Shao Yung : The Man And The Chart

Shao Yung (1011-1077) was one of the most influential and wisest men in the annals of Chinese history. This great thinker went through many hardships throughout his life and he writes about many of them in his poetry. He eventually gathered his poems and put them together in a book titled "Striking The Earth Collection". This book reads like a diary in the day to day trials and tribulations of his life. He was well respected by all and his peers considered him a true master. His thoughts, ideas, and theories still have an influence on many people to this very day. His I Ching studies were unparalleled and his studies involved the 'Image and Number Learning' school of thought. In other words, he put forth much more effort in reading the symbols, numbers, and images of the I Ching rather than the text. Some, like Chu Hsi were not pleased with Shao Yung's decision and came down on him rather harshly because they viewed his study as fortune telling and divination and they considered this as straying from true Confucian thought. In addition, Shao never served a government position and refused to take the government exams on more than one occasion, and in fact never had a job in his life. In Chu Hsi's eyes this was a double no-no since a true Confucian would serve their fellow man and take on the responsibilities necessary to fulfill their social duties, which Shao Yung neglected. Rather than getting deeply involved in the social order, Shao spent all his time deeply immersed in his I Ching studies and spent his entire life devoted to his studies. He married rather late in life and had two children (both boys) and though they didn't accumulate the deep knowledge of I Ching studies as their father, the elder one named Shao Po Wen did become fairly well known and even edited and published some of his father's work.

The amazing thing about Shao Yung was that he took the 8 trigrams of the Early Heaven sequence and turned it into a life-long philosophy. His whole learning was based on the 8 trigrams and he perceived any aspect of reality through the understanding of those 8 trigrams. Many have said that he could predict the rise and fall of anything in the phenomenal world and could give the exact year, month, day, and hour of any person's death. All this was done with the use of the 8 trigrams which is basically 8 qualities or forms of energy. Incredibly, Shao extended the 8 trigrams over a trillion-fold. That is not a misprint, and if you ever get a chance to look at some of his work you will see numbers derived from the trigrams that carry well over 30 digits. His work is too lengthy to get into here but I did post a picture of the Early Heaven Chart (top right) that he used as the prototype for understanding the realities of the phenomenal world. It is difficult to fathom that a small chart such as this could reveal all the secrets and mysteries of the world...that it could give you the answer to any question your mind is concerned with. It can be said that the Early Heaven IS the world and everything in it. If you carry the Early Heaven chart in your pocket you are carrying the universe in your pocket. If you don't believe me, then ask Shao Yung.

Ti And Yung Charts For Plum Blossom (Mei Hua) Part 5 Of 5

STRENGTH OF TI AND YUNG
FOR PLUM BLOSSOM (MEI HUA)
_______________________

HEXAGRAM ............TI RATING ...............YUNG RATING


49.1 .......................................+2 ...........................................+2
49.2 .........................................0 ...........................................+5
49.3 .......................................-2 ...........................................+9
49.4 .........................................0 ............................................-5
49.5 .......................................+9 ............................................-2
49.6 .......................................+5 .............................................0

50.1 ........................................+5 ..........................................-16
50.2 ........................................+2 ..........................................-11
50.3 ..........................................0 ...........................................-7
50.4 ........................................-11 .........................................+2
50.5 ........................................-16 .........................................+5
50.6 ........................................-9 ...........................................+9

51.1 .........................................+6 ..........................................+6
51.2 .........................................+1 ..........................................+1
51.3 .........................................+3 ..........................................+3
51.4 .........................................+6 ..........................................+6
51.5 .........................................+1 ..........................................+1
51.6 .........................................+3 ..........................................+3

52.1 .........................................+1 ..........................................+1
52.2 .........................................-8 ...........................................-8
52.3 .........................................-1 ...........................................-1
52.4 ........................................+1 ...........................................+1
52.5 ........................................-8 ............................................-8
52.6 ........................................-1 ............................................-1

53.1 ..........................................0 ............................................+5
53.2 .......................................+5 .............................................-4
53.3 .......................................+2 .............................................+3
53.4 ........................................-3 .............................................-1
53.5 .......................................+2 .............................................+4
53.6 ........................................-1 .............................................+8

54.1 .......................................+2 ..............................................-8
54.2 .........................................0 ..............................................-5
54.3 .......................................-7 ...............................................-3
54.4 ......................................-2 ................................................-1
54.5 ......................................-4 ................................................-6
54.6 .....................................-11 ...............................................-4

55.1 .......................................-4 ..............................................+6
55.2 .......................................-8 ..............................................+9
55.3 .......................................-1 ..............................................+13
55.4 ......................................+5 ...............................................-2
55.5 ......................................+7 ...............................................-7
55.6 ......................................+10 ............................................-5

