram by looking at it - this is only possible if you truly understand its symbolic meanings.
As you know, the entire Yijing 易經 text is made of 64 hexagrams. Each hexagram was created by joining two trigrams. When the two trigrams become one hexagram, a new symbol is generated, one with richer meaning than simply the original two trigrams’ symbolic meanings put together. Having a full appreciation of each trigram will help you deepen your knowledge of each hexagram, and thus, of the entire Yijing system.
According to the Yijing science, Bagua 八卦, or the Eight Trigrams, is the model of the Universe. Everything in existence, including every part of the body, can be classified by one of the trigrams. Ancient shamans understood this connection and brought it into their divinations.[1] Trigrams are symbols made up of three lines, representing Heaven, Earth, and the Human Being. Three lines become one symbol, and this symbol now contains three secret and sacred layers of wisdom. Each trigram reflects an essential aspect of the Universe.
The Eight Trigrams are: Qian 乾 (Heaven), Dui 兌 (Marsh or Lake), Li 離 (Fire), Zhen 震 (Thunder), Xun 巽 (Wind), Kan 坎 (Water), Gen 艮 (Mountain), and Kun 坤 (Earth). The lines that make up each trigram will be either a solid line (–) or a broken line (--). The solid line is called the Yang 陽 line and the broken line is called the Yin 陰 line. In my future writings on the hexagrams, I will cite some of the symbolic meanings of the Eight Trigrams from chapter 4 of my book Seeking the Spirit of The Book of Change. [2]
Stay tuned for my next article! I will continue with my thoughts on hexagram 1, Qian 乾/Heaven soon.
[1] Wu, Zhongxian. Seeking the Spirit of The Book of Change: 8 Days to Mastering a Shamanic Yijing (I Ching) Prediction System. London: Singing Dragon. 2009: 67.
[2] ibid. 99-120