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 whose weather comes from above.
- 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 whose weather comes from above.
- 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 weather comes from above.
- 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 weather comes from above.
- 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 weather comes from above.
- 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 whose weather comes from above.
- 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 weather comes from above.
- 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 weather comes from above.
- 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