---------------------------------

I Ching without Text

A Practical Guide to Najia Method

edited by Jing Fang Revive upon several lost articles by rllb888@ (Robert Bereny)
originally posted in: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/chineseastrology/message/14536
 version 0.5 of 19th june 2017

"I Ching without Text" is published under the Creative Commons:

Attribution – Non Commercial – Share Alike 4.0 International Public License

2
 Index

Table of Contents
Chapter 1 Introduction..........................................................................................................................5
Pointing out differences...................................................................................................................6
Author’s intention..........................................................................................................................10
Chapter 2 Topics to know about I Ching............................................................................................11
General prerequisites.....................................................................................................................11
Outline of subjects specific to Najia study....................................................................................11
Chapter 3 Casting the response hexagram..........................................................................................13
Formulating an appropriate question.............................................................................................13
Device and method of casting........................................................................................................14
Chapter 4 Entering the Najia maze.....................................................................................................17
The line, the meaning.....................................................................................................................17
The Bigrams...................................................................................................................................17
The five Agents (Wu Xing)............................................................................................................18

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4
Chapter 1 Introduction

Chapter 1 Introduction

Despite our rational way of thinking I believe no one can say that he/she has ever thought of
a inscrutable tide of luck that carriers his/her everyday life. All the more, when we are at vital
moments in our life, when we must take an important decision, everyone seek an advice from a
friend or someone with greater experience than us. We wish we could see in the future to avoid
wrong choices. The Yi Jing augury, in such moments, comes to rescue, helps you in making up your
mind about whatever problem or doubt you may have.

There is a “traditional west” way of receiving advise from the “Book of Changes“ through a
written text, I will attempt to disclose a different Chinese way of reading the well known I Ching
hexagrams without the use of those written text.

Usually authors tend to overestimate their creations, it is in the nature of everyone to give
importance to their work. I would stay in the crowd, I believe this booklet to be a groundbreaking
effort to share a hidden knowledge. Of course, the information included is not original nor
published for the first time in English, however this his probably the first attempted to provide an
accessible account for an occasional amateur reader of a specialised subject.

I will try to translate sentences like the following one in a comprehensible text:

“Wen Wang Gua is a method of interpreting the results of I Ching

divination that was first described in writing by Jing Fang (78–37 BC) in Han
dynasty China. It is based on correlating trigrams to the Celestial Stems
and Earthly Branches of the Chinese calendar, and then using the stem and
branch elements to interpret the lines of the trigrams and hexagrams of the
I Ching.[1] “

I would supply to western reader the opportunity to understand the practical element of this
divination system. Available sources are mainly focused on theoretical aspects of the system, they
describe its components pointing out the historical references or ancient Chinese cosmology and
geomancy, but scarce attention is paid to the practical direction on how to perform an enquiry and
make sense of the resulting hexagram without the interpretation provided by the written
commentaries .

My writing comes out the need to share with other my fascination more than anything else.
It would be fraudulent to have my name on front cover of this book as those are my words, but they
are “an accumulation of all that has come before them – the people I have met, the books I have
read, the traditions I’ve learned, the philosophers I’ve studied.” [paraphrasing the publisher of
http://www.moneylessmanifesto.org/why-free/ ].

The following chapters represent an effort to gather various sources into a organised
presentation that would eventually offer all the necessary tools to the reader to perform this fortune-
teller method.

5
Chapter 1 Introduction

Pointing out differences

Probably the single most well known text of Chinese Culture outside of academic circles
remains the "I Ching", written as Yi Jing in the Pin Yin system transliteration of Chinese into
Roman [http://www.yellowbridge.com/chinese/pinyin-intro.php]. As a matter of fact, in China
there are various ways of divination using the sixty-four hexagrams of the Yi Jing, but outside of
Chinese cultures and cultures influenced directly by Chinese culture little is known beyond the
Classic text itself. The most outstanding example is the classical and well known "I Ching or
Book of Changes" by Wilhelm, Richard (Comp); Baynes, Cary F (Trans); Published by
Routledge & Kegan Paul, London (1978) -
http://www2.unipr.it/~deyoung/I_Ching_Wilhelm_Translation.html ].

As irony would have it, most Chinese educated people find the Yi Jing difficult to
understand in its original form due to the pithy and enigmatic nature of the words used, many of
which are not used in modern language. Therefore, even Chinese scholars, who can and do
interpret the classic Yi Jing rely heavily on the texts said to be written by Kung Fu Tse (Confucius)
and later commentators as the original Yi Jing is a text of few words.
This is an example of the traditional look of I Ching:
original Chinese text and English translation by James Legge

http://www.yellowbridge.com/onlinelit/i-ching.php

The Yi Jing has been in use in the "west" for about one hundred and fifty years or so as an
example of pristine Chinese philosophy and for some as a method of prognostication. This use of
the Yi as an Oracle has been according to a tradition of “seeking guidance from worlds and forces
deep beyond consciousness of the waking state”. It has provided solace, insight and wisdom to
many seekers in this role and is therefore appropriately referred to as an "Oracle". Consequently,
translations of the Yi Jing and reinterpretations of the translations probably exceed two hundred in
number at the turn of the millennium.

