Single moving line

A hexagram with one moving line is the commonest case in Six Lines with the ways of taking a hexagram at random (methods of taking it from numbers — banknote serials, random numbers, counting leaves, yarrow stalks…. — and methods of taking it from direction…) and from the time, as distinct from the method of casting by hand.

With methods other than by hand, it nearly always goes: take the Upper trigram – take the Lower trigram – take the moving line by its order among the six lines counted from the bottom up. This method takes only one moving line in the course of taking the hexagram; besides that, in a few cases one moving line appears in the course of reading the hexagram, namely a line in Hidden movement in certain cases where a still, Prosperous line is clashed by the Day.

Part 1: the Source line moving

With a hexagram of one moving line, the following situations arise in ordinary hexagrams:

The moving line is the Source line of the Target line: there is a factor helping one in the matter asked about, and how long that help lasts lies in the Strength of the Source line. If the Source line changes into control, changes into the Tomb, is Resting and changes into Extinction, or changes into a combination, then the matter asked about will be spoilt, because the person helping, or the factor helping one, runs into trouble and cannot help. For example: in business, Offspring changing into Parents does not generate Wealth, so the business is cheated and the capital seized, and the matter is spoilt….

With a moving Source line we divide into 5 smaller cases, because the result of a hexagram does not lie in the Target line alone, but also in the Self line and in the Self–Target relation; through that it shows the whole picture of the story, including the potential of the matter asked about, one's own direction, ability and feeling throughout the course of the story, the factors appearing in the course of the event, and the other factors acting on those factors — shown through the 4 quantities in a Six Lines hexagram, namely:

• The Target line
• The Self line
• The moving line
• The changed line

To return: with a moving Source line we have 5 cases of the moving line in relation to the Self line:

• Generates the Self line: this is the case of the Target line sitting on the Self line; as to information, one is obsessed with the matter asked about, and besides this is a case where someone helps one in the same way as the Target line. In this case, if the moving Source line changes into control, into a combination, into the Tomb, or is Resting and changes into Extinction, it will surely be dangerous to oneself; and if one cannot intervene in the factor that controls the Source line away, then one needs to prepare oneself in spirit and mind to get through the upheaval, and the moment it happens will be at the timing of the Target and Self lines. Note one point here: the moment of timing of a Source line changing into control lies at the timing of the Target line, except where the Source line, or the changed line of the Source line, is Void or in Month Break
• Sits on the Self line: this is a case of acting for oneself, because the moving line is then also the Self line, and the Self line is the line standing for oneself; my generating for the story is surely running after the matter asked about, which is exactly the expression of acting for oneself
• Drains the Self line: this is the expression of someone helping one in the work, one being the one who asks this person for help, since the Self line generates the Target line; but in the end the matter asked about fails as well, because one is going the wrong way oneself. If the Source line is Prosperous it reports that the helper is capable, but one has gone wrong oneself and so the matter asked about fails. Why wrong? We can refer it to the Five Elements and know — for example, Water is being too easy-going, and so it fails
• Is the Hostile line of the Self line: that is, the Hostile line of the Self line. In this case we combine the two pieces of information, the Source line of the Target line and the Hostile line of the Self line, and get the final information, namely: the person helping one in the work will indirectly wear one out, and from here it is clear that it cannot be done for long, because the Hostile line of the Self line carries the factor that brings discouragement in the present to oneself and harms one's health if done for long; so while one can still bear it, one should think of a way to change the person one works with
• Controls the Self line: this case acts directly on the person asking, and we need to think at once of a way to change the person one works with, before something regrettable happens to us. The moment of timing will be at the moving Source line. In this case we have to rule out the kind of question asked by people who are worried — as with worry about collecting a debt, where this case controls the Officer beside oneself; but even so one must be careful. If this Source line is Weak or spoilt and cannot control the Self line, then the Self line need not worry, but the Target line fails too, because the Source line is too weak

As an exception, in the case where the Source line is the Tomb of the Target line, the cases of changing into a combination or changing into control do not count as spoilt. Besides, if the Source line changes into a combination and the combining line is Void or in Month Break, or if the Source line itself is Void or in Month Break, it all reports that the matter will go on at the timing of those lines.

Part 2: the Target line moving

A moving Target line divides into two kinds: Hidden movement and open movement.

With Hidden movement, this case reports a situation happening at the present moment. The distant timing of Hidden movement will be like that of a moving line, except in a destiny hexagram, where it will answer at the moment the line in Hidden movement is clashed; that is a special exception. As to information, a line clashed by the Day or the Month all reports the splitting of the matter into many parts and many stages, while the final result is the same as when it is not clashed — for example with money, a grocery shop or selling a house: at the end of the year they take in the same sum, but the groceries are small change gathered up while the house is a round sum.

With a line in open movement, there is a changed line along with it, and the relation of the changed line to the line in open movement will be a further factor acting on the Target line, adding the factors that go with it.

Note that only a moving line has a changed line. Do not take it upon yourself to read the changed line of a line that is not moving in order to add information; that is inhumane towards others and self-indulgent. If you want more information, take the trouble to read another hexagram, or cast one by hand and use that.

