Six Lines basics
Opposing line (Ji Shen)
By Vi Nhật Sơn · Updated
Kỵ thần
Opposing line (Ji Shen) — what is it? The Opposing line is the line that controls the Target line; to control it, the Opposing line must both move and be Prosperous.
As a concept, the Opposing line is the line that controls the Target line; together with the Source line, it is a factor acting directly on the Target line.
When the Opposing line counts
In principle, the Opposing line counts only when that line moves, or sits on the Self line, or is the Flying line in a case where the Target line has to be read; outside those cases we pay no attention to the Opposing line.
For the Opposing line to control the Target line
For the Opposing line to control the Target line, two basic conditions must be met:
- The Opposing line moves
- The Opposing line is Prosperous
An Opposing line is Prosperous in the following cases:
- Generated by the Day or the Month
- Resting–Confined and combined by the Day or by the Month
- Coinciding with the Day or the Month
- Generated by a moving line, that moving line being Resting or above
- Resting and changing into generation
- At Birth at the Day or at the changed line
- Changing into Prosperous at the changed line
Outside the cases above, a moving Opposing line only reports that, at the timing of the Opposing line, there is still a factor unfavourable to the Target line, but that factor is not strong enough to harm the Target line.
The Target line changing into the Opposing line
The cases above do not include the Target line changing into control, that is, the Target line changing into the Opposing line; in that case, whether the Opposing line is Prosperous or Weak and whether the Target line is Prosperous or Weak, the result is a spoilt matter. But the difference between a Prosperous Target line changing into a Resting or Weak Opposing line, and a Weak Target line changing into a Prosperous Opposing line, is that where the Target line is Prosperous nothing happens at first, the matter asked about still succeeds at the timing of the Target line, but when the timing of the branch of the Opposing line arrives, the matter asked about will be spoilt. Conversely, if the Opposing line is Prosperous the matter asked about is spoilt at once. The timing of the Opposing line, however, is counted by how Weak the Opposing line is: if Resting–Confined it is counted by month, if Prosperous by day and hour, if Weak or Rootless by year.
The Opposing line sitting on the Self line
In most cases the Opposing line sitting on the Self line is spoilt. The Self line stands for oneself and the Target line for the matter asked about; my controlling the matter asked about means I am going the wrong way. Between oneself and the matter there should not be a relation of fighting — that is best. Rarely, in some cases where the Target line controls the Self line and both the Target and the Self line are Prosperous, one still gets through, but one is also very worn out.
Even so, there are still some cases where the Opposing line sitting on the Self line can be used, namely:
The Opposing line sits on the Self line but moves and changes into the Target line
A basic principle in the Yi is that a moving line cannot act on the changed line; from this comes the fact that a Target line at the changed line is not harmed by a moving line, so in most cases the Opposing line sitting on the Self line, moving and changing into the Target line reports a successful matter, regardless of the Strength of the Target line, because the changed line is not subject to the action of the Day and the Month, except in a few special cases. For example:
Influence (Xian) changing to Gathering Together (Cui)
| Parents | Wei Earth | Resp. | ||||
| Siblings | You Metal | |||||
| Offspring | Hai Water | |||||
| Siblings | Shen Metal | Self | ○ | Wealth · Mao Wood | ||
| Officer line | Wu Fire | |||||
| Parents | Chen Earth |
Asking about Wealth: there is money, but at the timing of the Siblings line it is still lost, though not as against Wealth.
But this case does not include the following:
Offspring changing into Officer in a question about a career. With this Offspring changing into Officer, if the Offspring line is not Void, Break or in the Tomb then the matter asked about will succeed; but if the Offspring line is Void, Break or in the Tomb, it reports receiving the post but being unable to take office because of an accident in the interval between the moment of receiving the decision and the moment of taking office. So when this hexagram is cast, from the moment of receiving the decision until actually taking office one must guard oneself absolutely, and guarding oneself covers both space and time. As for time, it is at the timing of the Offspring line: if Void, when it is clashed into reality; if in the Tomb, when the Tomb is clashed open; if Break, at the combination on its own branch — those are the moments when one is in danger. As for space, wherever the Offspring line is, know to avoid it: if the Offspring line is in the inner trigram, avoid going out; if it is in the outer trigram, stay at home, at the times given above.