6
Chapter 1 Introduction

Da Liu has pointed out in his two popular books that although these many editions of the Yi
Jing give excellent tips and suggestions on the diversity of possible interpretations of the Yi, few of
them focus on the Art of Prediction itself. Both books "I Ching Coin Prediction" [Published 1974
by HarperCollins] and "I Ching Numerology” [Published 1979 by XXX] are now unfortunately
out of print.

The Chinese seers, diviners and fortune-tellers use another method of interpreting the
Hexagrams that is directly prediction oriented. This method is commonly known as Liu Yao Gua
(Six Lined Divination symbol) in general, the Najia system – also known as 'Wen Wang Ba Gua
(The Eight Trigrams of King Wen). The name "Wen Wang Ba Gua" itself is suggestive and implies
that this method of interpretation dates back to King Wen. This is probably true to a point.
However the exact degree of involvement of King Wen in formulating the text of the Zhao Yi or I
Ching and other methods of interpretations of the sixty-four Hexagrams is shrouded deep in
mystery and ultimately hidden by the veils of the past.

The current historical view is that whatever legacy of divination has passed down amongst a
lineage of diviners, the form now known and practised as Wen Wang Ba Gua in all its refinement
and sophistication, was compiled by the Han Dynasty Yi Jing scholar Jin Fang.

You can read more about Jin Fang in English in Alfred Huang's `Numerology of the I
Ching' [https://archive.org/details/12064TheNumerologyOfTheIChing] and Harmen Mesker's
recent fascinating article entitled "The Eight Palaces" [http://www.biroco.com/yijing/eh.pdf].
Other sources are sparse.

Dating the current form of Wen Wang Ba Gua to the Han Dynasty, makes Wen Wang Ba
Gua about two thousand years old. It is not unlikely that earlier forms of Wen Wang Ba Gua do
indeed date much further back – even to King Wen himself, but considering Jin Fang's vast
contribution, these earlier systems were either a lot simpler or their methods have become
redundant through Jin Fang's `Magnum Opus'. Jin Fang attempted amongst other things, to
amalgamate various methods of divination such as Wu Xin, Liu Yao Gua, Gang Zhi as well as the
use of climatic, meteorological and astronomical considerations into a single method of
prognostication, a kind of "Super-divination".

The major difference between Jin Fang's Yi – Wen Wang Ba Gua as compared to the Zhao
Yi or the "I Ching" is that apart from complexity, Jin Fang's method is "dynamic" as opposed to
"static". Wen Wang Ba Gua utilises the time/space dimensions. This is best illustrated by a
hypothetical scenario.

Suppose three diviners in different places in the world, asking three different questions, all
cast a hexagram at the same moment in time but by some mysterious synchronicity all three happen
to cast the exact same Hexagram. If our three diviners were using the Wen Wang Ba Gua as their
tool of divination, they would despite viewing the same Hexagram arrive at very different answers
relevant to the enquiry. However, if the diviners were using the Yi Jing text, they would be reading
the same text (assuming they had common translations) and the same transforming line(s), if any.
The onus would be on the diviner to use her or his intuition and imagination to the utmost to relate
the same piece of poetry to the question asked.

7
Chapter 1 Introduction

The proponents of Wen Wang Ba Gua say that this leaves the interpretation somewhat open
to misunderstanding. The proponents of the Zhao Yi as a tool of prediction would argue that
ultimately both situations depend on the skill of the diviner who must relate the answer to the
original question in either case.
Although this is true on a superficial level, on analysis the comparison is not tenable.
Ultimately the diviners using the Zhao Yi, will be looking at the same I Ching text and focusing on
the same transforming line, irrespective of the question asked.
The difference is that the diviners using Wen Wang Ba Gua will be looking at different parts
of the Hexagram depending on the nature of the question. He or she would not be particularly
focusing on the transforming line, though it would be considered in analysis of the whole picture.
Another difference is also that the Wen Wang Ba Gua diviner is not using any text and therefore is
free from the potential entrapment of words. Moreover, if by some bizarre quirk of fate, the same
hexagram and line (s) were cast, the exact same Hexagram and line(s), on a different date, for the
same question, the diviner using Wen Wang Ba Gua will yield a totally different answer. This
cannot be said with certainty if one is predicting from a fixed text. Divination by casting a
hexagram, and then seeking an answer by relating your specific enquiry to the text of the Zhao Yi,
an ancient commentary written three thousand years ago, may at times be very difficult.

According to exponents of Wen Wang Ba Gua, this way of seeking a prediction (using a
fixed text) is difficult, hampered and subject to misinterpretation, interference by prankish spirits or
at times even "wishful thinking". Divination by Wen Wang Ba Gua however has much clearer
boundaries and hence is less susceptible to capriciousness and interference psychic or otherwise.
Wen Wang Ba Gua deals with pure symbol and is considered by its exponents to be far more
creative and therefore malleable a method to predict with.

