Glossary

BaZi & Chinese Metaphysics Glossary 术语词典

255 terms — every label this site can put in front of you, defined. Chinese characters are kept alongside the English because the characters are the terms; translating them away loses the thing being named.

Where a term has a classical source we could verify character by character against a local edition, the passage is quoted underneath it. Where we could not, the entry simply has no citation — we would rather leave it blank than attach a passage that merely happens to contain the word.

Core Concepts
The Ten Heavenly Stems
The Twelve Earthly Branches
The Ten Gods
The Five Elements
Sound Elements (Na Yin)
Zi Wei Dou Shu — the Twelve Palaces
Zi Wei Dou Shu — the Fourteen Major Stars
Compatibility Terms
Reading Notes (Compatibility)
Liu Yao — Eight Trigrams and the Six Relatives
Other Reading Dimensions
The Sixty-Four Hexagrams

Core Concepts · 20

The vocabulary a BaZi reading is actually built from.

四柱Four Pillars (si zhu): The four stem-and-branch pairs for the year, month, day and hour of birth — eight characters in all, which is why the system is called BaZi, "eight characters." Each pillar is one Heavenly Stem sitting on one Earthly Branch.

日主Day Master (ri zhu): The Heavenly Stem of the day pillar — the character that stands for the person. Everything else in the chart is read as a relationship to it: what feeds it, what drains it, what it controls and what controls it.

天干Heavenly Stems (tian gan): The cycle of ten characters — 甲乙丙丁戊己庚辛壬癸 — pairing the five elements with yang and yin. Stems sit above the branches and are treated as the visible, outward layer of a chart.

地支Earthly Branches (di zhi): The cycle of twelve characters — 子丑寅卯辰巳午未申酉戌亥 — familiar as the twelve zodiac animals. Branches carry hidden stems inside them, which is why they are read as the deeper, more structural layer.

藏干Hidden Stems (cang gan): The stems concealed inside each Earthly Branch. A branch is rarely one pure element: 申 holds 庚 metal, 壬 water and 戊 earth. Hidden stems are how a chart carries influences that are not visible on the surface.

通根Rooting (tong gen): A stem is "rooted" when a branch below holds a hidden stem of the same element, or one that produces it. Rooting is what separates a stem that merely appears in a chart from one that has real standing in it.

旺衰Strength of the Day Master (wang shuai): Whether the Day Master is well supported or under-supported in its chart. The classical method weighs three things: 得令 whether the month supports it, 得地 whether it has roots in the branches, and 得势 whether the other stems help it. Two of the three counts as strong. It is a structural reading, not a verdict about a person.

得令Commanding the Month (de ling): The first of the three strength criteria: whether the dominant hidden stem of the month branch supports the Day Master. The month is weighted most heavily because it sets the season the whole chart is born into.

得地Holding Ground (de di): The second criterion: whether the Day Master has a real root anywhere in the four branches — either a branch whose dominant hidden stem supports it, or a storehouse branch holding its element.

得势Holding Force (de shi): The third criterion: whether the other three Heavenly Stems support the Day Master, either as companions of the same element or as resource that produces it.

用神Useful God (yong shen): The element a chart most needs in order to come into balance. If the Day Master is over-supported the useful element drains or restrains it; if under-supported, the useful element feeds it. Special structures follow different rules — a chart that has surrendered to a dominant force wants more of that force, not resistance to it.

喜忌Favourable and Unfavourable Elements (xi ji): The elements that help a given chart and those that aggravate it. These follow from the strength reading, and they are what turns a static chart into advice about timing, direction and choice.

大运Luck Pillars (da yun): Ten-year periods, each its own stem-and-branch pair, that the chart passes through over a lifetime. A luck pillar is read as favourable or not by whether it brings the elements the chart wants.

流年Annual Pillars (liu nian): The stem and branch of a given calendar year, read against the natal chart and the current luck pillar. The finer-grained layer of timing.

长生十二宫The Twelve Life Stages (chang sheng): A twelve-stage cycle — growth, bathing, capping, officialdom, peak, decline, illness, death, storehouse, severance, gestation, nurture — describing where a stem stands in any given branch. Yang and yin stems run the cycle in opposite directions, which is why the same branch can mean growth for one water stem and death for the other.