The factors that go with the changed line of a moving Target line are: generation, control, draining, the life stages, Void, Break, Advancing and Retreating. The case of changing into itself, or changing into a clash, is not discussed here because it is somewhat larger: it is the state of Reversed and Stagnant repetition in a hexagram.

So the case of a moving Target line divides into 5 cases as follows:

• Generates the Self line: in this case the Self line is the Draining line of the Target line. As to information, there is someone helping, and that helper is a person whose interests are bound up with the matter asked about; the helper is a person with the characteristics of the Target line, with the Five Elements and the Six Spirits combined.
• Sits on the Self line: the person asking has to be very active in the matter asked about, and is obsessed with it, advancing and retreating together with the matter being asked about
• Drains the Self line: in this case the Source line sits on the Self line, signalling that one is worn out and spends much strength on the matter asked about; if the Self line is Weak or Resting one is dragged into the matter asked about, and if Rootless one meets a disaster one is entangled in, so pull out before it is too late
• Is the Hostile line of the Self line: in this case the Self line falls on the Opposing line, signalling that one is going in the wrong direction (since the Self line controls the Target line), and is besides indirectly made discouraged and weary by the matter asked about
• Is the Opposing line of the Self line: disaster comes out of the matter asked about; if the Target line is Prosperous the disaster is hard to avoid, so end the matter before the timing of the Target line and escape, otherwise it is dangerous. If the Target line is Weak and the Self line Prosperous, or the Self line is a step above the Target line, then there is only damage along with the matter asked about being spoilt

The order of the steps in reading a hexagram

Before going on to part 3, one important thing has to be repeated, namely the order of the steps in the course of reading a hexagram:

1. Step 1: determine the result
2. Step 2: determine the moment the result happens
3. Step 3: determine the information corresponding between the matter and the hexagram

These three steps always go in order; do not turn 1 into 3 and 3 into 1. And a moving line is usable only when the nature of the line is Resting–Confined or above.

Part 5: the Opposing line moving

The Opposing line is by definition the line that controls the Target line, and it counts only when moving. In a hexagram with a moving Opposing line, the usual timing will be at the Opposing line; in the case where the Target line or the Self line is Void (the Self line not controlling the Target line), the timing will be at the clash or the filling of the Void; or with a moving Target line or Self line in Month Break, the timing will be at the own branch or the combination of that Month Break.

On the whole, a moving Opposing line is the agent doing harm to the matter of concern, and the harm may go as far as being spoilt outright, or may be only at the level of someone meaning to do harm, depending on the intensity, that is, the nature of the moving Opposing line and of the changed line corresponding to that Opposing line, namely:

• A Prosperous Opposing line means spoilt outright, except in special cases such as Break changing into Extinction, or Void changing into Prosperous, or changing into control, in which the Opposing line is spoilt; in this case someone directly ruins what one is doing, identified as the earlier entries have described
• A Resting Opposing line with a Prosperous Target line: here there is still harm, but at the moment the moving Opposing line is clashed away everything succeeds, while before that it is still not right. In this case, if the Opposing line changes into the Tomb, the Opposing line is lost and does not count, and it then reports that the person ruining one runs into a dead end and cannot do harm
• A Weak Opposing line only reports someone meaning to do harm but unable to do it
• Rootless needs no discussion; it is worse than Weak

The relation between the Opposing line and the Self line divides into 5 cases as follows:

• Generates the Self line: in this case the Source line sits on the Self line, reporting that the person helping one is also the person who spoils one's matter. In this case, if there is nothing special about it, one should take care to change the person one works with; and if the Opposing line enters the Tomb, be absolutely careful with a close friend, and look again at whether one's own strength is enough to bear it
• Sits on the Self line: in this case the Opposing line sits on the Self line, which signifies that one spoils the matter oneself. The point to note about the difference between the Opposing line sitting on the Self line while still and while moving is that still means one is going the wrong way oneself, while moving means one directly spoils the matter oneself, because it directly controls the Target line
• Drains the Self line: in this case the Hostile line sits on the Self line, meaning one is under pressure and worn out by the matter being spoilt, and in addition one drains oneself into the Opposing line, which is surely trusting the wrong person, leading to an end where the sticky rice is spoilt and the popped rice is gone. Be most careful in this case: don't get so worn out that you put out your hand with your eyes shut and land in trouble
• Is the Hostile line of the Self line: in this case the Draining line sits on the Self line, and then the person one dislikes (since the nature of the Self line controls the moving Opposing line) does harm to the matter asked about; besides, being the Hostile line of the Self line, it will leave one worn out and dispirited
• Controls the Self line: in this case the Target line sits on the Self line, signalling that one is obsessed with the matter asked about. The Target line and the Self line are controlled at the same time, that is, someone harms both the matter and oneself, so read carefully the entry on Remedies within a hexagram of the Yi, and avoid it

See also

• Still hexagram, Several moving lines
• Source line, Draining line, Hostile line, Opposing line
• Self line, Target line
• Reading people, Six Spirits