Liuyao Divination
ADVANCED I CHING · WEN WANG GUA
KEY TAKEAWAYS / TL;DR
- ◈Liuyao attaches Stems and Branches (Najia) and Five Elements to every line of a hexagram.
- ◈It disregards the classical text in favor of studying Element Clashes, Combos, and Strengths based on the exact Month and Day of the reading.
- ◈Every reading centers around the "Shi" (Subject) and "Ying" (Object) lines, surrounded by the "Six Relationships" (Wealth, Authority, etc.) to pinpoint highly specific events.
Liuyao (六爻), also known as the "Wen Wang Gua" (King Wen Oracle) or "Najia" (纳甲) system, is a highly advanced form of I Ching divination. While classical I Ching relies heavily on the philosophical text (the Judgments and Line texts), Liuyao analyzes the energetic interactions of the Five Elements, Heavenly Stems, and Earthly Branches attached to the six lines of the hexagram.
Created by the Han Dynasty scholar Jing Fang (京房, 77–37 BCE), this system transforms the hexagram from a symbolic image into a precise mathematical model mapping time, space, elements, and human relationships.
THE ENGINE: THE FIVE ELEMENTS (五行生克)
The absolute foundation of Liuyao is understanding how the Five Elements generate (support) and overcome (destroy) each other. Master this cycle, and you master the core code of the entire oracle.
ANATOMY OF A HEXAGRAM
How a professional Liuyao reading is structured piece by piece
THE EIGHT PALACES (八宫)
The structural taxonomy of the 64 hexagrams
In Liuyao, the 64 hexagrams are treated like eight great families. The 64 hexagrams are divided into Eight "Palaces" (Ba Gong), each governed by one of the eight pure trigrams (Qian, Kan, Gen, Zhen, Xun, Li, Kun, Dui).
A hexagram inherits the core "Element" of its Palace. For example, any hexagram belonging to the Zhen (Thunder) Palace is inherently a "Wood" hexagram. This element serves as the base baseline (the "Self" element) against which all lines in the hexagram are compared to generate the Six Kinships.
SHI (世) AND YING (应)
The Subject and the Object
Every hexagram designates two specific lines as "Shi" (世) and "Ying" (应). They separate the hexagram into a Host-Guest dynamic.
The Shi line represents YOU — the querent or the core subject of the reading. If Shi is located on the second line, it suggests you are foundational but perhaps lack ultimate authority. If Shi is on the fifth line, you are in a position of power and control.
The Ying line represents the OBJECT — the other person, the destination, or the opposing force. If Shi generates Ying, it shows you actively pursuing or helping the subject. If Ying overcomes Shi, it reveals that the objective or person is currently dominating or suppressing you.
THE SIX KINSHIPS (六亲)
Translating elements into life events
The heart of Liuyao interpretation lies in the Six Kinships (Liu Qin). By comparing the element of each line against the Palace's core element, we map elements to real-world objects:
• Parents (父母 - Generates you): Represents documents, contracts, exams, elders, protection, vehicles. Too strong Parents suppress joy.
• Siblings (兄弟 - Same element): Represents friends, competitors, robbery, and dispersal of wealth. The worst line to see when asking about money.
• Offspring (子孙 - You generate): Represents children, employees, medicine, joy, peace. It is the "God of Fortune" that eliminates disasters.
• Wealth (妻财 - You overcome): Represents money, assets, food, desires, and the wife/girlfriend. Highly desired in business readings.
• Authority (官鬼 - Overcomes you): Represents bosses, government, illness, lawsuits, husbands. Good for promotions, bad for health readings.
MONTH AND DAY MASTERS
The ultimate arbiters of power
A line might be "Wealth," but if it has no power, you will not receive money. The innate DNA of a line is static, but its true power is determined entirely by the cosmic environment of the divination day: The Lunar Month (月建) and Lunar Day (日辰).
• The Lunar Month: It governs the "season" or temperature of the reading. If your Wealth line is Wood, but the Month is Autumn (Metal), your Wood is being destroyed from the root. This is known as feeling "Month Ruptured" (月破).
• The Lunar Day: It governs the immediate momentum. Even if your line is weak due to the Month, a highly supportive Day Master can resurrect it, injecting a sudden burst of energy into the situation.
Wang Shuai & Combo/Clash (Status Markers)
Decoding the badges like "M:Gen", "D:Over", "Void" next to hexagram lines
On the right side of the lines, you will see colored badges (e.g., "M:Flourish", "D:Imprison", "Combo"). These are the auto-calculated [Energy States & Interactions].
• [Flourish/Same] (Prosper): Same element. Like being on home turf, possessing the strongest energy (e.g., Wood meets Wood).
• [Assist/Gen] (Generated): Month/Day generates the line. Like receiving constant help, energy is extremely strong (e.g., Wood meets Water).
• [Rest]: The line generates Month/Day. Energy is drained outwards, like being exhausted and needing rest (e.g., Wood meets Fire).