Example: on a Geng Chen day, in the Mao month:
| Officer line | Mao Wood | Resp. | ||||
| Parents | Si Fire | |||||
| Siblings | Wei Earth | |||||
| Offspring | Shen Metal | Self | ○ | Officer line · Mao Wood | ||
| Parents | Wu Fire | |||||
| Siblings | Chen Earth |
The person heard the news of receiving a new post, but the next day an accident happened.
Besides, Wealth changing into Parents, when simply applying for a job in the private sector, reports receiving a decision for a trial period but not being taken on officially. For example:
| Parents | Zi Water | |||||
| Wealth | Xu Earth | Self | ○ | Parents · Hai Water | ||
| Officer line | Shen Metal | |||||
| Officer line | You Metal | |||||
| Parents | Hai Water | Resp. | ||||
| Wealth | Chou Earth |
The Target line combines with the Self line
This case is read as an ordinary hexagram: the combination counts and the control does not, and it reports that the matter will come to one entirely of itself, that is, favourable conditions while one is not yet ready, but in the end everything is done; only in relations between people is it a matter of agreeing in appearance but not at heart, and yet in the end the matter will still be done. For example:
| Officer line | Yin Wood | Resp. | ||
| Wealth | Zi Water | |||
| Siblings | Xu Earth | |||
| Siblings | Chou Earth | Self | ||
| Officer line | Mao Wood | |||
| Parents | Si Fire |
Wealth is the Target line, and Wealth combines with the Self line.
The Target line clashes the Self line
This case is like the case of the Target line combining with the Self line, differing only in that the matter arrives unexpectedly, as if falling from the sky. For example:
| Officer line | Si Fire | |||
| Parents | Wei Earth | |||
| Siblings | You Metal | Self | ||
| Wealth | Mao Wood | |||
| Officer line | Si Fire | |||
| Parents | Wei Earth | Resp. |
Wealth is the Target line, and Wealth at Mao Wood clashes the Self line.
The Target line lies at the changed line
This case is not only the Target line lying at the changed line of a moving Self line, but includes cases of moving and changing at the other lines, for example: (no chart is given in the book)
In this situation, for matters that have the character of a fixed event happening in the future, the result is obtained regardless of Strength, but it cannot be used for events that are long-lasting; for example, Modesty (Qian) changing to Darkening of the Light (Ming Yi)
| Siblings | You Metal | |||||
| Offspring | Hai Water | Self | ||||
| Parents | Chou Earth | |||||
| Siblings | Shen Metal | |||||
| Officer line | Wu Fire | Resp. | ||||
| Parents | Chen Earth | × | Wealth · Mao Wood |
Wealth is the Target line; in this case, at the time of Mao Wood there is money, money coming from a person with the characteristics of the Parents line at Chen Earth.
Besides, relations between people cannot be treated this way either, because it will report that the two sides understand nothing of each other, except in the case where the Opposing line sits on the Self line and changes into the Target line, in which case, although it is not to one's liking, it will still succeed. Take the hexagram Modesty changing to Darkening of the Light above: if the question is about the feelings between husband and wife, the future leads nowhere, because the primary line and the changed line have nothing to do with each other, and the cause of the ending is that husband and wife share a bed but dream different dreams.
The Self line Void or in the Tomb
This case is counted by the principle of the circle of branches already spoken of: of the timing of the Target line and that of the Self line, whichever appears first is taken first, on condition that the Target line is Prosperous; otherwise it can only report that one has a problem oneself. For example:
On a Ren Yin day, in the Hai month:
| Siblings | Zi Water | Resp. | ||||
| Officer line | Xu Earth | |||||
| Parents | Shen Metal | |||||
| Siblings | Hai Water | Self | ○ | Officer line · Chen Earth | ||
| Officer line | Chou Earth | |||||
| Offspring | Mao Wood |
Wealth is the Target line; Wealth is Hidden under the Self line, and since the Self line is in the Tomb, Wealth appears. Here the timing of Wealth is at Si and Wu, and that of the Self line at Xu; in the order of the branches, Yin comes to Si and Wu, so the money will come at Si and Wu.
Matters that do not concern oneself
The remaining cases are those that do not concern oneself, such as the health of a relative, or a relative's work and studies…; there it is enough to choose the Target line and read.
See also
- Self line — the Self line falling on the Opposing line, and how to put it right
- Source line, Hostile line
- Single moving line — a moving Opposing line in relation to the Self line
- Timing, Changed line