纳音Sound Element (na yin): A separate layer that assigns one of thirty poetic images — Gold in the Sea, Fire in the Furnace, Water in the Ravine — to each *pair* of pillars in the sixty-year cycle. It ignores stem-and-branch logic entirely and is read on its own terms.

神煞Symbolic Stars (shen sha): Named markers derived from fixed relationships between pillars — Peach Blossom, Solitary Star, Post Horse and others. They are traditionally read as colouring rather than as structure, and the better classical sources treat them with caution.

十神The Ten Gods (shi shen): The ten relationships another stem can have to the Day Master — same element, resource, output, wealth, authority — each split into a matching and a non-matching polarity. The Ten Gods are how a chart is turned from elements into subject matter: career, money, family, expression.

五行The Five Elements (wu xing): Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water — the five phases. Each produces the next in a generating cycle and restrains another in a controlling cycle, and almost everything in this system reduces to those two relationships.

真太阳时True Solar Time: Clock time corrected for longitude, so that noon means the sun actually overhead. Because the hour pillar changes every two hours, this correction can move a chart into a different hour pillar entirely — which is why a birth place matters, not just a time.

The Ten Heavenly Stems · 10

Five elements × two polarities. The Day Master is always one of these ten.

甲Jia — yang Wood: The beam and the ridgepole: structural timber, built to bear load. Needs fire as an outlet and metal to shape it.

乙Yi — yin Wood: The standing tree and the wind: living wood, relational rather than solitary. Wants moist earth to root in and living water to feed it.

丙Bing — yang Fire: The sun, and in its other register the forge. Built to reach and to warm a hostile world; undone by over-supply of its own fuel.

丁Ding — yin Fire: The star and the lamp: smaller aperture, but the fire that works after dark. Runs on fuel rather than force, and favours night and autumn.

戊Wu — yang Earth: The mountain and the dyke: earth that holds and retains. Solid, slow to move, and the element that dams water.

己Ji — yin Earth: Cultivated soil, the field: earth that nourishes rather than blocks. Yielding, fertile, the ground plants actually grow in.

庚Geng — yang Metal: The axe and the raw ore: unrefined metal, decisive and blunt. Made useful by fire.

辛Xin — yin Metal: The ornament and the blade already finished: refined metal, precise and particular. Washed clean by water rather than forged by fire.

壬Ren — yang Water: The river running to the sea: moving water, circulating without stagnating.

癸Gui — yin Water: Rain and dew: the weakest water in the system, and the one that reaches everywhere.

The Twelve Earthly Branches · 12

The twelve branches, their elements, and the seasons they belong to.

子Zi — Rat: Water. Midnight, due north, the depth of winter.

丑Chou — Ox: Earth, and the storehouse of Metal. Late winter.

寅Yin — Tiger: Wood. Early spring; where Fire begins its growth.

卯Mao — Rabbit: Wood at its peak. Mid-spring, due east.

辰Chen — Dragon: Earth, and the storehouse of Water. Late spring.

巳Si — Snake: Fire. Early summer; where Metal begins its growth.

午Wu — Horse: Fire at its peak. Midday, due south, midsummer.

未Wei — Goat: Earth, and the storehouse of Wood. Late summer.

申Shen — Monkey: Metal. Early autumn; where Water begins its growth.

酉You — Rooster: Metal at its peak. Mid-autumn, due west.

戌Xu — Dog: Earth, and the storehouse of Fire. Late autumn.

亥Hai — Pig: Water. Early winter; where Wood begins its growth.

The Ten Gods · 10

How another stem relates to the Day Master — the layer that turns elements into subject matter.

比肩Parallel (bi jian): Parallel strengthens the self: independent and upright, loyal to friends, though prone to rivalry.

劫财Rob Wealth (jie cai): Rob Wealth drains the self: decisive and bold, good with partners, but guard against loss.

食神Eating God (shi shen): Eating God expresses talent: comfortable, even-tempered, with enough to live well.

伤官Hurting Officer (shang guan): Hurting Officer displays talent: clever and unbound, inventive, but apt to offend authority.

