Glossary

Short explanations of the Six Lines and Plum Blossom terms used in readings.

Primary hexagram
The hexagram built from the six casts, showing the present situation of the matter being asked about.
The primary hexagram has six lines, read from the bottom up. The lower three lines form the lower trigram (inner trigram) and the upper three form the upper trigram (outer trigram). Its text is the first basis for any reading.
Changed hexagram
The hexagram formed when moving lines flip, yin to yang and yang to yin; it points to the direction things may take later.
A changed hexagram exists only when there are moving lines. The primary hexagram is the present moment and the changed hexagram is the later stage of the matter. With no moving lines, the hexagram is called static.
Nuclear hexagram
The hexagram formed from lines 2, 3, 4 and lines 3, 4, 5 of the primary hexagram, pointing to what lies hidden inside the matter.
In the Plum Blossom (Mei Hua) method, the nuclear hexagram shows underlying developments, factors not yet visible. The lower nuclear trigram corresponds to the nearer stage and the upper one to a more distant stage.
Moving line
A line cast as old yang (9) or old yin (6), which turns into its opposite.
A moving line is where the situation is shifting. Following Zhu Xi's convention, its line text is often taken as the main text of the reading. In Six Lines (Liu Yao) practice, a moving line can generate or restrain the useful spirit.
Self and Other lines (shi, ying)
The Self line (shi) stands for the person asking; the Other line (ying) stands for the other party or outside circumstances.
Every hexagram has a Self line and an Other line three positions apart, set by the hexagram's palace. A strong Self line supported by the Other line usually suggests a favorable position; a weak Self line restrained by the Other line suggests caution.
Useful spirit (yong shen)
The line that represents the person or matter being asked about, and the focus of a Six Lines reading.
The useful spirit is chosen by the six relatives: for work, the Officer (Guan Gui); for money, Wealth (Qi Cai); for housing and documents, Parents (Fu Mu); for children, Offspring (Zi Sun); for friends and siblings, Brothers (Xiong Di). When the useful spirit is strong and supported, the matter tends to go more smoothly.
Original spirit (yuan shen)
The relative that generates the useful spirit, acting as support for the matter being asked about.
When the original spirit is strong and moving, the useful spirit receives extra support. When it is weak or restrained, that support fades.
Taboo spirit (ji shen)
The relative that restrains the useful spirit, a hindering factor.
When the taboo spirit is strong and moving, the matter meets obstacles; when it is weak, still, or void, the obstacles ease.
Enemy spirit (chou shen)
The relative that restrains the original spirit, indirectly weakening the support behind the useful spirit.
The enemy spirit does not restrain the useful spirit directly but cuts off its supply. When the enemy spirit moves strongly, check whether the original spirit still has enough strength.
Six relatives
Five kinds of relationship assigned to each line: Parents, Brothers, Offspring, Wealth, Officer.
The six relatives are derived by comparing a line's element with the element of the hexagram's palace. Each stands for a group of people and matters, which is how the useful spirit is chosen for each question.
Six spirits
Six symbolic creatures assigned to the six lines by the day stem: Azure Dragon, Vermilion Bird, Hook Chen, Soaring Serpent, White Tiger, Black Tortoise.
The six spirits hint at the nature of a matter: Azure Dragon for joy and smoothness; Vermilion Bird for words and documents; Hook Chen for stagnation and land; Soaring Serpent for worry and tangles; White Tiger for urgency and pressure; Black Tortoise for hidden or unclear matters.
Najia (stem and branch assignment)
The method of assigning a heavenly stem and earthly branch to each line, the first step in setting up a Six Lines hexagram.
Each trigram has a fixed set of stems and branches for its three lines. Through najia, every line gets an element, so its strength can be judged against the month, the day, and the other lines.
Month branch (yue jian)
The branch of the month (by solar term) at the time of casting, which decides which lines are strong and which are weak.
