The Yijing, the Chinese Book of Change, started as a divination system, and this is how most readers of the book still use it. Hexagrams and their components, along with the text that accompanies them, are interpreted for matters concerning health, wealth, management, relations, property and so forth. But through the centuries the system was connected to almost all aspects of Chinese culture: Chinese astrology, Feng Shui, Chinese Medicine, art – these were all influenced by the Book of Change and the numerous kinds of philosophy that were found in it. The connection with Chinese astrology led to the so-called Heluo Lishu 河洛理數 system of life hexagrams:
“The Principles and Numbers of the He River Map and Luo River Book.”
Which is the topic of a new and exciting course. Heluo Lishu is a book and system from the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) in which your Chinese horoscope, your bazi 八字, is converted to two hexagrams from the Yijing. These hexagrams are said to explain the groundwork of your personality, the untainted first layer that forms the foundation of who you are. From these hexagrams yearly, monthly, and daily hexagrams are extracted, each telling you something about a certain period in your life. Continue reading