偏财Indirect Wealth (pian cai): Indirect Wealth spreads wide: generous and adaptable, good at trade; money comes and goes.

正财Direct Wealth (zheng cai): Direct Wealth is steady: thrifty, grounded, wealth accumulated reliably.

七杀 / 偏官Seven Killings (qi sha): Seven Killings commands: forceful and decisive, able to carry weight — best when tempered.

正官Direct Officer (zheng guan): Direct Officer is upright: self-possessed, rule-abiding, status within reach.

偏印 / 枭神Indirect Resource (pian yin): Indirect Resource turns inward: unconventional, deep-thinking — best focused on one craft.

正印Direct Resource (zheng yin): Direct Resource shelters: learned and kind, protected by mentors, few real dangers.

The Five Elements · 5

The five phases, and how a chart reads each one when it runs thin, sits balanced, or runs heavy.

金Metal (金): Thin: Metal runs thin — decisiveness comes hard. Think twice before you commit, but do not let indecision become the problem itself. · Balanced: Metal sits in balance — you can bend or hold as the moment asks. Advance and retreat both come easily; keep to what is right. · Heavy: Metal runs sharp — you decide fast and cut clean. Ride that while it lasts, but steel that is too hard snaps.

木Wood (木): Thin: Wood runs short — vitality is sluggish. Build reserves and move by degrees; this is not the season to push to the front. · Balanced: Wood is well tempered — supple and resilient. Progress step by step and what you plan will take shape. · Heavy: Wood runs strong — growth is everywhere in you. This is the time to open new ground and press ahead.

水Water (水): Thin: Water runs dry — instinct is not flowing freely. Settle the mind, seek steadiness before speed. · Balanced: Water runs smooth — thinking is clear. You meet things unhurried and adapt to whatever shape they take. · Heavy: Water runs full — quick-witted and resourceful, good at strategy and change. Only guard against thinking a thing to death.

火Fire (火): Thin: Fire is faint — warmth and drive are dimmed. Lift your spirits; do not let hesitation settle in. · Balanced: Fire is gently warm — clear-eyed and clear-headed. Deal honestly with people and most doors open. · Heavy: Fire blazes — enthusiasm like a torch, and people see it. Only guard against haste burning through goodwill.

土Earth (土): Thin: Earth is loose — the foundation floats. Accumulate patiently; do not reach past what you have built. · Balanced: Earth is centred — feet on the ground, sense of proportion intact. Steady footing brings steady gains. · Heavy: Earth runs heavy — the base is solid and you carry weight well. Hold what you have and plan long.

Sound Elements (Na Yin) · 31

Thirty images spread across the sixty-year cycle, two pillars to each.

剑锋金Sword-Edge Metal

城头土City-Wall Earth

壁上土Wall Earth

大林木Great Forest Wood

大海水Great Ocean Water

大溪水Great Stream Water

大驿土Post-Road Earth

天上火Fire in the Sky

天河水Water of the Milky Way

屋上土Rooftop Earth

山下火Fire at the Foot of the Hill

山头火Hilltop Fire

平地木Level-Ground Wood

杨柳木Willow Wood

松柏木Pine and Cypress Wood

桑柘木Mulberry Wood

沙中土Earth in the Sand

沙中金Gold in the Sand

泉中水Spring Water

海中金Gold in the Sea

涧下水Stream-Bed Water

炉中火Fire in the Furnace

白蜡金White Wax Metal

石榴木Pomegranate Wood

砂石金Sand and Stone Metal

覆灯火Lamp Flame

路旁土Roadside Earth

金箔金Gold Leaf

钗钏金Hairpin Gold

长流水Ever-Flowing Water

霹雳火Thunderbolt Fire

Zi Wei Dou Shu — the Twelve Palaces · 12

The twelve life domains a Zi Wei chart is divided into.

命宫Life Palace: The Life Palace (ming gong) governs the whole chart — temperament, talent, and the shape of a life taken as a whole. Every other palace is read against it. What sits here tells you the raw endowment and the height of the ambition.