56.1 .......................................+3 .............................................+4
56.2 ...................................... +5 .............................................-5
56.3 .......................................-2 .............................................+2
56.4 ......................................+1 ..............................................-1
56.5 ......................................-4 ..............................................+2
56.6 ......................................-6 ..............................................+6

57.1 ......................................-10 ............................................-10
57.2 ......................................-5 ..............................................-5
57.3 ......................................-1 ..............................................-1
57.4 ......................................-10 ...........................................-10
57.5 .......................................-5 .............................................-5
57.6 .......................................-1 .............................................-1

58.1 .......................................-6 .............................................-6
58.2 .......................................-3 .............................................-3
58.3 .......................................-1 .............................................-1
58.4 .......................................-6 .............................................-6
58.5 .......................................-3 .............................................-3
58.6 .......................................-1 .............................................-1

59.1 .......................................+4 .............................................-5
59.2 .......................................+8 .............................................-14
59.3 .......................................+11 ...........................................-12
59.4 .......................................-6 ..............................................+5
59.5 .......................................-15 ............................................+10
59.6 .......................................-8 ..............................................+14

60.1 ........................................-1 ..............................................+2
60.2 ........................................-6 .............................................+5
60.3 .......................................+1 ..............................................+7
60.4 .......................................+6 ..............................................+2
60.5 .......................................+8 ..............................................-7
60.6 .......................................+3 ..............................................-5

61.1 ........................................+4 ..............................................+3
61.2 ........................................+2 ..............................................+6
61.3 .........................................-5 ..............................................+8
61.4 ........................................+8 ...............................................-5
61.5 ........................................+10 ..............................................0
61.6 ........................................+3 ................................................+4

62.1 .........................................-4 ................................................-6
62.2 ........................................+1 ................................................-15
62.3 ........................................-1 .................................................-8
62.4 ........................................-8 .................................................-1
62.5 ........................................-13 ...............................................-6
62.6 ........................................-6 .................................................-4

63.1 .........................................-1 .................................................-8
63.2 ........................................+8 .................................................-5
63.3 ........................................+1 .................................................-1
63.4 ........................................-7 .................................................+9
63.5 ........................................-9 ...................................................0
63.6 ........................................-2 .................................................+2

64.1 .........................................-7 .................................................+9
64.2 ........................................-9 ....................................................0
64.3 ........................................-2 ..................................................+2
64.4 ........................................-1 ...................................................-8
64.5 .......................................+8 ...................................................-5
64.6 .......................................+1 ...................................................-1

END.

This marks the end of the 5 part series on the Ti/Yung value charts. With a few adjustments, these charts can also be used for other divination methods such as Wen Wang Ba Gua, 9 Ki, Ba Zi, etc. I am certain that these charts can be used to enhance your studies and understanding of how the effects of Ti and Yung can be incorporated into Chinese metaphysics. There are many other techniques that can be added to your analysis and we will eventually discuss them at various points in the future.

Ti And Yung Charts For Plum Blossom (Mei Hua) Part 4 Of 5

STRENGTH OF TI AND YUNG FOR
PLUM BLOSSOM (MEI HUA)
_______________________

HEXAGRAM ............TI RATING ...............YUNG RATING

33.1...................................... +3 ........................................-5
33.2 .....................................+8 ........................................-14
33.3 .....................................+12 ......................................-7
33.4 .....................................-14 ......................................+8
33.5 ......................................-5 .......................................+3
33.6 .....................................-12 ..................................... +10

34.1 ..................................... -11 ......................................+5
34.2 .....................................-16 .......................................0
34.3 .....................................-18 .......................................+7
34.4 .....................................+9 .......................................-13
34.5 .....................................+7 .......................................-18
34.6 ......................................0 ........................................-16

35.1 ......................................-4 ........................................+4
35.2 .....................................-13 .......................................+9
35.3 .....................................-11 .......................................+11
35.4 ....................................+11 .......................................-11
35.5 ....................................+6 ........................................-8
35.6 ...................................+4 ........................................-4

36.1 ....................................+4 .......................................-4
36.2 ...................................-1 .........................................-1
36.3 ...................................-3 ........................................+3
36.4 ..................................+3 ........................................-3
36.5 ...................................-6 .......................................+2
36.6 ..................................-4 .......................................+4

37.1 ....................................0 ..........................................0
37.2 ..................................-5 ..........................................+3
37.3 ..................................-5 ..........................................+3
37.4 .................................+3 ..........................................-5
37.5 ...................................0 ...........................................0
37.6 .................................-2 ..........................................+4

38.1 ..................................-7 ..........................................-14
38.2 ................................+2 ..........................................-11
38.3 ................................-2 ............................................-9
38.4 ................................-7 ............................................-5
38.5 ................................-9 ............................................-2
38.6 ...............................-11 ...........................................+2

