At a glance
- Divisors
- Eight for trigrams, six for lines
- Method distinction
- Distinguish from Najia Six Lines
Definition and terminology
Plum Blossom and Najia both use hexagrams but not the same algorithm. The received manual emphasizes deriving signs from numbers or appearances and interpreting body/use relationships. The plum-viewing origin story explains traditional authority, not an independently verified modern prediction. Attribution does not establish that every surviving chapter was written by Shao Yong.
Structure and rules
A common order is Qian 1, Dui 2, Li 3, Zhen 4, Xun 5, Kan 6, Gen 7, Kun 8. Trigram remainders divide by eight, treating zero as eight; moving positions divide by six, treating zero as six. Different procedures specify different inputs, and body/use assignment must be declared rather than improvised.
Worked reading
Declare a teaching method using nine for the upper sign, fourteen for the lower, and their sum for movement. Remainders give Qian above Kan, Song, and position five. Reversing that line gives Li above Kan, Weiji. This verifies arithmetic; adding an hour number would change the declared method and must be recorded.
Context and limits
Nuclear signs, external correspondences and body/use images can broaden interpretation, so define inputs and sequence rather than treating any later sound or color as evidence. Earlier/later terminology can describe derivation methods, not only directional diagrams. Preserve numbers, rules, signs and notes. Reproducible arithmetic does not validate claims of responsiveness or prediction.
References & further reading
Historical sources document ideas and rules of their time, not empirical proof of predictive accuracy. Source notes identify the nature and scope of each reference.
- 《梅花易数》卷一Primary / tradition source
Public-domain received manual for trigram and line remainders; attribution to Shao Yong is not treated as established authorship.
- 《增删卜易》Primary / tradition source
Public-domain Six Lines text; page includes modern transcriber additions, so use the original numbered chapters for attribution.