兄弟Siblings Palace: The Siblings Palace (xiong di) covers brothers and sisters — how many, how close — and by extension peers, colleagues and collaborators. It is also read for the mother and for subordinates.

夫妻Spouse Palace: The Spouse Palace (fu qi) governs marriage and partnership, the texture of affection, and harmony at home. Its stars indicate the partner's temperament, whether the union comes early or late, and how well the two sit together.

子女Children Palace: The Children Palace (zi nu) covers offspring and one's bond with the younger, and with them creativity, talent and attraction. It is also read for business partnerships.

财帛Wealth Palace: The Wealth Palace (cai bo) governs income over a lifetime — how money is earned, gained and lost. Its stars show whether the source runs thick or thin, whether wealth gathers or scatters, and how it is best handled.

疾厄Health Palace: The Health Palace (ji e) governs the body, illness and constitution. It also carries what is hidden in the temperament and where the inherited endowment runs short.

迁移Travel Palace: The Travel Palace (qian yi) governs movement, journeys and life away from home, together with social encounter. Its stars show how you fare abroad, whom you meet, and what movement brings.

仆役Friends Palace: The Friends Palace (pu yi, also 'Companions') governs friends and subordinates — who helps and who hinders, and how wide the circle runs. Its stars show whether you gain from people or are worn down by them.

官禄Career Palace: The Career Palace (guan lu) governs work, standing and achievement, and the direction a career takes. It sits opposite the Life Palace, and its stars show the scale of what gets built.

田宅Property Palace: The Property Palace (tian zhai) governs real estate, the family home and inherited property, and with them the storehouse of wealth and the rise or decline of the household.

福德Fortune Palace: The Fortune Palace (fu de) governs inner ease — enjoyment, interests, and peace of mind. Its stars show where the worry and the pleasure of a life sit, and whether the later years are settled.

父母Parents Palace: The Parents Palace (fu mu) governs the bond with parents, the shelter of elders, and inherited constitution. It is also read for relations with authority and for what protection the early years afforded.

Zi Wei Dou Shu — the Fourteen Major Stars · 14

The principal stars, and what each is read for.

紫微Zi Wei: The Emperor Star (Zi Wei). Rank, leadership, gravity. Strong when surrounded by supporting stars; a ruler without ministers only works harder.

天机Tian Ji: The Star of Intellect (Tian Ji). Adaptability, strategy, careful thought — restless and prone to overthinking. Best used in motion.

太阳Tai Yang: The Sun (Tai Yang), a noble star of the middle heaven. Openness, generosity, reputation. Strong for a daytime birth; brings standing and the wish to give.

武曲Wu Qu: The Star of Direct Wealth (Wu Qu), a general's star. Resolve, decisiveness, income. Suited to finance and to work with an edge to it.

天同Tian Tong: The Star of Blessing (Tian Tong). Mildness, enjoyment, the dissolving of trouble. Even-tempered, and able to defuse what it meets.

廉贞Lian Zhen: The Secondary Peach Blossom Star (Lian Zhen). Change, artistry, sociability. Hard-edged yet full of feeling; wants tempering rather than free rein.

天府Tian Fu: The Treasury Star (Tian Fu), ruler of the Southern Dipper. Steadiness, tolerance, the capacity to store. Ample in food and clothing.

太阴Tai Yin: The Star of Wealth and Refinement (Tai Yin). Softness, property, money. Strong for a night birth; wealth that is quiet rather than loud.

贪狼Tan Lang: The Primary Peach Blossom Star (Tan Lang). Talent, sociability, desire. Gifted in many directions; honourable when the gift is put to honest use.

巨门Ju Men: The Dark Star of Dispute (Ju Men). Eloquence, depth, discernment. Suited to work that lives by the spoken word; guard against being drawn into quarrels.

天相Tian Xiang: The Seal-Holder Star (Tian Xiang). Support, fairness, sufficiency. A star of bearing and appearance; it serves best in a supporting role.

天梁Tian Liang: The Star of Shelter and Longevity (Tian Liang). Protection, long life, a certain aloofness. Good at dissolving difficulty; the shelter a parent gives.

