Eight trigrams

The eight trigrams ( Chinese 八卦 , Pinyin bā guà - "eight oracle signs") are symbols used for prophecy , which form the basis of the ancient Chinese I Ching ( 易經 / 易经 , Yìjīng , Book of Changes). They consist of three either solid ( 陽 / 阳 , Yáng ) or broken ( 陰 / 阴 , Yīn ) lines, resulting in 2 ³ = 8 possibilities, which are often represented in the form of a circle. Two trigrams result in one of the 64 (2 ⁶ = 8 ² = 64) hexagrams , the meanings of which are described in the Book of Changes .

Like other symbols in Chinese numerology , the trigrams can be interpreted with a variety of meanings. The design shown here is slightly different from that in the I Ching cited :

Eight trigrams with name and nature

Surname			nature			family
離	lí	separation	火	huǒ	Fire	中女	zhōngnǚ	middle daughter
坤	kūn	femininity	地	dì	earth	母	mǔ	mother
兌	youì	Change	澤	zé	lake	少女	shàonǚ	youngest daughter
乾	qián	masculinity	天	tiān	sky	父	fù	father
坎	can	danger	水	shuǐ	water	中男	zhōngnán	middle son
艮	gene	sincerity	山	shān	mountain	少男	shàonán	youngest son
震	zhèn	excitement	雷	léi	thunder	長男	chǎngnán	oldest son
巽	xùn	Gentleness	風	fēng	wind	長女	chǎngnǚ	eldest daughter

(The LH order of the table lines corresponds to the cyclical sequence in the figure on the right, starting at the top in a clockwise direction)

The trigrams are to be understood as a universal orientation model that also contains elements that influence the way people live. Based on the principles of orientation and the elements that determine the way of life, every person is able to make more conscious self-determination. The cardinal points are z. B. also for inner orientation, the organs for certain psychological constitutions (moods, personality structures). So the physical qualities always correspond to an inner (psychological) quality.

In traditional Chinese numerology, the eight oracle signs also correspond to the other systems of different numbers of elements. The above table shows the relationships with nature and family.

Some of the other elements associated with the Bagua would be:

climate
Colours
anatomy
parts of the body
astronomy
astrology
Animals, zodiac signs
geography
acupuncture
Geomancy

etc. (can be continued at will)

sequence

Dual structure of the trigrams
(also conceivable mirrored)

Different orders ( 卦 unterschiedliche , guàxù ) are common for the eight trigrams . The sequence of the characters U + 2630 to U + 2637 in the Unicode block Various symbols corresponds to the binary representation. The picture opposite shows the development from the individual line elements, as a result the arrangement of the trigrams results according to this dual principle, as it is also shown by Zhu Xi ( 朱熹 , Zhū Xī ) in a representation .

The circular arrangement of the trigrams is based on two systems of order, the Xiantian ( 先天 , xiāntiān , lit .: before-heaven) and the Houtian ( 後天 / 后天 , hòutiān , lit .: after-heaven). This dichotomy of the order goes back to the Chinese cosmology, which determines an elementary change before and after the entry into existence. (cf. Laozi : “Dao creates unity, unity creates two, two creates three, three creates all things in the world.” 道生一，一生二，二生三，三生万物。)

Houtian ("after-heaven") arrangement of the eight trigrams

Xiantian arrangement ("before heaven") of the eight trigrams

The transition from a state of original unity (with already applied polarity) to the state of polarity (with still immanent unity) corresponds to the transition from the order of the Xiantian 先天 to the order of the Houtian 後天 / 后天 . This refers both to cosmic speculations about the origin of the world, as well as to the transition into life, which man accomplishes at his birth. Therefore, Xiantian is also translated as “pre-cosmic” or “pre-natal”, Houtian accordingly as “post-cosmic” or “post-natal”. In the Xiantian arrangement of the trigrams, the basic polar forces as “heaven” (above) and “earth” (below) stand opposite each other in the form of pure Yang (trigram Qian ☰) and pure yin (trigram Kun ☷); in the Houtian arrangement there are their mixed forms "fire" in the form of yang, interspersed with yin (trigram Li ☲) and "water" in the form of yin, interspersed with yang (trigram Kan ☵). The Xiantian order is attributed to the legendary ruler Fu Xi ( 伏羲 , Fú Xī , 2852 to 2737 BC), the Houtian order is said to be based on King Wen of the Zhou dynasty ( 文王 , Wén Wáng , 1099 to 1055 BC) .) go back.

In the assignment to the family members, the father is represented by three yáng -strokes ( masculine aspect), the mother by three yīn -strokes ( feminine aspect); this logic is easy to follow. On the other hand, it is noticeable that the daughters are assigned the combinations of two masculine lines with one feminine line, the sons of two feminine lines with a masculine line. The logic here is that not just more yang strokes are more masculine, but just an odd number. The even number of yang lines on the daughters, on the other hand, indicates their feminine aspect.