Master Raymond Lo [http://www.raymond-lo.com/] points out that the interpretations of

King Wen, the Duke of Zhao and Kung Fu Tse, that make up the Zhao Yi, focus largely on social,
moral and philosophical issues and that they are certainly not the only valid interpretations of the
Hexagrams. I am personally not as single minded on this issue as many Chinese commentators and
only partly share these views. I list them only in fairness so that you can be aware of the back
ground to all this. The need of modern people in the age of the "Nuclear Family" for spiritual re-
orientation, wisdom, and guidance no matter how abstruse, often far outweighs their need for an
accurate and workable prediction method. Many modern people do not seek or even believe in
"predictions". I use the word modern instead of "Westerners" as there are many Chinese people
whom I have made contact who think like "Westerners" despite ethnic background, which does not
in any way seem to bear any relevance to these issues. Therefore the methods of seeking Oracular
advice using the Zhao Yi as made famous in the twentieth century, will probably always have a
place for those seeking direction, comfort or meaning through the ancient classic.

There is no doubt that Wen Wang Ba Gua is a system of divination that used by someone
familiar with its intricacies has potential for immense accuracy. The diviner using Wen Wang Ba
Gua casts a Hexagram and analyses the Gua not as an independent hexagram or even one out of
sixty four, but as an event in space-time. The diviner must look at the place of not only the
hexagram but that of the querent and the subject being investigated in the context of the rest of the
universe as conceived by Jin Fang's cosmology.

8
Chapter 1 Introduction

The reference to "space-time" may appear to be a hackneyed attempt at giving these articles
a pseudo-scientific sheen. In fact they are from a traditional Chinese viewpoint quite literally true.
Space is involved by the use of the Twelve Earthly Branches and Time by the Ten Celestial Stems.
The Hexagram becomes not just a one in sixty four but is considered in a background of space-time
as measured by ancient Chinese Cosmology. The chances of the same combination of question,
hexagram, time and space arising twice in a lifetime are astronomical. Even amongst traditionally
educated Chinese people, knowledge of Wen Wang Ba Gua is very rare and only those who are true
devotees of seeking what is beneath the substrata of life go to the trouble of acquiring and working
through the reasonably sophisticated and complex prerequisite and main studies. Wen Wang Ba
Gua is not for everyone. In traditional Chinese culture Wen Wang Ba Gua was restricted by its own
innate complexity to professional fortunetellers and serious practitioners of related arts such as Feng
Shui and Ba Zi.

Firstly the need was not there as there are after all many simplified versions of the Zhao Yi
and other more recent divination texts that are used by Chinese people wishing to perform DIY
divination.
Secondly, a professional fortuneteller was available in most Chinese communities in China
or abroad. The word or notion of a fortuneteller incidentally does not necessarily have the negative
connotations associated with it as it does in the modern world. I believe the reason for Wen Wang
Ba Gua not having been presented in the so called West despite the vast interest in its close cousin
or sister/brother the Zhao Yi, is the daunting nature of a writer needing to present the prerequisites.
This is before being able to even touch upon the subject itself. The reader first has to be taught the
language of symbols used in Wen Wang Ba Gua.

The matter is complicated by the fact that there are many professional fortune tellers
worldwide whose bread and butter consists of Ba Zi, Feng Shui and Wen Wang Ba Gua. These
Practitioners have to make a living either divining for clients or teaching if they happen to be
multilingual and gifted teachers to boot [a remarkable example: Jack Chiu “The Secret of Wen-
Wang Gua” http://www.acmc.com.hk/Book011.aspx].

It is only human nature and out of necessity to protect their livelihood that these
Practitioners will inevitably imply that they know something more esoteric and somehow directly or
indirectly denigrate the work of an author who braves such topics. This is perhaps less likely if the
person presenting the topic does not come from a Chinese ethnic background as such an author may
not be seen to be in direct competition.

The final reason is connected with the essentially mercantile natures of the publishing
industry. Most publishers simply do not exist to disseminate knowledge but to make money.
I guess that a book on Wen Wang Ba Gua may be seen as extremely specialised, cerebral or in some
other way risky to publish [by far the best example is “A companion to Yi Jing numerology and
cosmology” by Bent Nielsen, RoutledgeCurzon 2003]. Few would buy it and fewer would read
it. I will make constant reference reference to this monumental work as, to my knowledge it the
most accurate academic production on the subject.
It is generally much safer to publish another book on Chinese Astrological animal signs, especially
if it is clear that the book is for lovers. Sadly, Wen Wang Ba Gua is too large a topic to insert into
the middle of a book on a more popular subject.

9
Chapter 1 Introduction

Author’s intention
To present Wen Wang Ba Gua in a fitting manner, so as to give it justice would require much
more than an entire book. To make a complete presentation, it would be necessary to include case
studies. Chinese literature on the subject of case studies includes many volumes that span records
of use of Wen Wang Ba Gua divination over the centuries for all sorts of topics such as wealth,
health, romance, politics and the usual gamut of human concern [an example in English: Alex
Chiu's Online I-Ching © 2001, http://www.superiching.com/]. Many masters and experts alike
feel that it is the case studies that truly animate what otherwise would be a dry system of theoretical
knowledge. In my own limited experience there is truth in this; although this way of explanation
for occidental readers may result bewildered.
It is not unlikely that it is like the study of healing, where the formal study may be
completed in a medical college, but a physician to-be must first complete a year of internship as a
prerequisite to registration on whatever controlling board of physicians exists.