七杀Qi Sha: The Killing General (Qi Sha). Force, initiative, upheaval. At its best when the severity is converted into authority and given its own command.

破军Po Jun: The Star of Breaking (Po Jun). Tearing down, opening up, impulse. It destroys before it builds; it wants change to work with.

Compatibility Terms · 25

The five dimensions a two-chart reading is scored on, plus the relation and marker vocabulary it uses.

日干相配Day-Stem Pairing

日支（夫妇位）Marriage Palace (day branch)

年支（根基）Root Branch (year)

年命纳音Sound Element (na yin)

用神互补Useful-God Support

同性相克same-polarity clash

异性相克opposite-polarity restraint

无合无冲neither union nor clash

两相救助each supplies the other

各安其气each keeps to its own

三合trine union

六合six union

刑害punishment and harm

比和like meeting like

相冲clash

相刑punishment

相害harm

相合union

相生one generates the other

相克restraint

孤辰Solitary Star (gu chen)

寡宿Widowed Star (gua su)

咸池Peach Blossom (xian chi)

孤鸾Solitary Phoenix (gu luan)

阴阳差错Yin-Yang Discrepancy (yin yang cha cuo)

Reading Notes (Compatibility) · 25

The standard phrases a compatibility report uses, with their plain-English sense.

天干五合，夫妇之道，两心自契A stem union — the classical mark of a married pair; the two minds meet of themselves.

同气比肩，平等相处，情如友朋Same element, standing level with each other — the affection of friends.

五行相生，扶持有情One element feeds the other; support given with feeling.

同性相见为克，气不相入，易生龃龉Same polarity meeting as restraint — the energies do not enter one another, and friction comes easily.

异性之克犹财官相配，制中有情Restraint across polarities works like Wealth meeting Officer: there is feeling inside the constraint.

三合有情，同心同局A trine union, warm and aligned — one purpose, one configuration.

不即不离，平实之配Neither pressed together nor pulled apart — a plain, workable match.

夫妇位相冲，聚散不常，须防离阻The marriage palace is in clash: coming together and apart is unsteady. Guard against separation.

相合反致刑伤，恩中生怨A union that turns to injury — resentment grows out of the affection itself.

六害损克六亲，骨肉参商The six harms damage close relations; family members fall out of step.

门庭之气相合，家宅根基安The household energies agree; the foundation of the home is settled.

根基相冲，然古法明言不可单执属相定凶咎The roots clash — but the classical method is explicit that a zodiac sign alone must not decide the verdict.

根基微损，宜以他吉化之Slight damage at the root; let the favourable factors elsewhere resolve it.

根基无碍Nothing obstructing at the root.

纳音相生，根基滋养The sound elements generate one another; the base is nourished.

纳音相克，须以干支合化解之（古有木女金夫正体之例外，不以刑论）The sound elements restrain one another; resolve it through the stem-branch unions. (The classics allow an exception for a Wood woman with a Metal husband — not read as injury.)

纳音同气，平稳之根The sound elements are alike; a steady base.

阴阳相和，神气安定，闺房和顺Yin and yang in accord — settled spirits, and ease at home.

喜用未得对方资助，须自求中和Neither supplies what the other favours; each must find their own balance.

男犯孤神，平生难婚，宜迟婚厚缘His chart carries the Solitary star: marriage does not come easily. Later is better, and the bond stronger for it.

女犯寡宿，姻缘多波，宜择合化之配Her chart carries the Widowed star: the road to marriage is uneven. Choose a partner whose chart resolves it.

桃花临身，情缘易动，妇人尤忌，宜自持The Peach Blossom star sits on the self: attachments stir easily. Hold to your own conduct.

孤鸾入日，男虞克妻、女虞克夫，宜合化解之The Solitary Phoenix falls on the day pillar — a caution for both partners. Look to the unions to resolve it.

男怕天罗、女怕地网，主婚事蹇滞，成之宜缓Heaven's Net for him, Earth's Snare for her: the marriage moves slowly. Do not rush it into being.

女逢公姑寡合，男逢与妻家不睦，礼数宜周Friction with in-laws on both sides. Keep the courtesies scrupulously.