The conventional sequence ranks the trigrams according to the four pairs of opposites. The following table shows these five sort criteria.

uni- code	hex	conv.	Fam.	Surname			nature			EH	season		direction		LH	season		direction
☰	U + 2630	1	father	乾	qián	1!	天	tiān	4!sky	1	夏	summer	南	S.	4th	秋	autumn	西北	NW
☱	U + 2631	8th	T3	兌	youì	8th!	泽	zé	3!lake	8th	春	spring	東南	SO	3	秋	autumn	西	W.
☲	U + 2632	4th	T2	離	lí	7!	火	huǒ	1!Fire	7th	春	spring	東	O	1	夏	summer	南	S.
☳	U + 2633	5	S1	震	zhèn	6!	雷	léi	7!thunder	6th	冬	winter	東北	NO	7th	春	spring	東	O
☴	U + 2634	6th	T1	巽	xùn	2!	風	fēng	8th!wind	2	夏	summer	西南	SW	8th	春	spring	東南	SO
☵	U + 2635	3	S2	坎	can	3!	水	shuǐ	5!water	3	秋	autumn	西	W.	5	冬	winter	北	N
☶	U + 2636	7th	S3	艮	gene	4!	山	shān	6!mountain	4th	秋	autumn	西北	NW	6th	冬	winter	東北	NO
☷	U + 2637	2	mother	坤	kūn	5!	地	dì	2!earth	5	冬	winter	北	N	2	夏	summer	西南	SW

Many other orders are possible and common.

For the cardinal points see also cardinal points based on the branches of the earth

The trigrams in the flag of South Korea Korea South

On the flag of South Korea those four trigrams are shown that are symmetrical (with respect to an imaginary horizontal center line) . The trigrams can be understood as pairs of opposites, which is particularly evident with the four symmetrical ones: above the sky (Himmel), below the earth (☷) on a vertical axis; if fire (☲) and water (☵) are arranged on a crossing horizontal axis, the structure shown here is the result.

The asymmetrical pairs of opposites are thunder (☳) and wind (☴), as well as mountain (☶) and lake (☱). All three lines of each pair of opposites are opposite to each other ( ↔ ), in the transition between two pairs only one of the three lines is opposite.

Assignments

Here are some of many multiple and conflicting mappings.


Codepoint	U + 2630	U + 2637	U + 2635	U + 2632	U + 2633	U + 2634	U + 2636	U + 2631
自然 nature	sky	earth	water	Fire	thunder	wind	mountain	Estuary
卦名 name	dryness	femininity	danger	separation	excitement	Gentleness	resistance	Change
性情 nature	creative	receiving	abysmal	holding on	exciting	gently	calm	joyful
家族 family	father	mother	middle son	middle daughter	oldest son	eldest daughter	youngest son	youngest daughter
五行5 elements	metal	earth	water	Fire	Wood	Wood	earth	metal
UC ranking	1	8th	6th	3	4th	5	7th	2
EH ranking	1	5	3	7th	6th	2	4th	8th
LH sequence	4th	2	5	1	7th	8th	6th	3
EH season	summer	winter	autumn	spring	winter	summer	autumn	spring
LH season	autumn	summer	winter	summer	spring	spring	winter	autumn
5E season	autumn	(6th month)	winter	summer	spring	spring	(6th month)	autumn
EH direction	S.	N	W.	O	NO	SW	NW	SO
LH direction	NW	SW	N	S.	O	SO	NO	W.
5E direction	W.	center	N	S.	O	O	center	W.
trad. radical	大 37 + 1	土 32 + 3	水 85 + 0	火 86 + 0	雨 173 + 5	風 182 + 0	山 46 + 0	水 85 + 5
自然 natural aspect	天 heaven (37.1)	地 Earth (32.3)	水 water (85.0)	火 fire (86.0)	雷 thunder (173.5)	風 wind (182.0)	山 Mountain (46.0)	泽 Lake (85.5)

(The order of the table columns (above) and rows (below) corresponds to the conventional sequence according to the four pairs of opposites)

		Meanings, associations; Terms (selection) from Ten Wings
	sky	Expansion energy; the warming principle of the sun, penetrating and fertilizing. The heavenly generating (= male) principle. Head, leader, power, strength, higher order; Attack, fight, confrontation, enemy intrusion.
	earth	Receiving energy; Result, profit, acceptance. The earthly (= female) principle.
	water	Danger, white water, clouds, rain; Ravine, abyss, ditch, pit, trap, snare, hole; Exposure, crisis; moon
	Fire	Sun, radiation, light, day, clarity; Rapid movement, departure, separation; Extraordinary wildness, strangeness; Elegance, refinement
	thunder	Excitement, upheaval, division; Awakening, startling, shock, movement, trembling, trembling, earthquake; Come out
	wind	Gentle penetration, agility; Gentleness, indulgence, docility, adjustment; Wood
	mountain	Silence, calm, pause, constancy; Sincerity; determination
	lake	Change ( but also standstill), balance, equilibrium, satisfaction; Joy, fun, pleasure; Weight

serves as a line break, please do not remove it

Web links

Commons : Ba Gua - collection of images, videos and audio files

Comprehensive list with equivalents of the basic trigrams ( Memento from February 15, 2013 in the Internet Archive )

Individual evidence

^ Stemmann, Peter: Enneagram. The nine faces of personality. Urania, CH-8212 Neuhausen am Rheinfall, 1st edition 1999, ISBN 3-908653-01-0 , chap. Das Bagua, page 52 ff.
↑ Ute Engelhardt, Carl-Hermann Hempen: Acupuncture disc for calculating the optimal effective times. Urban & Schwarzenberg, Munich, 1995, ISBN 3-541-16101-9
↑ Da Juan - the great treatise. In: zeno.org. 1987, accessed February 14, 2015 . .

[1] Stemmann, Peter: Enneagram. The nine faces of personality. Urania, CH-8212 Neuhausen am Rheinfall, 1st edition 1999, ISBN 3-908653-01-0 , chap. Das Bagua, page 52 ff.

[2] Ute Engelhardt, Carl-Hermann Hempen: Acupuncture disc for calculating the optimal effective times. Urban & Schwarzenberg, Munich, 1995, ISBN 3-541-16101-9

[3] Da Juan - the great treatise. In: zeno.org. 1987, accessed February 14, 2015 . .