39.1 .................................-1 ............................................+8
39.2 ................................-4 .............................................-1
39.3 ................................-6 ............................................+6
39.4 ...............................+1 ............................................+3
39.5 ...............................+6 .............................................-6
39.6 ...............................-1 ..............................................-4

40.1 ...............................+2 .............................................+5
40.2 ..............................+7 ..............................................-4
40.3 ..............................+9 .............................................-2
40.4 ..............................-4 ..............................................+7
40.5 ..............................+5 ..............................................+2
40.6 ..............................+1 ..............................................+4

41.1 .................................-5 .............................................+8
41.2 ................................-9 .............................................+11
41.3 ................................-7 ..............................................+13
41.4 ...............................+5 ...............................................+1
41.5 ................................+9 ...............................................-8
41.6 ...............................+14 ..............................................-1

42.1 ................................+2 ................................................+4
42.2 ................................-2 ..................................................-1
42.3 .................................0 ..................................................+1
42.4 ................................-2 ..................................................-1
42.5 ...............................+2 ..................................................+4
42.6 ...............................+7 ..................................................+8

43.1 ................................+8 ..................................................+8
43.2 ...............................+3 ...................................................+4
43.3 ...............................+11 ..................................................+10
43.4 ...............................+4 ...................................................+7
43.5 ...............................+6 ...................................................+10
43.6 ...............................+9 ...................................................+12

44.1 ................................+7 ...................................................-16
44.2 ...............................+9 ...................................................-11
44.3 ...............................+2 ...................................................-7
44.4 ..............................-10 ..................................................+6
44.5 ..............................-15 ...................................................+1
44.6 ..............................-17 ...................................................+8

45.1 ...............................+9 ....................................................-9
45.2 ..............................+6 ....................................................-4
45.3 ..............................+13 ..................................................-2
45.4 ...............................-4 ..................................................+6
45.5 ...............................-9 ..................................................+9
45.6 ..............................-7 ...................................................+11

46.1 ...............................-14 ...................................................-7
46.2 ...............................-9 ....................................................-2
46.3 ...............................-11 ..................................................+2
46.4 .................................0 ..................................................-16
46.5 ...............................+2 ..................................................-11
46.6 ...............................-2 ....................................................-9

47.1 .................................-6 ..................................................+9
47.2 ................................-4 ....................................................0
47.3 ................................-9 ..................................................+2
47.4 ...............................+6 ..................................................-10
47.5 ...............................+1 ....................................................-7
47.6 ...............................+8 ...................................................-5

48.1 ................................+8 ...................................................-7
48.2 ................................-1 ...................................................-2
48.3 ...............................+6 ..................................................+2
48.4 ................................-8 ..................................................+9
48.5 ................................-4 ....................................................0
48.6 ................................-1 ..................................................+2

To be continued ...............

Ti And Yung Charts For Plum Blossom (Mei Hua) Part 3 Of 5

STRENGTH OF TI AND YUNG FOR

PLUM BLOSSOM (MEI HUA)

HEXAGRAM .......... TI RATING .......... YUNG RATING

17.1 ................................... +9 ..................................-11

7.2 ................................... +7 ................................-6

17.3 ................................... 0 ................................-4

17.4 ................................... +2 ................................. +3
17.5 ................................... 0 .................................... +6
17.6 .................................. -7 .................................... +8

18.1 ................................... -14 ................................... -5
18.2 ................................... -9 ...................................... 0
18.3 ................................... -10 ................................... +4
18.4 .................................... -4 .................................... -6
18.5 ................................... +1 ................................... -15
18.6 ................................... -2 ................................... -8

19.1 ................................... -4 ...................................+7
19.2 ................................... -9 .................................. +10
19.3 .................................... -7 ...................................+12
19.4 .....................................+10 ................................-9
19.5 .....................................+7 ...................................-4
19.6 ...................................+14 ...................................-2

20.1 ...................................+2 ....................................-4
20.2 ..................................+4 ....................................+1
20.3 .................................. 0 ....................................+3
20.4 .................................. -2 ....................................-5
20.5 ..................................+3 .................................... 0
20.6 ..................................+1 ...................................+4

21.1 ...................................-4 ..................................+2
21.2 ...................................-2 ...................................-3
21.3 ...................................+1 ..................................-1
21.4 .................................... 0 ..................................-3
21.5 ...................................-4 ....................................0
21.6 ................................. +3 ...................................+4

22.1 ..................................+1 ...................................-3
22.2 ..................................-4 ................................... 0
22.3 ..................................-6 ...................................+4
22.4 .................................+1 ...................................+4
22.5 .................................+3 ..................................-12
22.6 .................................-4 ...................................+2