I am not a scholar, but one who has long held a sincere interest in Wen Wang Ba Gua.
Perhaps dilettante is not the right term either. I am certainly some one who has great admiration for
Wen Wang Ba Gua as a divination and you might correctly say that it has been like a "hobby" to me
for a long time.
It would be far too ambitious a project for me alone to engage in a systematic study that
would encompass case studies and similar advanced material. The time factor, availability of
materials, not to mention the intrinsic language barrier is such that the task would be beyond me, at
least for the time being. Personally, I sincerely hope that many books clarifying this obscure yet
fascinating branch of what Chinese Tradition has and the world at large might well in the future
consider to be "Superior Knowledge" be written and published in the future. This will make Wen
Wang Ba Gua available to those willing to undergo the study required to master the system itself.

The best I hope to achieve here is to explain, in a nutshell, my personal research. It should
be made clear that the knowledge associated with Wen Wang Ba Gua is not entirely new to books
published in English. However, no matter how many source books are used in English at present,
Wen Wang Ba Gua cannot be reconstructed without reference to a lot of information from sources
only available in the Chinese language which I do not have. Furthermore, it must be say that
reading and fluency in Chinese does nor guarantee accessibility to what is considered to be an
arcane subject. The language of books on Wen Wang Ba Gua tends to be highly specialized in the
same way as a text on neurology may remain inaccessible to a scholar of the English language
simply due to a highly developed specialized terminology. In such situations, familiarity with the
terminology is a prerequisite to accessibility of the text.
The language of these books, apart from being full of specialized terminology is itself lyrical
and spiced with a brand of metaphor peculiar to the study of metaphysics often coloured by the age
the text was written in, and brief in presentation, not to mention enigmatic. Traditionally a student
is reliant on the explanation of a master or at the least an experienced "guide" to make sense of such
books.

In the sense of volume and sheer quantity of information, this presentation is indeed new.
This this not an academic oriented effort rather a “easy” guide for interested reader centred on
practical aspects of foretelling rather than cultural and philosophical issues. Even though abridged
in the sense that it is essence focused rather than explaining peripheral matters, the fundamental
subject matter is to the best of my knowledge, complete. I would be most grateful for comment by
any body to point out and expound any omissions.

10
Chapter 2 Topics to know about I Ching

Chapter 2 Topics to know about I Ching

General prerequisites
To learn the technique of divination known as Wen Wang Ba Gua, you should be familiar
with a number of topics that are fundamental and common to study of Chinese Culture and religion
in general and metaphysics in particular. Therefore, the following entries must be considered as a
reference to Najia specific topics more than an analytical table of content. In any case, in order for
you to learn and practice divination with Wen Wang Ba Gua method, it would be advantageous for
you to be familiar with the background, philosophy and use of the Zhou Yi (I Ching classic) as a
tool of divination. I will elaborate or discuss the below topics, as they are vital to the context of
discussion; I will point out, from time to time, the best sources available to deepen the knowledge
on specific topic.
1. Familiarity with the basics and terminology of Chinese Ontology as Expressed in the I
Ching, (the Zhou Yi Classic) and the Tao Te Ching such as the Tao, Yin and Yang, the
unfolding of Wu Chi into Yin and Yang. The eventual manifestation of the
phenomenal world as symbolized by the eight trigrams and eventually the sixty-four
Hexagrams.
2. The mythology of the Lo map and the Ho map and its influence on the metaphysical
arts.
3. Evolution of basic Yin and Yang in to Bigrams, Trigrams the sixty-four Hexagrams,
their basic significance, and correspondences.
4. How to cast a hexagram using fifty dried stalks of the yarrow plant to obtain multiple
changing lines and or the use of three coins to the same effect.
5. Fluency in the basic principles of the five elements and the cycles of harmony and
disharmony.
6. Fluency in the understanding and the use of the ten Celestial Stems and the twelve
Earthly Branches, their mixing, interaction and general chemistry and
correspondences.
7. Ability to use the Chinese Ten Thousand years calendar to convert a date and time
from the Gregorian calendar into the Xia calendar expressed as the sixty combinations
of the ten Celestial Stems and the twelve Earthly Branches.
8. Knowledge of the “height house” principles, and the meaning of relative position of
each hexagram.
9. Competence to place all relevant elements on each line: five phases, subject and object,
hidden spirit, Earthly Branches.
10.Ability to identify the appointed or focus line of the coasted hexagram according to the
topic of the inquiry.
11. Finally, a lot of exercise in spotting out all the interactions and correspondences going
on between each line of the original and derived hexagram and the time of casting.
Outline of subjects specific to Najia study
In the following chapters I will try to cover the following topics as they are the core of the
Najia method. As already stated these do not represent a table of content, but rather a way of listing
issues that need to be focus on by an non-professional querent.
1. The Question.
How to Formulate a Question with view to receiving an answer that can be understood.
2. The Device and Method of Casting the Gua
The Place and symbolism of the Tortoise in Chinese cosmology. The Tortoise as a
representation of the macrocosm. The carapace is Heaven, the plastron is Earth, the space in

