The 64 Hexagrams

The sixty-four GUA present every possible arrangement of six yin and yang lines. They help a reader notice what stage a situation has reached, how different forces are interacting, and what deserves attention next. This page gathers all sixty-four in the traditional sequence, so beginners can move through them step by step and returning readers can find a particular GUA quickly.

Each detailed GUA page explains the figure, the upper and lower trigrams, the six line positions, the modern situation it can illuminate, and practical points to consider. Do not rush to extract one fixed answer. First understand the pattern, then compare it with the facts of your own circumstances; that is where the reading becomes useful.

The 64 GUA at a Glance

The traditional sequence is arranged below in eight groups. Each card gives a practical modern theme before linking to the full explanation.

How a Beginner Can Read One GUA

1. Start with the name and the main situation. A GUA name is not a simple label of good or bad fortune. It helps you recognise whether the matter concerns beginning, waiting, cooperation, conflict, advance, retreat, or change.
2. Separate the upper and lower trigrams. The lower three lines often relate to what is inner, near, personal, or beginning. The upper three often relate to what is outer, further away, involving others, or developing later.
3. Read the six stages from the bottom upward. The first line is the opening of a situation; the second often shows early stability; the third commonly meets a turning point; the fourth enters the outer field; the fifth approaches maturity; and the upper line can point to completion, withdrawal, or excess.
4. Focus on the relevant line text. Do not apply all six line texts to yourself at once. When a reading has changing lines, begin there. When studying a GUA generally, read the six lines as stages through which one situation can develop.
5. Return to reality before deciding. Compare the pattern with your resources, timing, relationships, and risks. A GUA can organise reflection, but it does not replace evidence, qualified advice, or personal responsibility.

Figures, Line Positions, and Change

How is a GUA formed?

A GUA has six lines, each either unbroken yang or broken yin, arranged from bottom to top. Two possibilities in six positions create sixty-four combinations. Reading the lower three lines and upper three lines as two trigrams gives a first view of the inner and outer sides of the situation.

How should the six positions be understood?

The line positions are best treated as stages of development, not six unrelated verdicts. The same action can have different consequences at different stages. A beginning may call for preparation, growth may call for cooperation, and near-completion may call for restraint so that success is not lost through excess.

What are changing lines and a resulting GUA?

When a GUA is cast, one or more lines may be changing from yin to yang or from yang to yin. Changing them creates a second, resulting GUA. The original GUA describes the present pattern, the changing line highlights the key movement, and the resulting GUA suggests the direction the situation may take. It describes a tendency, not a guaranteed outcome.

Using the GUA in Modern Life

Work and study: Identify whether you are preparing, advancing, blocked, cooperating, or completing a task, then choose a method suited to that stage.

Relationships and communication: Look at position, distance, and response. Ask not only who is right, but when to speak, listen, yield, or set a clear boundary.

Important decisions: Use the GUA as a framework for listing opportunities, risks, resources, and time conditions. Health, legal, and financial choices should still rely on sound evidence and qualified professional guidance.

Personal cultivation: Observe how an intention grows into action, and how strength that goes too far may need to pause, turn, or return.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are the sixty-four GUA sixty-four fixed destinies?

No. Each GUA describes a pattern of circumstances. Real situations continue to change through choices, environment, relationships, and time. The same GUA can therefore emphasise different concerns for different people.

Where should I begin?

For systematic study, begin with Qian and Kun and continue in sequence. For a specific question, you can open the relevant GUA directly and return here whenever you need the basic guidance on trigrams, line positions, and change.

Is reading the GUA name enough?

No. The name provides an orientation, not a complete answer. At minimum, also consider the upper and lower trigrams, the overall situation, and the relevant line position. This helps prevent “favourable” from becoming permission to rush, or “difficulty” from becoming a reason to do nothing.

Begin Reading

Start with GUA 1, Qian, or go directly to GUA 64, Wei Ji. At the bottom of every GUA page, use the previous, next, and overview links to continue through the collection.