23.1 ................................ +4 ...................................+3
23.2 .................................+8 ...................................+8
23.3 ................................+11 .................................+10
23.4 ................................+11 .................................+14
23.5 ................................+2 ...................................+5
23.6 ................................+9 ...................................+12

24.1 ................................+2 ...................................+4
24.2 ................................-3 ...................................-1
24.3 ...............................+4 ...................................+1
24.4 ...............................+5 ...................................-4
24.5 ...............................+7 ...................................+1
24.6 ...............................+2 ...................................+3

25.1 ................................+9 ...................................-2
25.2 ...............................+7 ....................................-7
25.3 ................................ 0 ....................................-5
25.4 ................................ 0 ................................... +5
25.5 .................................-5 .................................. 0
25.6 .................................-7 ...................................+7

26.1 ................................-14 ..................................+7
26.2 ................................-5 ...................................+2
26.3 ................................-12 .................................+9
26.4 ................................+2 ..................................-5
26.5 ................................+7 ..................................-14
26.6 ................................+11 ................................-7

27.1 .................................+4 ..................................+2
27.2 .................................-1 ...................................-3
27.3 ................................+6 ...................................-1
27.4 ................................-1 ....................................+6
27.5 ...............................+4 ....................................-3
27.6 ...............................+2 ...................................+4

28.1 ...............................+8 ...................................-17
28.2 ..............................+10 .................................-12
28.3 ..............................+3 ...................................-8
28.4 ..............................-8 ...................................+3
28.5 ............................. -10 .................................+6
28.6 ............................. -17 .................................+8

29.1 ..............................-1 ...................................-1
29.2 .............................-10 .................................-10
29.3 .............................-8 ...................................-8
29.4 .............................-1 ...................................-1
29.5 ............................-10 .................................-10
29.6 ............................-8 ...................................-8

30.1 ........................... +3 ..................................+3
30.2 ............................+6 .................................+6
30.3 ...........................+10 ...............................+10
30.4 ...........................+3 .................................+3
30.5 ...........................+6 .................................+6
30.6 .......................... +10 ...............................+10

31.1 ............................+2 .................................-4
31.2 ...........................+6 .................................-13
31.3 ...........................+11 ...............................-6
31.4 ...........................-10 ...............................+5
31.5 ...........................-14 ...............................+8
31.6 ...........................-12 ...............................+10

32.1 ...........................-11 ...............................-10
32.2 .......................... -7 .................................-5
32.3 ...........................-2 ................................-1
32.4 ...........................-7 ............................... -5
32.5 ...........................-11 ..............................-10
32.6 .......................... -9 ................................-8

To Be Continued ...............

Ti And Yung Charts For Plum Blossom (Mei Hua) Part 2 Of 5

STRENGTH OF TI AND YUNG
FOR PLUM BLOSSOM (MEI HUA)

HEXAGRAM .......... TI RATING .......... YUNG RATING

1.1 .......................................... +7 ......................................... +7
1.2 .......................................... +2 ........................................ +2
1.3 .......................................... +9 ........................................ +9
1.4 .......................................... +7 ........................................ +7
1.5 .......................................... +2 ........................................ +2
1.6 .......................................... +9 ........................................ +9

2.1 .......................................... +2 ........................................ +2
2.2 .......................................... +7 ........................................ +7
2.3 .......................................... +9 ........................................ +9
2.4 .......................................... +2 ........................................ +2
2.5 .......................................... +7 ........................................ +7
2.6 .......................................... +9 ........................................+9

3.1 .......................................... -16 ....................................... +5
3.2 .......................................... -7 ........................................ 0
3.3 .......................................... -11 ....................................... +2
3.4 .......................................... 0 ........................................ -7
3.5 .......................................... +5 ........................................ -16
3.6 .......................................... +7 ........................................ -14

4.1 ........................................... -5 ......................................... -6
4.2 .......................................... 0 ......................................... -16
4.3 .......................................... -7 ......................................... -14
4.4 .......................................... -11 ....................................... +2
4.5 .......................................... -14 ...................................... -7
4.6 .......................................... -16 ...................................... 0

5.1 ........................................... +8 ....................................... -3
5.2 ........................................... +11 ..................................... -8
5.3 ........................................... +15 ..................................... - 15
5.4 ........................................... -1 ...................................... +15
5.5 ........................................... +1 ...................................... +6
5.6 ........................................... -3 ....................................... +8

6.1 ........................................... -3 ........................................ +8
6.2 .......................................... -1 ........................................ -1
6.3 .......................................... -5 ........................................ +16
6.4 .......................................... +1 ....................................... -5
6.5 .......................................... +4 ....................................... -10
6.6 .......................................... +8 ....................................... -3

