Hello all. New to posting here. I recently got interested in the I Ching again, and I've purchased Hilary's version, a few others, and somewhere in my home I have the Wilhelm version. I'm relearning how to work with the I Ching.

I have some questions / thoughts about the changing lines / hexagrams.

Usually, when you think about change, there is a time component to it - first this happens and then some time later, it changes to that.

I'm wondering, however how this sense of time applies to changing lines / hexagrams when you consult the I Ching, or if it applies at all - my sense is this conventional sense of time may not apply.

So, how do I approach it: would the first hexagram represent the present, and the changed hexagram represents some point in the future? and if so, where would that future point in time be?

As an example, I threw the I Ching about a trip I'm planning in the spring, and it came up with changing lines / hexagrams. So, would the first hexagram be my current state and the change being what to expect when I'm on the trip? Or would the change take place at some point in the future, but it's not yet known when that will be? (on the trip? afterwards?)

Another way I've thought about this is to think of the original hexagram as the "setting" for what is taking place, the background as it were - though not necessarily 'background' in the sense of history, but more about the stage where the action is taking place.

I, of course, could be way off base, so I'd appreciate any thoughts or insights regarding the changing lines and hexagrams.

Regard, David

There are different schools of thought about how to use hexagrams and lines that vary widely. The question or situation always gives the hexagram and lines the specific meaning. So there is not a set rule on the timing of a hexagram. It depends on the question. Personally, I do not much use the I Ching for predictions.

I look at the hexagram received as the answer to the question. I make use of the trigrams and their attributes and relate them to the question as specifically as possible. I look at the hexagram as an image of my situation now in regards to the question I asked. Things could change.

I consider the lines to be places of focus or imbalance or areas that need extra consideration. I call them 'moving' lines as I think of them as excited or aroused or having too much yin or yang in that position. It would depend on the line, the trigram, and the question. Hexagrams are read from the bottom to the top, so timing is implied through the hexagram as line one being the beginning (of the situation in regards to the question) and line 6 at the final or end phase. Also, in a general way. the lower trigram represents the inner situation, the questioner, and the upper trigram represents the outer situation or the question.

Since you did not offer the exact question or answer, I cannot offer specific examples. But I would say the answer is an image of your situation now in regards to what you want to do. It offers a picture, areas of concern or imbalance, in your situation now. Usually I can get enough of an answer from the hexagram and lines received that I do not need to consider the hexagram that forms form lines that move. After all, if you take the advice from the hexagram, things may change.

Best of luck

Thanks Maggie.

I found some additional guidance on Hilary's website which is helpful. In referring to it as a 'related' hexagram -- instead of a 'changing' one -- I think Hilary is getting away somewhat from placing the hexagrams along some kind of timeline.

Based on what I've read (and of course my interpretation) I am looking at the 'related' hexagram as just more information, perhaps coming from a different perspective. It could be that the different hexagrams are related to self vs. other, or inner vs. outer, or mind vs. heart, etc. but not necessarily that one follows the other in time.

As you said, there are different ways of approaching this, and this seems to fit more my own perspective and the way I'm approaching the I Ching.

Last night I came up with another Hexagram - 40 - related to my trip. Unfortunately -- for our discussion at least -- it was unchanging, so I can't give you a better example or more details of what I was referring to in my first post.

All the best, David.

Welcome to Clarity.

Some hexagrams clearly tell a story in the timeline. Like 53. (line 1=young bird starting out, line 6 the long journey complete) It is useful to understand a given hexagram, but you don't really need to think about this in your readings, focus on the hex/lines you received.

The relating hexagram is not the future, it is part of the answer. It can be considered something like a qualitative descriptor of the primary hex, or vice versa. Like a noun and an adjective, or a verb and an adverb.

If you get a single changing line, focus on the meaning of that line text. If there are multiple changing lines, you'll get more sense out of it by focusing on the relationship between the primary and related hex.

Hi David,

I don't see the relating hexagram as the future either; it works as underlying my reading, connecting to the primary hexagram on different levels. Over the years, I have become more focused on the changing lines, I don't discard any, all of them carrying important pieces of information, different angles and/or possible ways a situation will unfold.

So, how do I approach it: would the first hexagram represent the present, and the changed hexagram represents some point in the future? and if so, where would that future point in time be?

Click to expand...

Just in case you hadn't come across it yet there is a Foundations Course put together by Hilary which deals with all such questions in a very clear way. It's accessible in CC so you can watch the videos and then discuss the exercises on the ongoing threads we have for each learning module. There are several modules on multiple moving lines and a module on the relationship between primary and relating hexagram....and everything you need to know really. Will link http://www.onlineclarity.co.uk/shop/
link to CC is there but what it doesn't say there I don't think is that you can just start working through the Foundations Course simply by joining CC, you don't have to buy it separately and also there are open threads running on each module so you can just ask whatever you want there and Hilary and others can help


The relating hexagram might be seen as the backdrop against which the primary plays out against and this can include past present and future. Someone, was it Karcher,...said the relating is the sea the primary swims in. Hilary has also written some good Blogs about this topic will see if I can link. Here it is http://www.onlineclarity.co.uk/answers/2013/06/01/the-old-resulting-hexagram-conundrum/

I'd advice you keep a very open intuitive attitude towards the relationship between primary and relating and steer clear of getting hooked on whole idea of 'future' for the relating but don't rule out that sometimes it can include the future. Find what works for you. Most of the time both hexagrams are working together simultaneously IMO...there is no time leap from one to the other