Why read this
While BaZi and Zi Wei analyze your lifetime constitution and long-term seasons, Liu Yao (六爻 · Six Lines Divination) is designed for answering immediate, concrete situational decisions.
Also known as Wen Wang Ba Gua (文王八卦) or the Najia method (納甲法), Liu Yao was pioneered by Western Han scholar Jing Fang (京房). It transforms the poetic, symbolic lines of the Zhou Yi (I Ching) into an exact, computational diagnostic tool using Five Element mechanics, calendar timing, and relational dynamics.
From I Ching to Six Lines
When you consult the Zhou Yi (often by tossing three coins six times), you obtain a hexagram composed of six lines (either Yin or Yang). In traditional philosophical reading, you consult the poetic line commentary. In Liu Yao, however, each line is assigned:
- An Earthly Branch (地支: Zi, Chou, Yin, etc.) with its corresponding element.
- A Six Kinship role (六親: Parents, Officer, Siblings, Wealth, Offspring).
- A Celestial Spirit (六神: Qing Long, Zhu Que, Bai Hu, etc.) reflecting psychological atmosphere.
The Shi and Ying lines (世應)
Every hexagram contains two structural anchors:
- Shi Yao (世爻 · Self Line): Represents you—the inquirer, your current strength, confidence, and capacity.
- Ying Yao (應爻 · Other Line): Represents the counterpart—the company offering the job, the business partner, the house to purchase, or the external situation.
If the Shi line and Ying line generate each other or combine, mutual agreement comes naturally. If they clash or overcome each other, friction and divergence are inevitable.
The Six Kinships (六親)
In Liu Yao, the matter you are inquiring about is identified as the Yong Shen (用神 · Functional Focus Spirit) using the five relational categories:
| Kinship | Element Relation | Inquiry Domains |
|---|---|---|
| Parents (父母) | Generates Palace | Contracts, real estate, vehicles, exams, schools, elder protection |
| Officer / Ghost (官鬼) | Overcomes Palace | Career status, promotions, bosses, regulations, anxiety, illness |
| Siblings (兄弟) | Same as Palace | Peers, competitors, partners, shared costs, wealth leakage |
| Wealth (妻財) | Overcome by Palace | Money, revenue, assets, tangible resources, staff sustenance |
| Offspring (子孫) | Palace Generates | Creativity, customers, solutions, leisure, medicine, relief from worry |
The Six Spirits (六神)
Determined by the Heavenly Stem of the consultation day, the Six Celestial Spirits paint the situational texture:
- Qing Long (青龍 · Azure Dragon): Joy, festivities, high ethical standards, prestige.
- Zhu Que (朱雀 · Vermilion Bird): Documents, communication, public speaking, disputes.
- Gou Chen (勾陳 · Yellow Dragon): Real estate, delays, bureaucratic red tape, entanglement.
- Teng She (騰蛇 · Soaring Serpent): Anxiety, deceit, sudden surprises, restlessness.
- Bai Hu (白虎 · White Tiger): Urgency, sharp action, physical danger, surgery, bold force.
- Xuan Wu (玄武 · Black Tortoise): Hidden matters, ambiguity, secrets, covert maneuvers.
A daily-life analogy
A 30-second example
Suppose you ask: "Will I receive the funding grant?" Since grants involve legal approval and official funds, you locate the Wealth line (妻財) and the Parents line (父母). If Wealth is active and generated by the consultation day, and your Self line (世爻) is strong, the funds are approved. If the Siblings line (兄弟 · wealth-draining rivals) moves to attack the Wealth line, competition is fierce and expenses are high.
Interactive Divination Tool
🪙 Cast Hexagram & Six Lines Divination
Try the digital three-coin cast simulator or manual numerical input. Generates primary hexagram, changing lines, and transformed hexagram with classical judgment translations.
Open Hexagram Tool →Where this leads
When an old line changes polarity, it creates a Moving Line (動爻) and generates a transformed hexagram. By cross-referencing Month Clash (月破) and Ten-Day Void (旬空), Liu Yao provides precise calendar timing (down to the day or month) for when an outcome manifests.
For guidance and self-awareness purposes only. This lesson explains Chinese divination as an analytical and cultural framework — how its logic operates and where its literature originates. It is not a prediction of your future or a substitute for professional counsel.