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Chapter 2 Topics to know about I Ching

between is the probability field in which events manifest. The dried stalks of the yarrow plant
are the forces of yin and yang as well as the five elements in their manifestation as the ten
celestial stems and twelve earthly branches. The question itself is "the question that stirs the
universe". In this way, the Hexagram is cast in our human dimension in the context of the
interplay between the Macrocosm and microcosm as expressed in the sphere of human concerns.
3. The Divination in Interdependence with the Forces of Time and Space
The date and time of the divination is strictly noted in terms of the Xia Calendar as the Celestial
Stem and Earthly Branch combination of the Year, Month, Day and the hour. These are like co-
ordinates on a map.
4. The Position of Gua in Context of the entire set of Sixty Four The Hexagram
This is identified through its position within the genesis of Hexagrams in context, as holding a
particular position in one of Jin Fang's "Eight Palaces". This enables you to establish (i) the
Hexagram's position within the cycles of life as represented by the sixty four Hexagrams, (ii)
The Palace or Family of Trigrams under which the hexagram is placed and most importantly (iii)
to establish what is usually called the "subject and object" lines within the Hexagram.
5. The Labelling of the Lines of the Hexagram
Using the (i) the earthly branches, and (ii) the five aspects of human concern which are the same
as used in other forms of Chinese divination and fortune telling and (iii) the Liu Shen or Six
Celestial Gods of ancient Chinese Astronomy. The Liu Shen the Six Celestial Animals of
Ancient Chinese Astronomy are usually only added as a final stage in interpretation and
according to my study not used routinely, thus I will not discuss them. I would be interested in
comments from other practitioners of this art who have different views on this matter.
6. The Point(s) to focus on in interpretation of the divination.
This entails establishment of the "Spirit of the Question" which I guess could be paraphrased as
the "Essence of the Question". The previously mentioned Subject line and or the Object line.
Any lines that are transforming into their opposite polarity (i.e. Yin to Yang and Yang to Yin).
7. Analysis of the strength of the "Spirit of the Question"
Support from the season, month, day, transforming lines and of forces that are detrimental to the
Spirit of the Question.
8. The Impact of the Interaction of Earthly Branches
This is the effect of clash and combine relationships and perhaps more importantly the
directional Triple Combinations and the Elemental Life Cycle triple combinations and partial
combinations. Also you can consider the far more subtle influence of "Punishment and Self
Punishment relationships and the twelve stages of evolution and "devolution of the five
elements.
9. Hidden Spirit and Flying Spirit
This is vital in questions where the spirit of the question does not appear in the hexagram and in
analysis of serious questions where the premium on accuracy is higher than usual.
10. Elements in Advance and Retreat, Void Elements and Fan Yin. These are very specific and
perhaps exceptional configurations of certain variables in divination, which do not impact all
instances of divination. However, it is important to recognize and know how to interpret these
when they occur.
10. Application of guidelines on specific enquire topic
Particular protocol are needed for seeking answers to questions on Litigation, Wealth, Lost
Objects, Illness etc. These are usually dependent on the information that can be gleaned from
classical or more recent case studies.

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Chapter 3 Casting the response hexagram

Chapter 3 Casting the response hexagram

Formulating an appropriate question
First of all, the enquirer should ensure the right condition for posing a question: this is not
just an arcane imposition but a practical necessity to allow the necessary time and attention for
completing the process. I would recommend to be alone in a quite room avoiding interruption.

In the text tradition of “seeking guidance from worlds” wording of the questions is a matter
of asking advice from the “oracle” as John Blofeld described in the introduction his version of I
Ching [published by George Allen & Unwin Ltd, 1965]. How to formulate a question with view
to receiving an answer that can be interpreted and understood depends on the righteousness of the
issue or its importance. This is due to the “moral” nature of the text and its commentary.
On the contrary the Image and Number tradition is focusing on prognostication of future
events, therefore questions must be straightforward and clear. If question wording is imprecise it
would be impossible to receive an unambiguous answer.

Certainly there are masters who can take just about any question, toss the coins, record the
hexagram and make coherent and accurate predictions with any question. However for less
experienced seers like us, we need a question that provides a clear focus. The focus will determine
what we seek in the Hexagram and the day month year in time as expressed by the ten Celestial
Stems and twelve earthly branches. Otherwise we may end up with a lot of data in front of us and
have no idea as to what is or isn't important. This is not to mention the ability to discriminate and
determine a hierarchy of importance. If we seek a needle in a haystack, it is at least helpful to know
what a needle looks like. At the very least, we must at least have a description of the properties of a
needle (i.e. Sharp point, metallic, small etc).

A person seeking an answer through divination will often express many questions in one
sentence. It is important to break down such multifaceted questions into their components that will
more than likely require several questions and possibly hexagrams to deal with.
An advanced practitioner of Wen Wang Ba Gua will often ask for one question and then
once the Hexagram is cast will be able to elaborate or answer queries on other side issues as well as
the central issue for which the hexagram was cast.