Liu Yao — Eight Trigrams and the Six Relatives · 13

The vocabulary of the coin-oracle module.

乾Qian (Heaven)

坤Kun (Earth)

震Zhen (Thunder)

巽Xun (Wind)

坎Kan (Water)

离Li (Fire)

艮Gen (Mountain)

兑Dui (Marsh)

官鬼Officer-Ghost (guan gui)

妻财Wife-Wealth (qi cai)

子孙Offspring (zi sun)

父母Parent (fu mu)

兄弟Sibling (xiong di)

The Sixty-Four Hexagrams · 64

Every hexagram of the I Ching, with the reading this site uses.

乾为天Qian · The Creative: Six unbroken lines: pure strength, heaven moving without rest. Firm and upright, ceaselessly self-renewing. Great progress, and it favours holding to what is right — but the dragon that flies too high has cause for regret; at the peak, guard against arrogance.

坤为地Kun · The Receptive: Six broken lines: pure yielding, the earth carrying everything. Receptive and accommodating, still and waiting. It favours the constancy of a mare. Better to follow than to lead: lost at first, found later.

水雷屯Zhun · Difficulty at the Beginning: Cloud and thunder together, all things beginning. Hard early days, force gathering before release. It favours establishing a base rather than travelling far. Hold to what is right, wait for the moment, and secure your allies.

山水蒙Meng · Youthful Folly: A spring rising below the mountain, still unformed. Learning and asking, one step at a time. Come with a sincere question and it is answered; ask the same thing over and over and it is not.

水天需Xu · Waiting: Clouds above heaven, waiting to fall. Holding position, taking food and rest while you wait. It favours crossing the great water, but the value is in composure — wait patiently; haste changes the outcome.

天水讼Song · Conflict: Heaven and water running opposite ways: dispute. Strength meeting obstruction, a sign of argument. Better to settle and stop than to see the quarrel through. Trouble is avoided by planning at the start.

地水师Shi · The Army: Water within the earth: the massed army. Heavy responsibility carried on a just cause. It favours a seasoned leader and clear discipline. Steadiness over haste; caution before any fight.

水地比Bi · Holding Together: Water over the earth, drawing close and supporting. Alliance and attachment, choosing what is sound and following it. Attach yourself early and in good faith; whoever comes last misses the moment.

风天小畜Xiao Xu · Taming Power of the Small: Wind moving above heaven, a small accumulation. The yielding restrains the firm, force gathered but not released. Dense cloud, no rain yet — the strength is not sufficient. Build small into large; hold rather than advance.

天泽履Lu · Treading: Heaven above, marsh below: treading carefully. Walking as if on a tiger's tail. Keep to form and to your place, and go warily; yielding and centred, there is no fault.

地天泰Tai · Peace: Heaven and earth in exchange, above and below connected. Open and harmonious, the turn after hardship. Small goes, great comes; things run well. But consolidate — peace at its height turns.

天地否Pi · Standstill: Heaven and earth not meeting, blocked and closed. Obstruction and stagnation, the petty gaining ground. Great goes, small comes. Live modestly, stay out of trouble, hold still and wait for the turn; do not force a way through.

天火同人Tong Ren · Fellowship: Heaven and fire shining together, fellowship with others. Joined purpose and easy accord. It favours crossing the great water. Be open and get things done with others; private cliques bring regret.

火天大有Da You · Great Possession: Fire above heaven, great possession. Abundant holdings and standing. Great progress. But hold wealth with humility — plenty without modesty does not last.

地山谦Qian · Modesty: The mountain within the earth: modesty. Full inside, unassuming outside. Progress, and the person of substance carries it through. Modesty attracts help; it does not diminish you.

雷地豫Yu · Enthusiasm: Thunder bursting from the earth: enthusiasm, and readiness. It favours establishing a base and setting armies moving. Move with the current and people follow — but do not let ease become indulgence.

泽雷随Sui · Following: Thunder within the marsh: following. Adapting to the moment and moving with it. Great progress, holding to what is right, no fault. Follow what is sound, not merely what is convenient.

山风蛊Gu · Work on the Decayed: Wind at the foot of the mountain: what has decayed and must be worked on. Old ills to be cleared. It favours crossing the great water. Understand the cause before you act, and see the repair through.

