Trigrams
☲☱ – Fire above, Lake below
Meaning
Represents opposition, estrangement, and difference. Fire moves upward; lake moves downward — they pull apart. Yet even in opposition there are moments of unexpected connection. Small matters can be handled in times of estrangement; great undertakings must wait.
Interpretation
- In times of misunderstanding, focus on small shared tasks rather than grand ambitions.
- Apparent opposites often contain unexpected points of connection.
- Do not allow estrangement to harden into permanent division.
Six Yao (Lines) with Classical Quotes
1st Yao (初爻)
悔亡；丧马，勿逐，自复；见恶人，无咎。
English: Regret disappears. The horse is lost — do not pursue it, it will return on its own. See the evil person — no blame. Even meeting with adversarial people has its purpose; be open.
Luck Level: Neutral
2nd Yao (二爻)
遇主于巷，无咎。
English: Meeting the ruler in a back lane — no blame. An unexpected, informal encounter with the right person brings no harm and may lead to good connection.
Luck Level: Neutral
3rd Yao (三爻)
见舆曳，其牛攀，其人天且勘，无初有终。
English: Seeing the cart dragged back, the ox halted, the person with a shaved head and mutilated nose — no good beginning but a good ending. The worst apparent circumstances sometimes resolve into good.
Luck Level: Neutral
4th Yao (四爻)
睽孤，遇元夫，交孚，厉无咎。
English: Isolated in opposition, but meeting a noble person — exchanging trust. Danger but no blame. A genuine encounter that bridges opposition is worth the difficulty.
Luck Level: Caution
5th Yao (五爻)
悔亡，噕宗噌肤，往何咎。
English: Regret disappears — one's companion bites through the skin to reach one. What regret is there in going forward? True connection breaks through the barriers of estrangement.
Luck Level: Neutral
6th Yao (上爻)
睽孤，见豕负涂，载鬼一车；先张之弧，后说之弧；匡寇婚婴，往遇雨则吉。
English: Isolated in opposition, seeing a pig covered in mud and a cartload of demons — first drawing the bow, then putting it down. Not a robber but a suitor. Going forward and meeting rain brings good fortune. What seemed monstrous resolves into a genuine meeting of hearts.
Luck Level: Good