7.1 .......................................... -4 .........................................-6
7.2 ......................................... +1 .........................................-15
7.3 ......................................... -6 .......................................... -13
7.4 ......................................... -14 ........................................ -5
7.5 ......................................... -9 .......................................... 0
7.6 ......................................... -16 ........................................ +2

8.1 ......................................... -16 ........................................ +2
8.2 ........................................ -11 ......................................... +7
8.3 ........................................ -18 ......................................... +9
8.4 ........................................ +3 .......................................... -8
8.5 ........................................ +8 .......................................... -17
8.6 ........................................ +1 .......................................... -15

9.1 ......................................... -10 ......................................... +1
9.2 ........................................ -15 .......................................... -4
9.3 ........................................ -17 .......................................... +3
9.4 ........................................ +2 .......................................... -16
9.5 ........................................ +4 .......................................... -11
9.6 ........................................ -3 .......................................... -7

10.1 ....................................... -3 ........................................... -5
10.2 ...................................... -1 ............................................ -2
10.3 ...................................... +2 ........................................... 0
10.4 ...................................... -4 ............................................ +1
10.5 ...................................... -8 ............................................ -4
10.6 ...................................... +1 ........................................... +3

11.1 ........................................-14 .......................................... +8
11.2 ....................................... -5 ........................................... +3
11.3 ....................................... -12 ......................................... +10
11.4 ....................................... +6 ......................................... -13
11.5 ....................................... +4 ......................................... -8
11.6 ....................................... +11 ........................................ -6

12.1 ....................................... +9 .........................................-8
12.2 ...................................... +7 .......................................... -3
12.3 ...................................... +14 ........................................ -1
12.4 ...................................... -9 ........................................ +11
12.5 ...................................... 0 ........................................ +6
12.6 ...................................... -7 ........................................ +13

13.1 ....................................... +3 ........................................ +4
13.2 ....................................... +1 ........................................ +7
13.3 ....................................... -2 ........................................ +11
13.4 ....................................... +10 ...................................... 0
13.5 ....................................... +8 ....................................... -5
13.6 ....................................... +5 ....................................... +2

14.1 ........................................ +5 ........................................ +2
14.2 ....................................... +3 ........................................ -3
14.3 ....................................... 0 ........................................ +4
14.4 ....................................... +5 ........................................ -1
14.5 ....................................... +3 ........................................ +2
14.6 ....................................... 0 ........................................ +6

15.1 ........................................ +4 ........................................ +2
15.2 ........................................ -5 ......................................... -7
15.3 ........................................ +2 ........................................ 0
15.4 ........................................ -8 ......................................... -4
15.5 ........................................ -4 ......................................... +1
15.6 ........................................ -1 ......................................... +3

16.1 ........................................ +6 ........................................ -4
16.2 ....................................... +8 ........................................ +1
16.3 ....................................... +3 ......................................... +3
16.4 ....................................... +2 ........................................ +5
16.5 ....................................... -3 ......................................... 0
16.6 ....................................... +4 ......................................... +2

To Be Continued ........

Ti And Yung Charts For Plum Blossom (Mei Hua) Part 1 Of 5

I first wrote this article for Ray Langley's Yahoo Chinese Astrology list in September of 2006.

In Plum Blossom I Ching, the main focus is on the interaction of the trigrams and the 5 elements rather than the text in the Book Of Changes. The text, however, can be used as a sort of "second opinion"to possibly clarify a situation, but greater influence must be given to the symbols and numbers. In my opinion, the PB is not a system of words but rather a system of feeling. It is designed for intuition rather than intellect. It may sound strange to say, but the more 'hazy' and 'lazy' your mind becomes, the more success you are likely to have. I will not go into the rules for setting up trigrams and hexagrams. There are sources that explain these techniques. One is a book by Da Liu (now out of print), but I find that Lorraine Wilcox's translation of a Chinese written book on the PB is the best I have yet seen. A quick definition of Ti and Yung is to say that Ti represents the 'self' or the subject of the divination and the Yung represents all the other forces involved. If you inquired about a specific person and his employment situation, then the person would be Ti and everything involving his situation would be classified as Yung. You then look at how the Ti and Yung trigrams interact with all the other trigrams in the divination in terms of the 5 elements and then the picture starts to unfold. You then also look at how the elements of the time periods from Years down to Hours or Minutes interact with the Ti and Yung.This gives even more detail. In other words, the picture becomes more clear. There are so many aspects to this beautiful system that I will not be able to mention here because it would be very time consuming. Anyway's in terms of Ti and Yung you can get a strong indication of how powerful or weak they truly are. Most, if not all of the authors who have written of the PB will merely mention that the Ti or Yung is either 'weak' / 'strong' or 'favorable' / 'unfavorable'. To me, this is too vague, so I created a system that rates the strength of the Ti and Yung. To say that a Ti trigram is weak or strong is one thing, but when you say that Ti is operating at an efficiency of -7, +3, or +12 is quite another. The numbers reveal just how strong or weak the Ti or Yung is. It shows you the potency that it is operating at. It is quite detailed and can certainly enhance your interpretations. A very quick example would be the Chien trigram. It represents the father as one of it's many attributes. If you ask a question concerning the father of a family, let's say, and the Chien trigram is operating at strength of -8, then you know that the father's influence is very weak in the situation, especially if the Yung trigram is antagonistic to his Ti and is operating at say +12. In this case, the father is in serious trouble. If the Chien trigram's strength is +10 on the other hand then you can see that the father will have great influence. If the Chien trigram is enormously high, say +15 or higher, then he may become tyrannical or overly dominant. So you see, with the numbers, you can get a much greater feel for the disposition of the father. In PB you will have a hexagram that describes the situation. One line will be the moving line. The trigram without the moving line will be the Ti and all the other trigrams will be considered the Yung. So in hex. 3, the top trigram is Water and the bottom is Thunder......Kan over Chen. If the 5th line is the moving line, then the Ti is Chen. If the 2nd is the moving line then the Ti becomes Kan. Part 2 will give the strength of every hexagram and moving line according to the Ti And Yung of that hexagram. Hexagram 1.1 would signify hex.1 line 1 changing, hexagram 3.4 would indicate hex.3 line 4 changing, 63.5 would be hex. 63 line 5 changing, and so on. Keep in mind that the Ti and Yung for every hexagram has been evaluated with every other trigram including the Nuclear hex. and the Future hex. The influence of the Time elements on the Ti and Yung have not been taken into consideration because it would be practically impossible to list them all.