A line of the same element as the month branch, or generated by it, is strong; a line restrained by it is weak. The month branch is the most important measure of strength in Six Lines.
Day branch
The stem and branch of the day of casting, which can generate, restrain, clash with, or combine with the lines.
The day branch is likened to the authority of the day: a line generated or combined by it gains strength; a line clashed or restrained by it is shaken. The day stem also determines how the six spirits are arranged.
Void (xun kong)
The two earthly branches missing from the ten-day cycle of the casting day; a line in the void temporarily lacks real strength.
A void line is like an absent person: the matter has not arrived or is not yet real. Once the cycle passes, or on a day that clashes with it or fills it, a void line often begins to take effect.
Month break (yue po)
A line whose branch is clashed by the month branch, regarded as damaged during that month.
A month-broken line is weak in the current month. If it is the useful spirit, the matter is hard to settle this month, though things may differ after the month passes.
Hidden movement (an dong)
A still line that is strong but clashed by the day branch, so it moves quietly.
Hidden movement is a change that happens silently without showing outwardly. A line in hidden movement can still generate or restrain other lines.
Returning generation and restraint (hui tou sheng, hui tou ke)
A moving line changes into a new line that generates it (returning generation) or restrains it (returning restraint).
Returning generation means being supported by the change itself, usually favorable. Returning restraint means being harmed by the change itself, which usually calls for caution.
Advancing and retreating transformation (hua jin, hua tui)
A moving line changes into a line of the same element whose branch moves forward (advancing) or backward (retreating).
Advancing transformation is a gradually growing momentum; retreating transformation is a gradually fading one. A useful spirit that advances is usually favorable, while an advancing taboo spirit increases obstacles.
Hidden spirit (fu shen)
A relative that does not appear in the hexagram and sits hidden beneath a line of the pure hexagram of the same palace.
When the useful spirit is absent, look for the hidden spirit. If the line above it (the flying spirit) generates it, or the day and month help it, it may come to the surface.
Body and Function (ti, yong)
In the Plum Blossom method, the trigram without a moving line is the Body (the person asking) and the trigram with the moving line is the Function (the matter or circumstances).
Function generating Body means receiving help; Body restraining Function means acting on your own initiative but with effort; Function restraining Body means being pressed by circumstances; Body generating Function means spending energy; Body and Function of the same element means harmony.
Timing (ying qi)
The time at which a matter tends to turn, inferred from the days and months that combine with, clash with, or generate the useful spirit.
The timing often falls on days or months when the useful spirit is generated, combined, or at its peak, or on a day that clashes with a void line. This is a tendency to prepare for, not a firm promise.
Judgment
The classic text on the hexagram as a whole, traditionally attributed to King Wen.
The Judgment is brief and states the general character of the hexagram. When a hexagram has no moving lines, the Judgment is the main text for the reading.
Great Image
The explanation of the imagery of the two trigrams and the lesson for the noble person, found in the Commentary on the Images.
The Great Image begins with a natural picture (for example clouds and thunder, mountain and lake) and then says what the noble person should do. It is the part of each hexagram closest to daily life.
Line texts
The classic text for each of the six lines, traditionally attributed to the Duke of Zhou.
A line text describes one small stage within the situation of the hexagram. When there is a moving line, its text is usually the main text.
Moment of intent (dong xin shi)
The moment the question arises in the mind, used to take the month and day stems and branches for the reading.
In the traditional view, a hexagram responds to the moment the mind is stirred. If the question arose earlier, the moment of intent can be adjusted to that earlier time.
Five phases (wu xing)
The five phases, Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth, generate and restrain each other in a fixed cycle.
Generating: Metal generates Water, Water generates Wood, Wood generates Fire, Fire generates Earth, Earth generates Metal. Restraining: Metal restrains Wood, Wood restrains Earth, Earth restrains Water, Water restrains Fire, Fire restrains Metal. All judgments of strength and weakness rest on this.