地泽临Lin · Approach: Earth above the marsh: approach. Advancing and overseeing, the moment when things grow. Great progress — but the eighth month brings misfortune; act while the season holds.

风地观Guan · Contemplation: Wind moving over the earth: contemplation. Looking on and being looked to. Observe before acting; set the example rather than issue the order.

火雷噬嗑Shi He · Biting Through: Thunder and lightning: biting through. Something lodged between; it must be dealt with directly. It favours a clear judgement. Remove the obstruction and the way opens.

山火贲Bi · Grace: Fire below the mountain: grace. Form and adornment. Small progress; it favours a modest undertaking. Let the surface follow the substance, not replace it.

山地剥Bo · Splitting Apart: The mountain resting on the earth: splitting apart. Wearing away from below, the yielding overcoming the firm. It does not favour setting out. Hold still, preserve what remains, and wait for the turn.

地雷复Fu · Return: Thunder within the earth: the return. The first yang comes back; the turning point after decline. Going out and coming in without harm. Begin again in small things.

天雷无妄Wu Wang · Innocence: Thunder under heaven: innocence, acting without ulterior motive. Great progress if you hold to what is right. Do not contrive; unexpected trouble comes to those who scheme.

山天大畜Da Xu · Taming Power of the Great: Heaven within the mountain: the great restraining. Large forces held and stored. It favours holding to what is right and crossing the great water. Gather strength; do not spend it early.

山雷颐Yi · Nourishment: Thunder below the mountain: nourishment. What you take in, and what you say. Watch how you nourish yourself and others; the mouth is both intake and utterance.

泽风大过Da Guo · Preponderance of the Great: Wind beneath the marsh: the great exceeding. The ridgepole bends — the load is past what the structure bears. It favours having somewhere to go. Act, but do not add weight.

坎为水Kan · The Abysmal: Water doubled: the abyss. Danger upon danger. Sincerity carries you through; keep the mind steady and act with care. Repeated hardship teaches the way out.

离为火Li · The Clinging: Fire doubled: the clinging, brightness. Clarity depending on what it rests on. It favours holding to what is right. Brightness needs something to attach to; find it.

泽山咸Xian · Influence: The marsh above the mountain: influence, mutual feeling. Attraction and response. Progress; it favours taking a partner. Feeling that is genuine moves without being pushed.

雷风恒Heng · Duration: Thunder and wind: duration. Constancy, the long continuation. Progress, no fault; it favours having somewhere to go. Endure by holding form, not by standing still.

天山遁Dun · Retreat: The mountain under heaven: retreat. Withdrawing at the right moment. Small progress through holding to what is right. Retreat is not defeat; leaving in time preserves you.

雷天大壮Da Zhuang · Power of the Great: Thunder above heaven: the power of the great. Strength at its height. It favours holding to what is right. Do not use force merely because you have it.

火地晋Jin · Progress: The sun rising over the earth: progress. Advancing into the light, recognition arriving. Move forward openly and in good order.

地火明夷Ming Yi · Darkening of the Light: The light gone into the earth: the darkening. Brightness wounded, ability unrecognised. It favours holding to what is right through hardship. Keep your light inward and endure.

风火家人Jia Ren · The Family: Wind rising from fire: the family. Order within the household. It favours the constancy of the woman. Set the near in order and the far follows.

火泽睽Kui · Opposition: Fire above, marsh below, moving apart: opposition. Estrangement and misunderstanding. Small matters bring good fortune. Difference need not become division.

水山蹇Jian · Obstruction: Water on the mountain: obstruction. Hard going. It favours the south-west, not the north-east; it favours seeing the person of substance. When the road is blocked, turn inward and correct yourself.

雷水解Xie · Deliverance: Thunder and rain: deliverance. The knot loosens, tension released. It favours the south-west. When there is somewhere to go, go early; when there is not, return and rest.

山泽损Sun · Decrease: The marsh below the mountain: decrease. Taking from below to give above. Sincerity brings great fortune. What is given up with good faith is not lost.

