Changing Lines
CHANGING LINES · CASTING VALUES AND READING METHODS
KEY TAKEAWAYS / TL;DR
- ◈Moving lines are casting values 6 (Old Yin) and 9 (Old Yang). Flip them to form the relating hexagram; retain 7 and 8.
- ◈Without moving lines, the structure stays the same; the reading then stays with the primary hexagram and its text.
- ◈Text-selection traditions differ. The simplified Qimeng rules below focus on line roles, timing, and interactions in their own sequence.
Nine and Six in received line headings identify polarity and position, not the values of this casting. A stable Yang line cast as 7 still has Nine in its textual heading. Keep the headings separate from the casting record.
THE MECHANISM OF TRANSFORMATION
Line 2: Old Yang changes to Yin; other lines stay unchanged
HOW LINES CHANGE
Methods using values 6, 7, 8, and 9 distinguish four states. Stable and moving refer to whether a line flips:
Stable Yang — holds its position
Stable Yin — holds its position
Yang flips to Yin (moving)
Yin flips to Yang (moving)
Old Yin becomes Yang; Old Yang becomes Yin. Apply all moving-line flips to obtain the complete relating hexagram. The number of moving lines shows how many positions change in the structure.
Counting example: assign heads 3 and tails 2, then add three coins. HHH=9, HHT=8, HTT=7, TTT=6. Face names and assignments vary by convention; declare them first. This example does not change the site's casting algorithm.
HOW TO READ CHANGING LINES
This is a simplified outline of the Qimeng rules quoted in Huang Zongxi's Yi Xue Xiang Shu Lun, Casting Methods. The same chapter discusses other approaches. Detailed primary/relating precedence for three changing lines is omitted here, and Liuyao Najia uses a separate analytical framework.
No changing lines
Read the primary judgment. With no distinct relating structure, the reading stays with the primary hexagram.
One changing line
Read the moving line statement in the primary hexagram.
Two changing lines
Read both moving line statements in the primary, prioritizing the higher line under this convention.
Three changing lines
Consult both judgments, treating primary as zhen and relating as hui; consult the source for finer precedence rules.
Four changing lines
Read the two unchanged positions in the relating hexagram, prioritizing the lower line.
Five changing lines
Read the sole unchanged position in the relating hexagram.
Six changing lines (all change)
For Qian use Use Nine; for Kun use Use Six. For other hexagrams read the relating judgment. These two special texts belong only to Qian and Kun.
✦ Explore further:Curious about the extreme case of all six lines changing? Read the special transforming texts for Hexagram 1 (The Creative) and Hexagram 2 (The Receptive).
THE TWO-HEXAGRAM DIALOGUE
The primary and relating hexagrams are two structures connected by explicit line flips. Reading them as the present situation and a possible direction gives the pair a narrative movement.
For example, changing only Qian's bottom line gives Gou, Heaven over Wind. The other five lines stay Yang. Changing all six Qian lines gives Kun. Verify each line rather than guessing an outcome from a hexagram name.
Method note: construction rules and text-selection rules are separate. Record the original values and name the method before interpreting, so the chosen convention stays visible.
PRACTITIONER'S NOTES
Count from bottom to top. Lines 1–3 form the lower trigram and 4–6 the upper. Position alone does not establish internal or external causes.
Correct-position symbolism is a textual reading convention that highlights the line's place in the hexagram.
More moving lines mean more flipped positions and a more active change sequence.
Line 5 and line 1 carry different positions in the text. Text selection depends on the chosen method and passage.
Sources and method: Huang Zongxi's Yi Xue Xiang Shu Lun, Casting Methods, quotes Qimeng rules and discusses alternatives; Zhouyi Qian and Kun contain Use Nine and Use Six. Coin probabilities below enumerate the eight equally likely outcomes of three independent fair coins.
Read the casting-method source · Line headings and moving values