• [Imprison]: The line overcomes Month/Day. Like hitting a rock with an egg, trapped and very weak (e.g., Wood meets Earth).
• [Dead/Over]: Month/Day overcomes the line. Suffers a fatal blow, lifeless, the weakest and most dangerous state (e.g., Wood meets Metal).
• [Combo]: Combined with Month/Day. Represents being entangled, delayed, or forming a tight partnership.
• [Clash/Rupture]: Clashing with Month/Day. Represents shattering, direct conflict, separation, or rapid sudden changes.
THE SIX SPIRITS (六神)
The psychological and atmospheric layer
Six mythical beasts are mechanically tied to the Day Stem. They do not dictate success or failure, but act as "adjectives" to add nuance to how an event unfolds. For example, losing money under the Vermilion Bird implies legal fines, while losing it under the Tortoise implies theft.
- Azure Dragon (青龙): Joy, marriage, new beginnings, nobility, banquets, virtue.
- Vermilion Bird (朱雀): News, documents, arguments, gossip, debate, fire hazards.
- Hook (勾陈): Stubbornness, delays, real estate, office politics, old connections.
- Soaring Serpent (腾蛇): Anxiety, nightmares, surprises, trickery, entanglement.
- White Tiger (白虎): Bloodshed, surgery, accidents, immense speed, forceful action.
- Black Tortoise (玄武): Secrets, theft, illicit affairs, confusion, hidden agendas.
THE MECHANISM: 3 COINS
How tossing three coins generates the evolving Yin and Yang lines.
PRACTICAL GUIDE: 3 STEPS TO READ A HEXAGRAM
How to actually decode the matrix
Step 1: Find the "Yong Shen" (用神 - The Focus Line)
Determine what the question is about, and find the corresponding Kinship. If asking about money -> Look at the Wealth (妻财) line. If asking about a job -> Look at the Authority (官鬼) line. If asking about a sick child -> Look at the Offspring (子孙) line. This is your anchor point.
Step 2: Check the Environment (日月吉凶)
Look at the Month and Day Masters at the very top of the chart. Do they generate (support) your Focus Line, or do they overcome (destroy) it? If your Wealth line is Wood, and the Month is Metal, your Wealth is being destroyed (statistically dead). No matter how good the hexagram looks, the environment is hostile.
Step 3: Watch the Action (动爻变化)
Look for Changing Lines (marked with circles ◯ or ×). Changing lines act as explosive narrative events. If a Changing Line generates your Focus Line, a sudden benefactor or turn of events will help you. If it turns around to overcome your Focus Line, a sudden obstacle will derail the situation.
ADVANCED MECHANICS
The Four Variables of Destiny: When the plot suddenly twists, look here.
1. Xun Kong (Emptiness / 空亡)
If a line falls into "Emptiness" based on the 10-day cycle, its power is suspended. Even if your Wealth line is heavily supported by the Month and Day, if it is "Empty", the money is an illusion and cannot be obtained right now.
2. Fei & Fu (Hidden Spirits / 飞神伏神)
What if you are asking about a job, but there is no Authority line in the entire hexagram? It is "Hidden" (Fu Shen) beneath a "Flying" line (Fei Shen). You must look "under the hood" to find it and calculate if the Flying line is suppressing it.
3. Chong & He (Clashes & Combos / 六冲六合)
Beyond generic elements, specific earth branches physically attract (Combo/合) or repel (Clash/冲). Combos mean entanglement, delay, or cooperation. Clashes mean dispersal, sudden conflict, or extremely swift action.
4. Jin & Tui (Advance & Retreat / 进退神)
When a changing line shifts into the exact same element but steps forward in the calendar sequence (e.g., Shen Metal changing to You Metal), it is "Advancing" — its power snowballs. If it steps backward, it is "Retreating" — the situation cools off and fades away.
5. HuiTou (Turn-around generation/overcoming)
When a changing line transforms into a completely different element, it can turn around to generate (protect) or overcome (destroy) the original line. This is a highly decisive dynamic.
6. ShenSha (Divine Stars)
Specific celestial markers like the Stagecoach (Quick movement/transfer), Peach Blossom (Romance), and Heavenly Noble (A major benefactor saving you from disaster) that add crucial qualitative flavor to an event.
7. SanHe (Tri-Harmonious Combo)
When three specific Earthly Branches activate together (e.g., Shen, Zi, Chen), they fuse into a massive elemental vortex (Water Combo). This overwrites normal rules, generating a nuclear-level event.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is the difference between Liuyao and the I Ching?+
Which of the Six Relationships indicates money?+
Why does the exact same hexagram yield a different reading today versus tomorrow?+
What is the role of a Changing Line?+
RELATED TOOLS: PUTORY TO PRACTICE
Launch Liuyao EngineEnterprise-grade Oracle Engine by Cosmic TaoSource: "The Forest of Changes" (易林) ; Jing Fang's Najia System (京房易传)