风雷益Yi · Increase: Wind and thunder: increase. Taking from above to give below. It favours having somewhere to go, and crossing the great water. Increase reaches you by way of others.

泽天夬Guai · Breakthrough: The marsh risen to heaven: breakthrough. Resolution, the decisive parting. Make it known in good faith; do not resort to force. It favours having somewhere to go.

天风姤Gou · Coming to Meet: Wind under heaven: coming to meet. An unlooked-for encounter; the yielding meets the firm. Do not take the powerful maiden. Be careful whom you meet, and check small things early.

泽地萃Cui · Gathering Together: The marsh above the earth: gathering together. People and resources assembling. It favours seeing the person of substance. Gather with a purpose, not merely a crowd.

地风升Sheng · Pushing Upward: Wood growing within the earth: pushing upward. Rising by degrees. Great progress; it favours seeing the person of substance. Go up step by step, not in a leap.

泽水困Kun · Oppression: The marsh drained of water: oppression, being hemmed in. Exhausted and constrained. Progress for the one who holds to what is right. Words are not believed here — act instead.

水风井Jing · The Well: Water drawn from the well: the well. A source that serves all and does not move. The village changes, the well does not. Maintain what sustains you, or the rope breaks short.

泽火革Ge · Revolution: Fire within the marsh: revolution, moulting. The old must give way. On the appointed day it is trusted. Change when the moment has come, not before.

火风鼎Ding · The Cauldron: Fire over wood: the cauldron. Transformation and nourishment, the vessel of state. Supreme good fortune, progress. Establish the form and what it holds will be sound.

震为雷Zhen · The Arousing: Thunder doubled: the arousing, shock. Sudden movement and alarm. Progress. Shock comes, and afterwards laughter — the one who is not shaken out of composure holds the ground.

艮为山Gen · Keeping Still: Mountain doubled: keeping still. Stopping where one should stop. Stillness in the back, unaware of the body. Know when to halt and there is no fault.

风山渐Jian · Development: A tree growing on the mountain: gradual development. Advancing by proper stages. It favours the maiden's marriage. What grows slowly holds.

雷泽归妹Gui Mei · The Marrying Maiden: Thunder over the marsh: the marrying maiden. Entering a relation out of the proper order. Setting out brings misfortune; nothing favours it. Consider the position you are taking.

雷火丰Feng · Abundance: Thunder and lightning together: abundance. Fullness at its height. Progress; be like the sun at midday. Fullness does not hold — use it while it lasts.

火山旅Lu · The Wanderer: Fire on the mountain: the wanderer. Travelling, without a fixed place. Small progress; holding to what is right brings good fortune. Keep to modesty and correctness away from home.

巽为风Xun · The Gentle: Wind doubled: the gentle, the penetrating. Entering by degrees rather than force. Small progress. It favours having somewhere to go and seeing the person of substance.

兑为泽Dui · The Joyous: Marsh doubled: the joyous. Openness, speech, pleasure shared. Progress; it favours holding to what is right. Joy that is genuine carries others with it.

风水涣Huan · Dispersion: Wind moving over water: dispersion. What was rigid breaks up and scatters. Progress; it favours crossing the great water. Dispersing what has hardened lets things move again.

水泽节Jie · Limitation: Water over the marsh: limitation. Measure and restraint. Progress — but limitation that is bitter cannot be maintained. Set a limit you can actually keep.

风泽中孚Zhong Fu · Inner Truth: Wind above the marsh: inner truth. Sincerity at the centre, trust that carries. Good fortune reaching even to pigs and fishes; it favours crossing the great water. Move others by being genuine.

雷山小过Xiao Guo · Preponderance of the Small: Thunder on the mountain: the small exceeding. Small things may be overdone, great things not. It favours holding to what is right. Better to descend than to rise; the bird's song is best kept low.

水火既济Ji Ji · After Completion: Water above fire: after completion. Everything in its place. Small progress; good fortune at the outset, disorder at the end. What is complete begins to come apart — mind the maintenance.

火水未济Wei Ji · Before Completion: Fire above water: before completion. Not yet in place, the work unfinished. Progress — but the young fox that has nearly crossed wets its tail. Almost there is not there.

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