Trigrams

Originally, the characters come from the Chinese practice of the Yarrow Oracle.

The continuous lines are fixed and light and the broken lines are soft and dark. Solid lines represent yang 陽 , expansion, the masculine aspect, light, life, ungraded numbers, penetration and mountains. In India it is represented by a phallic object. Its symbol is the dragon.

Broken lines symbolise yin 陰 , contraction, the feminine aspect, darkness, night, death, graded numbers, resistance and water courses. In India it is represented by the Yoni. Its symbol is the tiger.

A trigram emanates from drawn numbers, throws or originally arranged yarrow stalks. From two combined trigrams, a hexagram is formed. This gives the oracle’s answer and can be interpreted.

Trigrams	Nature	Family
Ch'ien 乾	Heaven Creative Strong Dryness	Father
K'un 坤	Earth Receptive Devotion Femininity	Mother
Chên 震	Thunder Exciting Moving Excitement	Eldest son
K'an 坎	Water Abysmal Dangerous Danger	Middle son
Kên 艮	Mountain Calm Resting Resistance	Youngest son
Sun 巽	Wind Soft Penetrating Softness	Eldest daughter
Li 離	Fire Clinging Luminous Separation	Middle daughter
Tui 兌	Lake Cheerful Joyful Change	Youngest daughter