I Ching - The Hexagram Key

The Hexagram Key

Hexagrams are composed of two trigrams.

To simplify the process of locating a specific hexagram, use the following table, identifying the 'upper' (top) and 'lower' (bottom) trigrams, and then click on the number where the appropriate row and column intersect; this will take you straight to the appropriate reading!

The numbers are used consistently, so should also relate to most books on I Ching to give more-detailed interpretations. Note that the ordering of the tri-grams may be different in different texts, but the resulting numbers should be the same!

Check that you understand the process using the following example:

should give you '10' in the table, below, which should navigate you to 'Treading' in the final table!!

Now try yours, using the hexagram (two trigrams) you constructed!

Upper

Trigram

Lower


Ch'ien Heaven	Chên Thunder	K'an Water	Kên Mountain	K'un Earth	Sun Wind	Li Flame	Tui Lake
Ch'ien	1	34	5	26	11	9	14	43
Chên	25	51	3	27	24	42	21	17
K'an	6	40	29	4	7	59	64	47
Kên	33	62	39	52	15	53	56	31
K'un	12	16	8	23	2	20	35	45
Sun	44	32	48	18	46	57	50	28
Li	13	55	63	22	36	37	30	49
Tui	10	54	60	41	19	61	38	58

Bibliography

I Ching: What is it?
I Ching: How do you use it?
I Ching: The Trigrams
I Ching: The Hexagrams

For further reading on I Ching and other subjects, including useful web-links,
please see Tig's Bookcase

I Ching 'Background' and I Ching 'script' Copyright: C.S. Chow & IChing1

Permission to use Background and I Ching 'script' provided by IChing1