To be continued ...

The Concepts/Theories Of Ti And Yung

Ti and Yung are two terms that are fairly well known in Chinese metaphysics. As many other things involving metaphysics, Ti and Yung can only be considered a theory because trying to prove it in a factual way is not possible. Ti and Yung is known and considered to be a strong factor in Plum Blossom (Mei Hua) I Ching divination. Most refer to Ti as Object and Yung as Subject. Though this simplified categorization is acceptable, the true meaning of Ti and Yung runs much deeper. When it comes to the classification of Body/Spirit, some refer to the body as Ti and the Spirit as Yung.......where others say just the opposite. So it can become a little confusing. It is a bit like the Japanese Macrobiotic classification of Yin as 'expansion' and Yang as 'contraction ' where the Chinese for thousands of years have been saying the opposite. In my studies I have always given much more weight to the Chinese perspective and have always believed that George Ohsawa, the creator of modern macrobiotics was irresponsible in his yin/yang classifications, although I do believe that his dietary discoveries, though not perfect, are sound.

Ti and Yung are in everything great and small. It is in the motions of an ant to the motions of galaxies. It is also operating in the world of the senses in addition to the intangible world. There is the Ti and Yung of Heaven and of Earth. Many confuse Ti and Yung with Yin and Yang...but they are two different ideas. Ti is something that can be accessed or sensed through human perception where Yung cannot. In a person's life, the person themself is Ti and all the events that occur in their life is seen as Yung. It is not an easy concept to absorb. In terms of Qi (Chi), the interaction process is Yung and the entity it produces is Ti. Once you understand the Ti/Yung theories you can apply it to divination to enhance and give more meaning to the hexagrams, numbers, elements, etc. Many believe that Ti/Yung only applies to Plum Blossom divination, but this is not the case at all. It is applicable to Ba Zi (4 Pillars), Feng Shui, Zi Wei , Luo Shu (9 Ki), Stems/Branches, Wen Wang Ba Gua, or any other method.

Knowing the ideas and principles of Ti and Yung is one thing, but applying it as a part of your divination procedures is another. Unfortunately there isn't much written about it in detail and we must be content with what little we can find. At the present time I am not particularly inclined to write a great deal on it because of the complexities involved and for various other reasons we won't get into here. I do plan on posting a few charts in the very near future that will assist you in understanding Ti/Yung on a more intimate level.

Assigning Ti and Yung To Various Divination Methods

Ba Zi (Four Pillars) - The Day Master (Day Stem) is Ti and the rest of the stems and branches are Yung.

Luo Shu ( 9 Ki) - The center number in the natal chart is Ti and the remaining 8 numbers on the periphery are Yung.

Plum Blossom (Mei Hua) - The trigram of the present hexagram without the moving line is Ti and the remaining trigrams (Nuclear, Future) except the trigram in the future hexagram that is the same as the Ti is Yung.

Wen Wang Ba Gua - The line representing the subject is Ti and the rest of the lines are Yung.

Stems/Branches - When analyzing stems to branches, if the need arises to categorize Ti and Yung, you can assign the branches as Ti and the stems as Yung.

