How WWG works? …. continue

We talked about Jing Fang’s 8 Chambers Theory yesterday. It is the first step of Setting. We still need the next step before we can start to decipher.

The Rules of Na-Jia

The Rules of Na-jia (納甲法) is to relate particularly the Earthly Branches to the line of the hexagram. The table below shows how it works.

For Acquired Ba-gua, we have different properties for different trigrams, which are associated with the weathers they represented. For example, Kan ☵ (坎) for Winter, so the property of Kan is Water. Similarly, we have Wood for Zhen ☳ (震) and Xun ☴ (巽), Fire for Li ☲ (離), Metal for Dui ☱ (兌) and Qian ☰ (乾), and Earth for Gen ☶ (艮) and Kun ☷ (坤). Jing Fang was using it as the base for his “8 Chambers Theory”.

To explain why it works would require some lengthy explanation. Perhaps I should stop here. I rather use the following example “Sui of Zhun” (屯之隨) to demonstrate how it works. “Sui of Zhun” means from Zhun (屯) changed to Sui (隨) . The Changed hexagram can be called Bian-gua (變卦) or Zhi-gua (之卦).

How WWG works?

There are totally three steps that you would require to decipher a Yi-shi (易蓍), or the hexagram which you casted: the Casting (起卦, or Qi-gua), the Setting (裝卦, or Zhuang-gua), and the Interpreting (解卦, or Jie-gua). This is applicable to all kinds of Yi-shi, not just WWG.

Casting is easy. All you need is 49 milfoil stalks or 3 rounded coins, through which you “randomly” generate six numbers. Not just any number, but the numbers of 6, 7, 8, or 9. The first number is always for the initial (bottom) line (初爻, or Chu-yao). The second number from the bottom for the second line, and so forth. This is used to determined the Lao, Shao, Yin and Yang, i.e., the Change.

Jing Fang’s 8 Chambers Theory

It requires two basic steps for Setting. The first step is to determine which “Chambers” the original hexagram before change (本卦, or Ben-Gua) belongs to. It is called the “8 Chambers Theory” and is believed to be initiated by Jing Fang (京房) of Han (漢) Dynasty.

For Acquired Ba-gua, we have different properties for different trigrams, which are associated with the weathers they represented. For example, Kan ☵ (坎) for Winter, so the property of Kan is Water. Similarly, we have Wood for Zhen ☳ (震) and Xun ☴ (巽), Fire for Li ☲ (離), Metal for Dui ☱ (兌) and Qian ☰ (乾), and Earth for Gen ☶ (艮) and Kun ☷ (坤). Jing Fang was using it as the base for his “8 Chambers Theory”. See the following Table.