Eight families, sixty-four patterns
A book of patterns,
arranged by trigram family.
Every hexagram is two trigrams stacked: the upper shapes the weather above, the lower the ground below. Here they are sorted by the upper trigram, eight families of eight. Move slowly. The grid rewards browsing.
- 乾
- 兌
- 離
- 震
- 巽
- 坎
- 艮
- 坤
Upper trigram
乾·Heaven
The Creative. Eight hexagrams under an open sky, where the initiative is yours to carry.
- 乾The Creative
the dragon rising through six stages
- 訟Conflict
heaven above, water below, turning away
- 履Treading
stepping on the tiger's tail
- 否Standstill
heaven and earth refusing each other
- 同人Fellowship with Men
fire under heaven, shared
- 無妞Innocence
thunder under heaven, without guile
- 遁Retreat
heaven above the mountain, stepping back
- 姤Coming to Meet
wind under heaven, the encounter
Upper trigram
兌·Lake
The Joyous. Eight hexagrams that show the world a glad face, whatever the ground beneath it.
- 隨Following
lake with thunder inside
- 大過Preponderance of the Great
the ridgepole, sagging
- 咸Influence
lake on the mountain, the young pair
- 夬Breakthrough
lake rising into heaven
- 萃Gathering Together
lake above earth, the congregation
- 困Oppression
lake above, water drained out
- 革Revolution
fire in the lake, skin shedding
- 兌The Joyous
lake resting on lake
Upper trigram
離·Fire
The Clinging. Eight hexagrams whose light sits on the surface, seen by everyone and fed from within.
- 大有Possession in Great Measure
fire above heaven, abundance in restraint
- 噬嗑Biting Through
fire over thunder, clearing
- 離The Clinging
fire upon fire, that which depends
- 晉Progress
the sun rising over the earth
- 睽Opposition
fire above, lake below, the wedge
- 鼎The Cauldron
wood under fire, the cooking vessel
- 旅The Wanderer
fire on the mountain, passing through
- 未濟Before Completion
fire over water, the almost-done
Upper trigram
震·Thunder
The Arousing. Eight hexagrams whose surface moves first, before anyone has agreed to it.
- 豫Enthusiasm
thunder rising from the earth
- 恆Duration
thunder and wind, the long marriage
- 大壯The Power of the Great
thunder above heaven, the strong goat
- 解Deliverance
thunder in water, the storm clearing
- 震The Arousing
thunder upon thunder, the shock
- 歸妹The Marrying Maiden
thunder over lake, the younger bride
- 豐Abundance
thunder and fire at noon
- 小過Preponderance of the Small
thunder on the mountain, the bird's call
Upper trigram
巽·Wind
The Gentle. Eight hexagrams whose outward manner is mild, and whose influence has arrived before it is noticed.
- 小畜The Taming Power of the Small
the wind holding heaven, briefly
- 觀Contemplation
wind moving over the earth
- 家人The Family
wind out of fire, the hearth
- 益Increase
wind and thunder, mutual gain
- 漸Development
the wild goose, step by step
- 巽The Gentle
wind following wind, penetrating
- 渙Dispersion
wind on the water, dissolving
- 中孚Inner Truth
wind over lake, the held breath
Upper trigram
坎·Water
The Abysmal. Eight hexagrams where the hazard is out in the open, and the only way is through.
- 屯Difficulty at the Beginning
the first shoot breaking ground
- 需Waiting
clouds above heaven, rain not yet
- 比Holding Together
water over earth, binding
- 坎The Abysmal
water upon water, the deep pass
- 蹇Obstruction
water on the mountain, the halt
- 井The Well
water from the wood, the town
- 節Limitation
water above the lake, the measure
- 既濟After Completion
water over fire, the meal ready
Upper trigram
艮·Mountain
Keeping Still. Eight hexagrams whose outer face is stillness, a limit set where everyone can see it.
- 蒙Youthful Folly
the spring, asking to be drawn
- 蟲Work on What Has Been Spoiled
wind below the mountain, mending
- 賁Grace
fire at the foot of the mountain
- 剥Splitting Apart
mountain above earth, eroding
- 大畜The Taming Power of the Great
heaven inside the mountain, stored
- 頤The Corners of the Mouth
the open mouth, deciding what to take in
- 損Decrease
lake at the foot of the mountain
- 艮Keeping Still
mountain upon mountain, the seat
Upper trigram
坤·Earth
The Receptive. Eight hexagrams whose outward manner is yielding, and whose strength works from below.
- 坤The Receptive
the mare, carrying everything
- 師The Army
water in the earth, the gathered people
- 泰Peace
heaven below, earth above, meeting
- 謙Modesty
the mountain under the earth
- 臨Approach
earth above the lake, drawing near
- 復Return
thunder under the earth, turning
- 明夷Darkening of the Light
the sun gone below the earth
- 升Pushing Upward
wood growing in the earth