Eight Trigrams Pendulum: The I Ching Bagua

How to use this board

The eight trigrams (bagua, 八卦) combine yang (solid) and yin (broken) lines in sets of three. The Shuogua, one of the classic commentaries on the I Ching, gives each one an image, a quality and a place in the family: Heaven is the father and Earth the mother; Thunder, Water and Mountain are the three sons; Wind, Fire and Lake, the three daughters. This wheel follows the Earlier Heaven order that tradition credits to Fu Xi, from Qian to Kun.

Use the wheel to put an image to what you feel: "What is this stage of my life like?" "What attitude does this conflict call for?" A trigram is simpler than a hexagram, so it works well for short questions or as a first step before a fuller reading.

As you read, think about the image from nature: wind that gets in everywhere, a mountain that doesn't budge, water that keeps flowing. What does that have to do with your question? For a full I Ching reading with all 64 hexagrams and changing lines, visit Changes (https://yijing.astromooncalendar.com), our sister site.

The options

What each answer invites you to consider.

☰Heaven (Qian)

Qian, three solid lines: Heaven, the creative force that never tires. Is there something you need to start with resolve? Trust your drive, and remember that real strength also knows how to wait for its moment.

☱Lake (Dui)

Dui, the Lake: calm joy, the kind of conversation that brings people closer. Who could you share what's going on with? An honest talk and a bit of humor can loosen what seemed stuck.

☲Fire (Li)

Li, Fire: clarity, light, what clings and illuminates. What do you need to see more sharply? Find the information you're missing and look at the situation plainly, with the lights on.

☳Thunder (Zhen)

Zhen, Thunder: the jolt that wakes things up and sets them moving. If something startled you, ask what it's waking up in you. After the crash comes calm, and with it, action.

☴Wind (Xun)

Xun, Wind: the gentleness that works its way in little by little, like a root into soil. You may not need to force anything; steady, kind persistence gets further than one hard push.

☵Water (Kan)

Kan, Water: the gorge, the risk, the deep. Water doesn't stop at an obstacle; it flows around it and keeps going. How can you stay true to yourself in the middle of something hard?

☶Mountain (Gen)

Gen, Mountain: stillness, stopping at the right time. The wise move may be to pause, skip deciding today and let your mind settle. What changes if you give yourself permission to be still for a moment?

☷Earth (Kun)

Kun, three broken lines: Earth, the receptiveness that supports and nourishes. What if, instead of leading, you walked alongside? Listening, receiving and backing others up is a kind of strength too.

Frequently asked questions

What are the eight trigrams of the I Ching?

They're the eight three-line figures, each line yin or yang, at the base of the I Ching: Heaven, Lake, Fire, Thunder, Wind, Water, Mountain and Earth. Paired two at a time, they make the 64 hexagrams. Each trigram has an image from nature, a quality and a symbolic place in the family.

What is the Fu Xi or Earlier Heaven order?

It's one of the two classic arrangements of the trigrams, credited by tradition to the legendary Fu Xi. It sets the trigrams in opposite pairs: Heaven across from Earth, Fire from Water, Thunder from Wind, Mountain from Lake. The other arrangement, Later Heaven, is attributed to King Wen.

Can I consult the I Ching with a pendulum?

This wheel gives you one trigram, a simple image to reflect on. A traditional I Ching reading uses coins or yarrow stalks to build a six-line hexagram, with possible changing lines. That's what Changes, our sister site devoted to the I Ching, is for.

Go deeper

• Pendulum, Tarot or I Ching: How They Differ and Which to Use · Pendulum, tarot and I Ching compared: where each one comes from, which questions suit it best, and how to use all three for reflection instead of fortune-telling.
• Pendulum and Astrology: Signs, Planets, and Houses · How to use a pendulum with zodiac sign, planet, house, and element boards: astrology as a symbolic language for reflection, not for predicting the future.

Sources

• Yijing (I Ching), Shuogua ("Discussion of the Trigrams"), one of the Ten Wings
• Richard Wilhelm, I Ging. Das Buch der Wandlungen (1924)