In essence, a question needs to be clear. A question like "Should I marry Maria?" is far from
ideal. Firstly the querent is not being honest in his purpose. Secondly we may infer that the querent
himself does not know what he is really asking. His question(s) should probably be more along the
lines of:
"Will Maria be a good life companion for me?”
"Will Maria and remain compatible long term/short term/till next year?"
"Will Maria and I make a successful partnership as wife and husband in running our
business to financial success?"
"Will Maria be a good Mother to our children?"
"Can Maria be Happy married to me?"
"Will Maria and I be able to provide each other with the emotional support we both
need?"
"Will Maria and I enjoy marital bliss?"
"Can I stay faithful to Maria"
or
"Can Maria stay faithful to me?"

13
Chapter 3 Casting the response hexagram

or maybe even:
"Will I learn about human nature and marriage to make me wiser on the subject of
human relations for my next marriage?"
"Will I find true happiness married to Maria?"

The possibilities are endless and breath taking. As you can see, really the question posed by
the querent is not well thought out.

A question that addresses the true state and motivating factor driving the enquiry (almost
certainly not recognized by the querent) may be:
"What will happen if Maria and I marry?"
Even here there is plenty of room to narrow further. Is the querent asking, "What will
happen to Maria and I/our friendship/our spiritual aspirations/my social life?" and so on.
Even this ignores the time factor. Possibly the question(s) should be: "What will happen to
Maria and I/our friendship/our spiritual aspirations/my social life in the first three
years/decade/thirty years?" and so on.
A person seeking an answer through divination often has the problem of clarifying his own
thought processes in the first place, and to find out what is really the cause of anxiety and what kind
of glimpse into the future he/she actually needs.

Personally I find question formulation often the most difficult part of the divination session.
Questions such as: "Will my husband survive his illness" or "Am I heading for a nervous
breakdown" or "Will my business survive the current cash flow shortage" are far easier to deal with.
These types of questions are emotionally draining due to the high need for accuracy (and therefore
stressful for the diviner), but in retrospect they were easy from the point of view of interpretation.
If you examine what is in common with these latter questions you will notice that (i) each has a
clear focus and (ii) each is time bound.

One must keep in mind that the answers will not come as words when using Wen Wang Ba
Gua but as pure symbol, as the dance of the five elements. Please keep in mind that, each line and
element, in order to facilitate interpretation, is labelled as one of the five aspects of human concern.
We can deduce from this that the more clearly a question indicates the particular area of human
concern to be focused upon, the easier the task of interpretation will be.
Device and method of casting
The Place and symbolism of the Tortoise in Chinese cosmology. The Tortoise as a
representation of the macrocosm. The carapace is Heaven, the plastron is Earth, the space in
between is the probability field in which events manifest. The coins are the vehicle for the forces of
yin and yang as well as the five elements in their manifestation as the ten celestial stems and twelve
earthly branches. The question itself is "the question that stirs the universe". In this way, the
Hexagram is cast in our human dimension in the context of the interplay between the macrocosm
and microcosm as expressed in the sphere of human concerns.

The technique for casting a hexagram used by most practitioners of Wen Wang Ba Gua is the
commonly used three coin method. There are various methods of casting a Hexagram including the
yarrow stalks, to dice from rice or beads to numerology. To explain the reason for this, we must
enter the realm of speculation or perhaps more optimistically of hypothesis. The traditional
practitioner of Wen Wang Ba Gua uses a tortoise shell to place the coins into and as a kind of

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Chapter 3 Casting the response hexagram

equivalent of a dice box used to cast dice. The question is posed, the coins shaken, and cast from
the shell onto a plate from which they can be read with ease.

There are many Yi Jing enthusiasts suggesting that using the Yarrow method may be
mathematically more in harmony with the original principles of the Yi Jing. True as this may be,
traditionally practitioners of Wen Wang Ba Gua, like mr. Y. C. Chiu prefer the coin method.
[http://www.superiching.com/cointhrowing.htm].
Both method: yarrow stalks or coin method generate biased random numbers for the I Ching
reading [PROBABILITY OF THE I CHING HEXAGRAMS, © Robert F. Hancock 2008], so
we don’t have the same chance to have a Yin or a Yang line. The yarrow method clearly is more
biased than the coin in favours Yang interpretations of the hexagrams.

As a matter of fact is has been proved that we do not know how in origin the hexagram was
identified, nor the probabilities for each line. Furthermore, the idea that yin and yang have different
probability runs counter to the entire spirit of Chinese yin-yang theory, which sees yin and yang as
equal and complementary opposites, as reflected by the even division of yin and yang lines in the Yi
[http://www.biroco.com/yijing/stick.htm].

Nevertheless, I prefer to use the yarrow stalks because tossing the coin is too quick
procedure, it does not give to the querent the time to concentrate on the divination gaining enough
distance from the daily occupations.
Personally I employ the following procedure as it is a little simplified version of the
traditional one described in chapter 9 of the 10 wings of the I Ching.
Source: Greg Whincup's 'Rediscovering the I Ching'
[http://www.biroco.com/yijing/Whincup_yarrow.pdf ]

Preparation: Concentrate on your question (the whole time you are doing this). Take a
bundle of 50 yarrow stalks (or straws, or rocks, or ...). Remove one; it is set aside (The symbolism
of this and all elements in the procedure is a matter of interpretation).

