I Ching, Yijing or Zhou Yi
"Oracle of the moon": © 2000 LiSe

  Yi Jing, Oracle of the Moon

Kūn-Lí, Earth-Fire

Earth    Earth

  Kūn, the earth, just does what it takes. She accepts everything, organic or inorganic, and works with it. Proceeds it, nourishes it, arranges all creatures and objects around each other. Some will perish, some will thrive, but the earth goes on. She has no empty spaces, no end or start, no goal or limit. She is strict and that way creates a balance which restores itself over and over. Things which strive to be perfect. Living creatures seeking health, water free to run, and sunshine free to enter. But even the darkest places she fills with organic and inorganic creations.
  土命 Tǔ Mìng, earth name/destiny: born in an earth year or having a local or popular name - a lasting link (affinity) to Earth.

  Li, Fire, is the trigram of discernment and order, of searching for truth and meaning. But also of enjoying the beauty of tiny flowers, of a sudden insight or of great wisdom. Fire needs to be nourished in order to spread light and warmth, and Earth supports Fire with her endless source of what it needs.

  When Kun changes into Li, the sun descends into the earth, it becomes dark. But Fire and Earth also mutually support each other, their relationship is harmonious, and the darkness will not last. Great difficulties will bring happiness if one can cope with this succession of dark and light, if one knows how to use both darkness and brightness, each in its own time.

The trigrams and their three lines

The meaning of each line: top line Heaven, bottom line Earth and center line Man (wandering between heaven and earth). (popup)

The meaning of each line VERY SHORT (popup)

The meaning of 'Timing' (web-page popup)

What is the meaning of each separate line-change?

The origin of the trigram oracle

The way fortunetelling with an oracle works

The initiative

trigram Earth    Mountain

The top line (Heaven-line) shows the initiative now and its outcome.
变上为艮也, 地起于山, 自下而上, 有积小成高之势。
无伐善, 无施劳, 万民服而事业盛也。
  When the top line changes Kūn, Earth, becomes Gen, the mountain. The earth rises at the mountain from below to above; it is the power of height by accumulating small achievements.
No boasting of good qualities, no boasting of merits; all people obey and enterprises flourish.

  When the top line of Earth changes, it becomes Mountain, which brings constancy. Visionary ideas can become viable plans now with a sustainable character.
  When the initiative changes from yin to yang, it ensures that plans and the work which has been done so far gain clarity and structure. Things change from absorbing resources or efforts to output. Decisions can be made, progress or results can be shown.

  The timing of this change:
  春生夏长, 畅茂条达, 富有之象也。
  秋得则万物告成, 升虽不足, 而内实有余。
  冬得之则草木凋零, 随毁随誉, 骤落骤荣, 旋消旋长, 而聚散无常。
  Spring begins and summer grows, lush and unfettered, rich indeed is its sight.
  When autumn is reached things are completed. Though from the outside not enough, (there is) within however certainly enough.
  When winter is reached the crop withers. Slander and praise follow one another, time after time degradation is followed by fame, and increase and decrease turn their circle. Meeting and parting are irregular.

The subject

Earth     Thunder  
The bottom line (Earth-line) shows the subject now and its outcome.

变初六为震, 为雷, 雷出地中, 奋达疾速, 威声
三三远赫, 有寒木生春之意, 万汇咸亨, 品物流行, 发荣茂盛, 无适不宜。
 When the bottom line changes, Kun becomes Zhen, thunder comes from the earth. It comes energetically and quickly. Its prestige extends far and wide.
  Earth with Thunder is a great tree that benefits others. It can grow by depleting the Earth, but by growing, everything else can benefit from it. It is like resistant trees, cold and bare in winter, but announcing spring early (metaphor for high moral integrity).
  Everything on earth is effortless, all living beings spread out, fame abounds. There is nothing that would not be appropriate.

  This line changes from Earth's yin to Thunder's yang. Yin absorbs material, efforts and resources to make things grow. With Thunder's energy and stimulation, the subject will start to shine and to give, but yang can also deplete itself, like the tree in autumn. You need to save your strength or refuel now and then.
  The bottom line is the subject, the ‘field’ where you pour in or find both the cause and the means for your initiative: space, material, problems or opportunities, helpers and other people or food for thought.
  When the earth-line changes from yin to yang, the subject will reveal itself. After gathering the material for concrete results, the task now is make or let them show.

  The timing of this change:
  春分以后, 夏至以前, 得之尤佳, 或为宰辅, 或为宪台, 名位禄寿之兼隆。
  冬而得此,遇而不遇,举动必乖,恐成灾管,盖雷行失令违时,则不利矣。
  Spring-summer: For those who get this after the vernal equinox (21/3) but before the Summer Solstice (21/6), this is especially good. He may become prime minister or imperial censor. His position and fame know luck, a doubly long and prosperous life.
  Summer-autumn: after the solstice opportunities diminish steadily. Take care not to give up, small steps are still possible. Outside, there may not be much luck, inside it is important to stay true to your principles. Don’t allow others to use you against your own wellbeing.
  Winter: In winter, when not getting the opportunities you need, your activities are in danger of being different from what is appropriate; fear leads to disasters. Retreat from action, because this is the movement of thunder that loses its power by going against the season, which is unfavorable.

The outcome

Earth     Earth

  The middle line (Man-line) shows the situation now and its outcome.

  The line is unchanging yin, this situation will continue to absorb efforts or resources, because its developing stage is not finished and not all good or bad aspects have been explored. It is too early to decide about a final direction. This still needs input, absorbing resources and knowledge, and keeps doing so for the time being. It is the 'man' line, it can also be about you yourself, not only what you do.
  Earth’s yin is strong, but there is a lack of Water's yang, with its intuitive way of finding a road, flowing around obstructions or filling up pits and holes. But also without Water's risk of following roads better not taken.
  This project will stay attractive, but also continue to absorb efforts or resources. It is too early to decide about a final direction, not all possibilities, both good and bad, have been explored. There will be no output yet.

Overview of the lines, changing and unchanging

  The initiative becomes bright and giving, but might become cold and authorative.
  The subject becomes bright and giving but might start showing off.
  The outcome is yin, it is a good time to continue the work.

  The man-line finds itself in a surrounding which changes everywhere from yin to yang. From nurturing to brightness. It can be a good thing, like a new bright day. But if all this yang is cold, he might be in danger. A yin middle line always has this underlying current of invisible danger without the power to face risks head-on.

Most translations and information from "Yijing astrologie" by Harmen Mesker

last update: 22.09.2022

HOME    SITEMAP    MAIL

© LiSe April 2000