I Ching
Symbol · The Eight Trigrams
The Creative (Heaven)
Unbroken Strength
The I Ching trigram representing pure Heaven, creative leadership, dynamic initiative, and unyielding persistence.
What it meansThree unbroken lines, the only figure with nothing yielding in it. The Shuogua gives it heaven, the father, the head, the horse — and strength as its one attribute. What it originates it does not shape: everything in the book that has form owes that form to its opposite.
Symbol · The Eight Trigrams
The Joyous (Lake)
The Open Surface
The I Ching trigram representing Lake and metal, symbolizing infectious joy, cheerful communication, and openness.
What it meansTwo firm lines with one yielding line open at the top — a vessel that is not sealed. The Shuogua gives it the lake, the youngest daughter, and the mouth. Joy in this system is an opening rather than a fullness, which is why it belongs to speech.
Symbol · The Eight Trigrams
The Clinging (Fire)
Brightness Without Substance
Clarity that is hollow at the centre: brightness clings to what sustains it, and can consume it.
What it meansEmpty in the middle: two firm lines with nothing between them. Fire has no substance of its own and exists by holding to what it burns, which is why the trigram's name means clinging as well as brightness. The Shuogua gives it the eye — light that depends on something to see.
- AbundanceThe Sixty-Four Hexagrams
- After CompletionThe Sixty-Four Hexagrams
- ApproachThe Sixty-Four Hexagrams
- Before CompletionThe Sixty-Four Hexagrams
- Biting ThroughThe Sixty-Four Hexagrams
- BreakthroughThe Sixty-Four Hexagrams
- Coming to MeetThe Sixty-Four Hexagrams
- ConflictThe Sixty-Four Hexagrams
- ContemplationThe Sixty-Four Hexagrams
- Darkening of the LightThe Sixty-Four Hexagrams
- DecreaseThe Sixty-Four Hexagrams
- DeliveranceThe Sixty-Four Hexagrams
- DevelopmentThe Sixty-Four Hexagrams
- Difficulty at the BeginningThe Sixty-Four Hexagrams
- DispersionThe Sixty-Four Hexagrams
- DurationThe Sixty-Four Hexagrams
- EnthusiasmThe Sixty-Four Hexagrams
- FellowshipThe Sixty-Four Hexagrams
- FollowingThe Sixty-Four Hexagrams
- Gathering TogetherThe Sixty-Four Hexagrams
- GraceThe Sixty-Four Hexagrams
- Great PossessionThe Sixty-Four Hexagrams
- Great PowerThe Sixty-Four Hexagrams
- Great PreponderanceThe Sixty-Four Hexagrams
- Great TamingThe Sixty-Four Hexagrams
- Holding TogetherThe Sixty-Four Hexagrams
- IncreaseThe Sixty-Four Hexagrams
- InfluenceThe Sixty-Four Hexagrams
- Inner TruthThe Sixty-Four Hexagrams
- InnocenceThe Sixty-Four Hexagrams
- Keeping Still (Mountain)The Eight Trigrams
- LimitationThe Sixty-Four Hexagrams
- ModestyThe Sixty-Four Hexagrams
- Mouth CornersThe Sixty-Four Hexagrams
- ObstructionThe Sixty-Four Hexagrams
- OppositionThe Sixty-Four Hexagrams
- OppressionThe Sixty-Four Hexagrams
- PeaceThe Sixty-Four Hexagrams
- ProgressThe Sixty-Four Hexagrams
- Pushing UpwardThe Sixty-Four Hexagrams
- RetreatThe Sixty-Four Hexagrams
- ReturnThe Sixty-Four Hexagrams
- RevolutionThe Sixty-Four Hexagrams
- Small PreponderanceThe Sixty-Four Hexagrams
- Small TamingThe Sixty-Four Hexagrams
- Splitting ApartThe Sixty-Four Hexagrams
- StandstillThe Sixty-Four Hexagrams
- The Abysmal (Water)The Eight Trigrams
- The Abysmal WaterThe Sixty-Four Hexagrams
- The ArmyThe Sixty-Four Hexagrams
- The Arousing (Thunder)The Eight Trigrams
- The Arousing ThunderThe Sixty-Four Hexagrams
- The CauldronThe Sixty-Four Hexagrams
- The Clinging (Fire)The Eight Trigrams
- The Clinging FireThe Sixty-Four Hexagrams
- The Creative (Heaven)The Eight Trigrams
- The Creative HeavenThe Sixty-Four Hexagrams
- The FamilyThe Sixty-Four Hexagrams
- The Gentle (Wind)The Eight Trigrams
- The Gentle WindThe Sixty-Four Hexagrams
- The Joyous (Lake)The Eight Trigrams
- The Joyous LakeThe Sixty-Four Hexagrams
- The Keeping Still MountainThe Sixty-Four Hexagrams
- The Marrying MaidenThe Sixty-Four Hexagrams
- The Receptive (Earth)The Eight Trigrams
- The Receptive EarthThe Sixty-Four Hexagrams
- The WandererThe Sixty-Four Hexagrams
- The WellThe Sixty-Four Hexagrams
- TreadingThe Sixty-Four Hexagrams
- WaitingThe Sixty-Four Hexagrams
- Work on the DecayedThe Sixty-Four Hexagrams
- Youthful FollyThe Sixty-Four Hexagrams