Now you have 49 to work with, for casting the bottom line of the hexagram.
Yarrow stalks method step by step:

Step 1:
A.1 divide the 49 stick at random in two bundles
A.2 remove a stick from one of the two bundles and set it aside
A.3 count through each bundles by four
A.4 set aside the last group of 1 to 4 sticks from each bundle
A.5 combine the two bundles
A-6 the combined bundle will total 44 or 40 sticks.
Step 2:
B.1 divide the 44 or 40 sticks at random in two bundles
B.2 remove a stick from one of the two bundles and set it aside, as in A.2
B.3 count through each bundles by four, as in A.3
B.4 set aside the last group of 1 to 4 sticks from each bundle, as in A.4
B.5 combine the two bundles, as in A.5
B-6 the combined bundle will total 32, 36 or 40 sticks.

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Chapter 3 Casting the response hexagram

Step 3:
C.1 divide the 32, 36 or 40 sticks at random in two bundles
C.2 remove a stick from one of the two bundles and set it aside, as in A.2
C.3 count through each bundles by four, as in A.3
C.4 set aside the last group of 1 to 4 sticks from each bundle, as in A.4
C.5 combine the two bundles, as in A.5
C-6 the combined bundle will total 24, 28, 32, or 36 sticks.
Step 4:
D.1 divide the 24, 28, 32, or 36 sticks into bundles of four sticks each
D.2 there will be 6, 7, 8 or 9 bundle, respectively
D.3 write this number down for the bottom line of the hexagram.

At the end, we have four possible numbers: 6, 7, 8 or 9 each one corresponding to a different
types of line. We draw the bottom line according with the resulting number as follow:

• A moving old yin line (6) has a cross in the gap to show it is about to
form a solid yang line (think of it as two arrow-heads pointing at each
other, coming together to join if you like):
• An unchanging young yang line (7) is solid:
• An unchanging young yin (8) is broken:
• A moving old yang line (9) has a circle in the middle to indicate it is a
solid line about to change into a broken line:

The described procedure must be repeated five more times, to obtain lines two to six, the top line of
the hexagram. Hence, the hexagram is designed from the bottom to the top.

bundles image name probability %

6 --X-- moving yin 1 in 16 (0.0625)
7 ----- static yang 5 in 16 (0.3125)
8 -- -- static yin 7 in 16 (0.4375)
9 --0-- moving yang 3 in 16 (0.1875)

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Chapter 4 Entering the Najia maze

Chapter 4 Entering the Najia maze

The line, the meaning
The following pages might appear a bit weird to a reader accustomed to the “seeking
guidance” approach, however they are fundamental to associate the hexagram with Chinese
cosmology. This nexus will provide all the necessary tools for deciphering the oracle response into
the correct context, giving to each question an unique response located in space and time.

In the previous chapter we discovered how, using yarrow stalk, can be selected one of the 64
possible hexagrams as divination vehicle. While describing the correct procedure for casting the
hexagram, we introduced the basic elements of all Chine cosmology, the two principles :

the first is a solid line representing the Yang and

the second is a broken line representing the Yin

In the yes of the ancient sages, when in motion, these two energies generate everything in
the universe [Alfred Huang, Numerology of I Ching, published by I nnertraditions, 2000]. This
duality is the core, or essence of all the phenomenon as nothing can be totally of one aspect,
completely Yin (dark, night-time, still) or Yang (bright, day-light, active).

The Bigrams
Even taking into account the changing nature of yin and yang, a single line cannot convey
much information about a situation. To represent more complex states, in the I Ching placed lines
together in combinations. The simplest situation is a pair of lines, called a bigram.
The bigrams can be used to represent the four seasons: when both lines are yin, we have
winter, it is cold and the ground is frozen. In spring the ground thaws, and early flowers appear; this
is a yang line below a yin line. In the midst of summer the energy of the sun penetrates everything;
two yang lines represent this. In autumn, growth dies back, represented by a yin line beneath a yang
line. Finally, the seasons come full circle, back to winter [Introduction to the Yi Jing by Andreas
Schöter, 2003, http://www.yijing.co.uk/downloads/IntroArticle.pdf].

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Chapter 4 Entering the Najia maze

– – Young Yang Autumn Wood

-----
Yang ----- Old Yang Summer Fire
-----
Equilibrium Earth
----- Young Yin Spring Metal
– –
Yin – – Old Yin Winter Water
– –

In Nielsen accurate historical and bibliographical work (already quoted at page 9) it is

reported the commentary to the I Ching wrote by a Chinese erudite 1 mentioning the combination of
the two forces, line, as the “Four Images” referring to four of the Five Agents (WU XING) at the
base of Chinese cosmology: Metal, Wood, Water and Fire.

The five Agents (Wu Xing)

The origin of the concept is uncertain. It is generally accepted one of the earliest occurrences
is in The Great Plan of the Document, a very old treaty. From this first description evolved a vast
correlative cosmology during the Han dynasty. Anything from men’s emotions and internal organs
to the celestial bodies were grouped in five and correlated with the five agents.
The five agents were believed to each other in sequences according to one of the two
principles: either they destroyed each other or they produced each other (XIANG SHENG).

