Feng Shui Institute

The Eight Trigrams (continued)

The Eight Trigrams

Here we see the formation of the 8 Trigrams, or ba gua, which as you have seen previously, are derived from the Tai Chi symbol.

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All Trigrams are created from the bottom up, as though building a house and therefore, when writing the trigrams, the first line should always be the bottom line. This is especially important when consulting the I Ching Book of Changes.

This is the eight trigrams, with greater yang on the left and greater yin on the right. The second line has the lesser or younger levels of yin and yang, and finally the top line provides the 8 Trigrams. Yang in coloured black above and yin is yellow.

This sequence was discovered back in BCE 3300 by Fu Xi. One of the most striking coincidences is that it is a binary code; the same language that computers use! Now that the Trigrams have been created, lets find out their secrets.

"From the three came the 10,000 things." Lao Zi (Lao Tse) the father of Taoism

This means that everything in our universe can be assigned and understood by one of these Trigrams. This has led to a greater comprehension of life and the universe and is the basis of Chinese philosophy. Here are just a few of the attributes assigned to each Trigram. Two trigrams have the same lines, either all yin or all yang, whilst the remaining six trigrams have one line that is different and known as the "host" line. Noting whether the host, in red below, is yin or yang tells us the polarity of the whole Trigram.

Trigram name	Trigram	Direction	Phenomena	Family Member	Element
Qian		NW	Heaven	Father	Metal
Dui		W	Marsh	Youngest Daughter	Metal
Li		S	Fire	Middle Daughter	Fire
Xun		SE	Wind	Eldest Daughter	Wood
Zhen		E	Thunder	Eldest Son	Wood
Kan		N	Water	Middle Son	Water
Gen		NE	Mountain	Eldest Son	Earth
Kun		SW	Earth	Mother	Earth