Assigning Time/Space Coordinates In Plum Blossom I Ching

In Plum Blossom I Ching Divination the Time and Space aspect can be a very important factor to consider. To divine about an event that occurs in a certain area or time zone it makes sense to use the time of where the event takes place rather than the time where the diviner is making the calculations. So if an event took place in Paris, France and the diviner is consulting in Chicago, Illinois, you would use the time in Paris. You would want to know the longitude of the exact spot and then convert the time to True Local Time. If a specific event is the subject of the divination, that is, if the event was being created by your own specific subconscious, then the the Time/Space coordinates of the diviners location would be used. Let us say a sporting event is taking place in Paris and the diviner is in Chicago, we use Paris coordinates. But if your friend is in Paris and you're wondering from Chicago what they are up to, you would in that case use the true local time in Chicago.

I Ching Concerns : Repeated Questions

People often believe that the toss of the coins or separation of the stalks is too random to be considered relevant. They also argue that if you ask the same question more than once and receive different hexagrams it makes the I Ching invalid. To clarify this misconception, we'll take an example. Suppose someone were to ask you, "What is your opinion of Mr. Yang". You answer that he is a nice and quiet type of guy. Now, if the next day you heard rumors in the neighborhood that Mr. Yang came stumbling home drunk at 4 AM with a woman on each arm while his wife was at the hospital spending the night with her sick mother, and someone asks you again your opinion of Mr. Yang...your answer this time is drastically different from the first answer. Perhaps somewhere along the lines of having to do with a womanizing, lousy, drunk. Then you find out it was all a rumor and in fact Mr.Yang was sailing the Seven Seas on his million dollar yacht. Someone now asks you the same question a third time, "What is your opinion of Mr. Yang". You now say what a rich and lucky guy he is to be able to travel like that. In the end you find out that it was Mr. Yang's wife's third cousin who was actually doing the travelling.


You were asked the exact same question three times and you gave three totally different answers. Why ? It is because the information you received after the first question influenced the way you answered the second. The same thing happened between the second and third question. It is the same with the I Ching. If you should ask the same question more than once, the information gained from the first inquiry would interfere with a receptive state of mind causing altering hexagrams. Rest assured that if you asked the I Ching the same question 20 times and you received 20 different hexagrams, the I Ching answered correctly 20 times. This is extremely difficult for a rationally dominated mind to accept or comprehend. To avoid the confusion of multiple hexagrams it is advisable to ask your question or concern only once and concentrate on the received hexagram until you understand the information completely. In this way, you avoid the barriers........the barrier being mainly the ego.

A Brief Discussion On The I Ching Charts

The following ia a brief discussion on the Early and Later Heaven charts connected with I Ching. Click to listen.

I Ching (Yijing) Insights

Chinese civilization has, from the most ancient times, revered the I Ching for its deep and profound mysteries. It is said that Fu Hsi, the legendary Sage/Shaman was the creator of the trigrams that structure the I Ching.
In later times (around 1150 BC) King Wen of the Chou Dynasty, while serving a 7 year prison sentence, passed his time away creating hexagrams from the trigrams that Fu Hsi initiated. He then added textual commentary to the 64 hexagrams that comprise the I Ching, and since then it has been referred to as the "Book of Changes."
It was King Wen's son, the Duke of Chou, who added passages for each of the hexagram lines ( yao). More than six centuries elapsed before the great sage Confucius made his own contribution to the book by adding commentaries that have since been called the '10 wings'.
Most of the thoughts and ideas of the great sages and shamans of antiquity and later times were derived from the symbolic hexagrams that are contained in the book. This elite group of thinkers saw how this book, starting from the most basic contrasts and dualities that describe the basic relationships between the properties of material existence, could be a guide to the subtle processes of nature, and so it was considered a source of wisdom. Many contemplated and meditated on it at length, and absorbed themselves in communication with the oracle, some even reaching enlightenment through their one-pointed efforts. Some spoke of a transformation that occurred when they 'merged' themselves with the principles of the I Ching.
Though certain scholars and masters throughout the ages have included their own unique insights, the main principles have remained intact. Many estimate the trigrams to have been created more than 5000 years ago, and though it would seem futile to try to prove this point, it can certainly and safely be said that the I Ching has stood the "test of time". It is as reliable and pertinent today as it was thousands of years ago, therefore giving us the same quality of guidance and wisdom that the ancients received. The wisdom of the book is essentially timeless, and therefore gives us the ability to penetrate the minds of the great sages of the past.
In other words, if you are able to penetrate the I Ching you will be able to penetrate the minds of the sages, as their minds and the "Yi" speak for each other. Though we may or may not become enlightened through its use, we will gain a little sense of liberation from our rigid and inflexible tendencies that we have received from social conditioning.
We can be thankful for the works of the great masters and scholars of the past and present in their attempts to help us gain an understanding of the underlying principles of the book. Of course, one could say that the I Ching has created the sages and masters as well. At this point, I'd like to note that the roster of illumined teachers who were intimately familiar with the I Ching included Fu Hsi, King Wen and Duke of Chou, Confucius, Lao Tzu, Chuang Tzu, Chen Tuan, Shao Yung, Chu Hsi and many others. All of these great personalities have been influenced by the I Ching in one form or another.
It has been said that Shao Yung ( 1011-1077), the Neo Confucianist and Taoist recluse of the Northern Sung Dynasty, was the first to introduce the binary numerical system through his hexagram arrangement, making him the ancient Grandfather of the modern computers. The I Ching has been influential in DNA studies, acupuncture and other medical analysis, various forms of astrology, weather studies, astronomy, biological data, and other areas of study.


