YiMatrix · Academy Journal

Essential Course on Six Yao: The Role of Hexagram Positions and Time Verification

Preface: The uniqueness of Six Yao application lies not only in judging good or bad through the Five Elements' generation and restraint, but also in revealing the development conte

南荒December 25, 202524 min read

Preface

The uniqueness of Six Yao application lies not only in judging good or bad through the Five Elements' generation and restraint, but also in revealing the development context of events through hexagram images, line positions, and time patterns. Besides the commonly used Yong Shen, Yuan Shen, Ji Shen, and Chou Shen, this chapter delves into several special contents:

You Hun Gua and Gui Hun Gua — the mental state and trend of things presented by hexagram images;
The role of line positions — simulating the human body and environment with six lines to extract detailed information;
Judgment of response periods — how to determine when things happened in the past and when they will be verified in the future;

These contents are the core that distinguishes Six Yao application from other traditional analysis methods. This chapter not only explains the rules but also illustrates their application through numerous examples, enabling readers to master higher-level hexagram analysis techniques.

Section 1: You Hun Gua and Gui Hun Gua

You Hun Gua

Definition: The seventh hexagram of each palace, eight in total, such as Huo Di Jin, Shui Tian Xu, Ze Feng Da Guo, Shan Lei Yi, Di Huo Ming Yi, Tian Shui Song, Feng Ze Zhong Fu, Lei Shan Xiao Guo.
Imagery: Mainly indicates instability, restlessness, separation, outward change; cannot independently determine good or bad, only assists Yong Shen in extracting detailed information.
Characteristics: Suitable for refined judgment, often manifests as unease, external interference, often bringing "unexpected insights."

Gui Hun Gua

Definition: The eighth hexagram of each palace, eight in total, such as Huo Tian Da You, Shui Di Bi, Ze Lei Sui, Shan Feng Gu, Di Shui Shi, Tian Huo Tong Ren, Feng Shan Jian, Lei Ze Gui Mei.
Imagery: Opposite to You Hun, mainly indicates conservatism, stability, return, blockage, difficulty in going out.
Characteristics: Cannot independently determine good or bad; must be combined with Yong Shen. Commonly seen in failed trips, staying put, stability without change.

Summary You Hun and Gui Hun are a pair of opposite hexagram images:

You Hun → indicates drifting, restlessness, wandering mind;
Gui Hun → indicates staying put, stability, stagnation. They cannot independently determine good or bad but serve as auxiliary information, combined with Yong Shen, Sun Moon, movement and stillness, to help us see "the state of the person" and "the trend of the matter."

Section 2: The Role of Line Positions

In Six Yao application, the role of line positions is extremely important. It is not only one of the bases for judging the nature, cause, direction, and location of things, but also a unique feature that distinguishes Six Yao application from other methods. Because each line position is endowed with specific meanings, Six Yao application forms its own unique system, known as the "information extraction via line positions" analysis system.

In practical application, the use of line positions is extensive:

When analyzing health issues, the six lines can be viewed as a human body model, scanning from feet to head layer by layer, combined with Five Elements, Six Relatives, and Six Spirits to analyze health conditions.
When observing appearance features, the lines can also be regarded as the body, observed from top to bottom.
When locating specific parts, the six lines can be treated as a partial map of the human body, magnifying details for analysis.
When evaluating living environment, the six lines can be seen as the distribution pattern of the environment, used to analyze houses, directions, and the quality of home layout.

This is one of the reasons why Six Yao application can analyze in such detail. Below are the common and highly verified meanings of each line position in judgment:

First Line

People: common people, citizens, elementary school students, children, servants, ordinary folks, employees, subordinates, staff, etc.
Human body: feet, athlete's foot, heels, ankles, toes, etc.
Places: countryside, rural areas, kindergartens, wells, foundations, ditches, rivers, bridges, neighbors, etc.
Clothing: shoes, socks, etc.

Second Line

People: section chief, stock chief, division chief, civil servant, husband and wife, fetus, etc.
Human body: legs, knees, anus, genitals, bladder, large intestine, rectum, uterus, liver and gallbladder, etc.
Places: small towns, communities, families, houses, kitchens, courtyards, maiden home, etc.
Clothing: pants, knee pads, underpants, etc.

Third Line

People: division chief, deputy department head, director, factory manager, middle school students, brothers, sisters, etc.
Human body: waist, navel, abdomen, buttocks, spleen and stomach, liver and gallbladder, kidneys, bladder, uterus, etc.
Places: city government, city, doors, beds, bedrooms, hallways, etc.
Clothing: underwear, skirts, waist skirts, aprons, etc.

Fourth Line

People: mayor, department head, division chief, assistant, personnel leader, high school students, mother, uncle and aunt, maternal uncle, etc.
Human body: chest, back, breasts, heart, heart, spleen and stomach, lungs, kidneys, shoulders, etc.
Places: main door, windows, toilet, bathroom, big cities, provincial government, universities, etc.
Clothing: tops, underwear, garments, chest accessories, etc.

Fifth Line

People: prime minister, chairman, premier, manager, superior, parent, emperor, leader, etc.
Human body: five sense organs, neck, arms, chest, back, throat, heart, trachea, esophagus, chest cavity, etc.
Places: roads, capital, top-tier universities, center, hotels, etc.
Clothing: outerwear, bra, scarf, glasses, mask, accessories, etc.

