玄ZenTellATLAS OF WISDOM TRADITIONS
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I Ching / ENCYCLOPEDIA

Eight trigrams

八卦

Eight trigrams are the eight possible arrangements of three yin or yang lines, used to construct hexagrams and organize traditional symbolic associations.

Introductory article2 min readUpdated 2026-09-30AI-assisted · Editorially checked

At a glance

Combinations
2³ = 8
Reading direction
Bottom to top
A modern ink illustration of books, brushwork and mountains
Original ZenTell AI illustration · Contemporary artwork, not a historical object
Three-line structure of the eight trigramsSolid lines denote yang; broken lines yin. Binary labels read top–middle–bottom and only encode structure. Pairing trigrams gives 64 six-line figures.Qian111Dui011Li101Zhen001Xun110Kan010Gen100Kun000
Three-line structure of the eight trigramsSolid lines denote yang; broken lines yin. Binary labels read top–middle–bottom and only encode structure. Pairing trigrams gives 64 six-line figures.

Definition and terminology

The names are Qian, Dui, Li, Zhen, Xun, Kan, Gen and Kun. Lines are read from bottom upward, with unbroken yang and broken yin. Positions matter. Trigrams are not eight independent fortune labels: their functions differ as individual signs, hexagram components and positions in directional arrangements.

[1][2]

Structure and rules

The Shuogua associates Qian with heaven, Kun earth, Zhen thunder, Xun wind, Kan water, Li fire, Gen mountain and Dui marsh. It also offers qualities such as movement and stopping. These are symbolic associations. A water sign does not automatically forecast rainfall or identify a particular physical location.

[1][2]

Worked reading

Kan has yin at the bottom, yang in the middle and yin above. Draw the lines, verify the name, then list the textual images of water and difficulty. This separates structural recognition from interpretation. Using Kan as both lower and upper trigram produces a six-line hexagram, a different level of composition.

[1][2]

Context and limits

Trigrams were reused in Changes studies, Daoism, martial practice and geomancy, with differing arrangements. Numerical orders and directional assignments are additional conventions, not inevitable consequences of line structure. Begin with structural recognition and documented associations. These clarify a cultural language without independently establishing accuracy in predicting particular events.

[1][2]

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.

  1. 《易传·说卦》Primary / tradition source

    Public-domain commentary documenting traditional trigram associations and directions.

  2. 《周易》Primary / tradition source

    Public-domain classic; documents hexagrams and textual statements, not predictive effectiveness.

Keep exploring

64 hexagramsIntroductionHexagram and line textsIntroductionTen WingsIntroductionEarlier and Later HeavenIntroductionChanging hexagramsIntroductionImages numbers and meaningIntroductionIntroduction to the I ChingIntroduction