Yes, the I Ching is far-reaching, sounding its 'voice' through the ages like a distant echo in the minds and heart of humanity. It is a descriptive model of reality, that through proper understanding will reveal the most subtle of mysteries. The seeker who approaches the I Ching must do so in a receptive frame of mind. For deeper understanding one must 'shift' their consciousness and disassociate from the ego. This is very different from the analytical approach taken by modern methods of gathering knowledge.
Let us now take a look at some of the basic, yet very important principles that have long been associated with understanding the symbols of the I Ching.
The I Ching can be summarized as consisting of 2 lines, one broken or yin and the other unbroken or yang. These two basic polarities, in turn, form more complex sets of bigrams, trigrams, and hexagrams. The process is one of doubling. That is, the 2 lines form 4 bigrams; the 4 bigrams produce the 8 trigrams, etc. until 64 six-lined hexagrams are produced. The 64 hexagrams are the ultimate expression of the symbolic constituents of the I Ching and can be used to delve into any aspect of reality.
For divination purposes the hexagrams are usually broken down into trigrams and the information derived from these trigrams, by way of their attributes, are reflected upon. Conclusions are then drawn from these reflections that refer to the situation one is inquiring about.
The trigrams follow two main cycles which can be referred to as the 'spirit' or intangible cycle and the 'manifest' or tangible cycle. The intangible cycle is called the Hsien Tien or Early Heaven cycle and the tangible cycle is known as the Hu Tien or Later Heaven sequence.
Though the trigrams in both cycles are identical, their sequence ordering are distinct. The Early Heaven sequence depicts the trigrams in their pure and balanced positions. It is a representation of archetypal, unmanifest energy, prior to its manifestation. The later Heaven on the other hand, expresses energy that has coalesced and taken shape or form in the physical world. The co-mingling of these two great cycles results in the events that transpire in heaven and on earth, thereby influencing humanity.
The Early Heaven sequence begins with Chien and ends with Kun, and is known as the 'Creation' cycle. Its order is as follows: Chien- Tui- Li- Chen- Sun - Kan -Ken- Kun.
In the later Heaven, the cycle begins with Chen and is completed with Ken. The ordering is: Chen- Sun- Li- Kun- Tui- Chien- Kan- Ken.
Although it may not be apparent, the two cycles work 'hand-in-hand'. The Later Heaven sequence is a reaction to the Early Heaven sequence; in fact, it is a consequence of the Early Heaven's structure. It completes what the Early Heaven initiates. They both follow a different course but they emerge from the same Tao, and function simultaneously.
It may be difficult for the mind to grasp this idea because the modern mind has been programmed to believe that events manifest themselves in a step-by-step process of physical cause and effect, but ultimately cause and effect, beginning and ending, or Early Heaven and Later Heaven are concurrent.
The Early Heaven sequence is thought to have been created by Fu Hsi and the Later Heaven sequence has been credited to Ken Wen. In some systems or methods of the I Ching both sequences can be used together. For example, in the Plum Blossom method ( see other articles on this blog concerning Plum Blossom) the hexagrams are usually formed by the use of the Early Heaven cycle of trigrams. In other words, the Early Heaven sequence is used to represent the unconfused, or that which has not yet happened. Then the Later Heaven sequence of trigrams is employed to interpret the outcome, or way in which the unmanifest will materialize, according to their attributes.
The cycles can be 'expanded' so that the 64 hexagrams are used in the cycle rather than the basic 8 trigrams. The hexagram cycle gives us a larger vision or more expanded view of the energetic process represented by the trigrams. It is important to remember that the principles are the same whether looking at the 64 hexagram chart or the 8 trigram chart, and that they are replicas of each other in an expanded or contracted design.
Watch for future I Ching articles in which all of these principles and the hexagrams themselves will be explored in depth.

Interview On Penetrating The I Ching

The following is a small portion of an interview I gave less than 2 weeks ago on the subject of penetrating the I Ching. Click to listen.