1 Kong Yingda was Chancellor of the National University at the time of the Tang dynasty, he tried to reconcile the
meaning and pattern tradition with that of images and number.

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Chapter 4 Entering the Najia maze

These agents are also related to directions; in Han dynasty Chinese used five directions,
adding the Centre. The most important direction was the south placed at the top, corresponding to
Fire; the west element is Metal; the north (placed at the bottom) element is Water; the east element
is Wood. The centre element is Earth. The Earth element missing out from this Four Image list
because it represent equilibrium and tranquillity as in following Four Images:

A brief list of elements’ characteristics

Water
Direction – North
Colours - Dark blues & black

Water corresponds with winter, north, cold, salty, blue/black, deep, wisdom, potency,
listening, courage, conserving resources, storage, organic shapes. Water Element is the colour blue.
Its season is winter (December 22 – March 4). The weather is cold. It is associated with the sense of
sight and its body organ is the kidney. Its taste is salty. Its emotion is fear.
Positive water is a wave or moving current. Negative water is still or ebbing. Active or yang
water pushes forward relentlessly and is a fearsome force to be reckoned with. Negative water is a
gentle rain or dew that nurtures and seeps into the soil. The positive can destroy and the negative
nourish.

Wood
Direction - East, South-east.
Colour - Medium tones of blue, green & teal.

Wood corresponds to spring, green, wind, birth, plants and flowers, vision, clear perception,
creativity, developing goals, willpower, birth & upward columns.
Wood Element colour is green. The season is spring (March 5 – May 16). Its weather is
windy. It is associated with the sense of smell and its body organ is the liver. Its taste is sour. Its
emotion is anger.
The positive stem of wood is the fir tree. The negative is bamboo. Firs and pine trees are
green all year round. While the passive, delicate and graceful bamboo is dormant in the winter but
still pliable and adaptable with a surprising resilience and strength. Positive wood is also
symbolized by live branches. Negative wood is symbolized by the lumbar to build things. Seeds are
considered negative and flowers are positive. Each stem dominates one end of the life cycle of
constant growth and renewal.

Fire
Direction – South
Colours - Reds & pinks

Fire corresponds with summer, yang, red, warmth, joy, compassion, laughter, passion,
partnership, maturity, vitality, growth, angles & points. The colours of the Fire Element are red
& pink. Its season is summer (May 17 – July 28 ) and the weather is hot. Fire is associated with the
sense of touch. The Fire Element body organ is the heart. Its taste is bitter. Its emotion is joy &
laughter.
The positive or active stem of the element is the forest fire or lava flow spewing from a
volcanic eruption. The negative or passive stem is the fire from a stove used for cooking or the
flame of a lamp giving beneficial light. The active side is spontaneous and hard to control. The

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Chapter 4 Entering the Najia maze

passive is easily directed to serve our needs. However, it is wise to remember that there is a very
small difference between the two. A lamp (passive) that is tipped over can easily become a
(positive) forest fire. There is always the need to maintain that delicate balance in the yin & yang of
every element.

Earth
Direction - Centre, north-west & south-west
Colours - Yellow & earth tones

Earth corresponds with Indian summer, centre, yellow, ripe, sweet, still, dry, nourishment,
thoughtfulness, service, grounding, balance, introspection, transformation, rectangles & squares.
Earth Element colour is yellow. Its season is end of summer or “Indian Summer” (July 29 –
October 9) and its weather is humid. Earth is associated with the sense of taste and its body organ is
the spleen. Its taste is sweet. Its emotion is sweet & sympathy.
A hill or mountain is the active or positive side of earth element. A valley is the passive or
negative aspect. Raised ground is aggressive. Depressions in the landscape and lower areas bring
the opposite result. Positive, is up-hill & passive, is downhill. Hills are useful as look-out points but
are subject to the fury of the winds & weather. The valleys or other lower areas are suitable for
raising crops because they are protected and water can accumulate in them to nourish plant life.

Metal
Direction – West
Colours - White, off-white & silver

Metal corresponds with autumn, west, white/silver, inspiration, communication,

acknowledgement, respect, to prune, harvest, structure, domes & arches.
Metal Elements colour is white. Its season is autumn (October 10 – December 21). Its
weather is dry. It is associated with the sense of hearing and its body organ is the lung. Positive
metal is yang or the active part. It can be identified as a sword which can cause bodily harm, or the
surgeon’s knife which must cut to heal. Its taste is pungent. Its emotion is worry & grief.
Negative metal is the yin or passive side. It can be represented by a cooking pot, metal
container, gong or musical instrument, jewellery, work of art, or any rounded metallic shape that is
neither pointed nor sharp (like a weapon).

The reader can find an in depth exposition on the subject in Jean Choain “Introduction au
Yi-Kink” [Published in 1983 by Editions Du Rocher], and in Steve Moore “The Trigrams of
Han Inner structure of the I Ching” [Published in 1989 by Mackays of Chatham].

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