Six casts to form a hexagram

Purpose

Obtain a readable original hexagram (and the resulting hexagram born from moving lines), then enter shi/ying, six relatives, and related practice. Hexagram and line statements are read in Zhou Yi chapters; this page only defines the casting process.

Premises

• One matter, one cast: do not keep casting the same matter until you like the result.
• Write the question clearly before casting.
• Random source: coins, dice, electronic equivalents, and so on are fine, but the rule must be fixed (e.g. three-coin definitions of old yang and old yin).

Steps

1. Record six draws from bottom to top

First → second → third → fourth → fifth → top. Each draw is one of lesser yang, lesser yin, old yang, or old yin.

2. Draw the original hexagram

Lesser yang and old yang are yang lines; lesser yin and old yin are yin lines. Six lines form a double hexagram; look it up in the Sixty-four hexagrams index and open the matching chapter (e.g. Qian → Qian).

3. Mark moving lines

Old yang and old yin move. See Moving line; match each moving line’s statement under that hexagram.

4. Derive the resulting hexagram

Every moving line flips yin/yang, yielding the resulting hexagram. No movers → no resulting hexagram. Relations: Original, resulting, and changing lines.

5. Place shi/ying and six relatives

By palace and charting convention, place shi/ying, six relatives, and six spirits (if used). See Shi and Ying, Six relatives.

6. Entry points for reading

1. Whether the useful spirit’s relative appears, its strength, and motion
2. Shi/ying relations
3. Moving lines and what they change into
4. Compare original, resulting, and moving-line hexagram/line statements

Boundaries

• Several lines moving together: synthesize by the school’s multi-mover rules; do not take only one mover.
• Still hexagram: emphasize original structure and the useful spirit with day/month (if used).
• Repeat casts that break “one matter, one cast” must not be mixed with the first result.