Sixth Line

People: retirees, elderly, ancestors, gods and buddhas, angels, etc.
Human body: head, hair, face, cheeks, brain, nervous system, skull, shoulders and neck, etc.
Places: abroad, border, frontier, distant places, ancestral temple, shrine, beams, walls, roof, ancestral grave, neighbors, etc.
Clothing: headscarf, hat, headwear, hairpins, etc.

It is important to note that although the meanings of line positions are numerous, they cannot be judged independently of Yong Shen. Six Yao application must take Yong Shen as the core, combined with line positions, Sun Moon, movement and stillness, and generation-restraint relationships for comprehensive analysis. If one abandons Yong Shen and judges solely by line positions, the judgment is prone to losing focus and deviating. Line positions are particularly widely used in disease and feng shui judgments. Only by mastering and flexibly applying them can one truly appreciate the subtlety of Six Yao application.

Section 3: Response Period

The so-called "response period" refers to the time when the judged matter occurs or is verified. Response periods can be divided into two categories:

Past response period: judging the time of events that have already happened, such as calculating the past marriage or love time in marriage analysis, or the time of illness onset in health analysis.
Future response period: inferring the time when future events will occur.

Accurately judging the response period not only enhances the consultant's confidence in the interpretation but also helps people seek advantages and avoid disadvantages, taking the initiative. This is also the most skill-demanding part of Six Yao application.

However, judging the response period is also the most difficult part of the analysis. Nevertheless, there are rules to follow:

Major events and distant events are often inferred by year and month;
Minor events and recent events are often inferred by day and hour.

Common Rules for Response Period

Yong Shen static The response period is the year, month, day, or hour corresponding to the earthly branch of Yong Shen, or the time that clashes with Yong Shen.

Example: Someone consults about health, Yong Shen is static without support, later verified on the day of clash.
Yong Shen moving The response period is the earthly branch of Yong Shen or the time that combines with it.

Example: Someone asks when a friend will arrive, Yong Shen brother Shen Jin moves, arrives at Shen hour.
Yong Shen or Ji Shen too strong
- If Yong Shen is too strong and the situation is favorable, the response period is often when it enters the tomb; if too strong and unfavorable, the response period is when it receives life.
- For Ji Shen too strong, the opposite.
Yuan Shen moving The response period is the earthly branch of Yuan Shen or the time that combines with it; if Yuan Shen is void or broken, the response period is when it becomes substantial, is clashed, or the combined break is resolved.
Ji Shen moving The response period is the earthly branch of Ji Shen or the time that combines with it.
Yong Shen weak If the situation is favorable, the response period is when Yong Shen gets longevity or Yuan Shen generates it; if unfavorable, the response period is when it enters the tomb, is clashed, or is overcome.
Yong Shen entering tomb The response period is the time that clashes with the tomb or clashes with Yong Shen.
Yong Shen combined The response period is the time that clashes with the combination, or the time that combines with Yong Shen.
Yuan Shen or Ji Shen combined
- If Yuan Shen is combined, the response period is the time that clashes with the combination;
- If Ji Shen is combined, the response period is the time that clashes with Ji Shen or clashes with the combination.
Yong Shen broken by month The response period can be the time that combines with Yong Shen, or directly the time corresponding to Yong Shen's earthly branch, or the next month of the judgment.
Void When Yong Shen, Ji Shen, or Yuan Shen is void, the response period is the time of its earthly branch or the time that clashes with the void.
Yong Shen overcome by Ji Shen If the hexagram also shows favorable signs, the response period is when Ji Shen is overcome or clashed away.
Transforming into advancing spirit The response period is the earthly branch of the advancing spirit; if combined, void, or broken, it depends on the time of substantial clash or combined break.
Transforming into retreating spirit The response period is the earthly branch of the retreating spirit's changing line, or the time that clashes with or combines with the retreating spirit.
Hidden The response period is the earthly branch of the hidden spirit, or the time that clashes with the flying spirit or the hidden spirit.
Single moving line When the hexagram has only one moving line, the response period is often the earthly branch of that line.
Single static line When the hexagram has five moving lines and one static, the static line often indicates the response period.
Ji Shen holding the world transforming into similar Often the changing line of the world line is the response period.
Transforming into void or broken Often the changing line is the response period.

Summary

The response period is the key and difficulty of Six Yao application. Judgment should not be rigidly bound to a single rule but should combine the strength and movement of Yong Shen, Ji Shen, and Yuan Shen, as well as the effects of Sun, Moon, and time. Judging the response period is like "precise positioning"; one must grasp the overall trend while carefully examining details. Only through flexible adaptation can one achieve accurate timing and precise verification.

Conclusion

The You Hun Gua and Gui Hun Gua described in this chapter reveal the turmoil and stability of things in hexagram images; the role of line positions provides us with a precise "information coordinate system," enabling analysis to be verified from whole to part, from environment to human body. Finally, through the rules of response periods, we can translate abstract hexagram principles into specific time points, truly achieving "everything has its time, and the response period will surely come."

The value of Six Yao application lies not only in distinguishing good from bad but also in determining time. Only by combining hexagram images, line positions, and response periods can the analysis be both accurate and detailed, making it convincing.