Disclaimer:
All personal information in this case study has been anonymized or omitted. This case study is provided for learning and reference only.

Time of divination: March 1, 2025, at 7:20 PM.
Stem and branch time: II F year, V C month, VI F day (void: L and M).

A woman asked about a man with whom she was in an ambiguous relationship, and wanted to know what he truly thought of her. She obtained Kun to Xian.

Judgment: In judging this kind of relationship hexagram, one usually needs to first determine the gender in order to identify the significator.One should also examine the relationship between the host line and the corresponding line: the host line represents oneself, and the corresponding line represents the other party. If the host and corresponding lines generate each other, it is favorable.

• The querent’s state: The querent’s significator, the wife and wealth line, C wood, in the first line, holds the host position, and aligns with Soaring Snake. Soaring Snake often represents sensitivity and false alarm, which shows that the woman was actually not emotionally steady inside. In relationship matters, the wife and wealth line represents giving and emotional investment. It generates and supports the significator officials and ghosts line, G fire, in the third line.
• The other party’s state: The man’s thoughts need to be judged together through the corresponding line and the officials and ghosts line.
• He had goodwill, but feared constraint, so his attitude was avoidant: The corresponding line is in the fourth line, where the descendants line, M water, aligns with Azure Loong.
• At the same time, the hexagram shows L and M as void in the cycle, and the corresponding line, M water, is exactly in void. This means that the man’s attitude at that time was insubstantial, avoidant, or withdrawn.
• But when this is considered together with the third line officials and ghosts line, G fire, which is prosperous and supportive, aligns with Black Tortoise, and is active, it shows that the man did have feelings for the woman and liked the pleasant and happy feeling of being with her. Because it aligns with Black Tortoise, he kept his thoughts hidden and unspoken, maintaining the ambiguity.
• He may have felt there was competition, or may have regarded her only as a friend for the time being: The third line officials and ghosts line, G fire, was active and transformed into the siblings line, J metal.
• He was also facing external pressure: In the hexagram, the second line parents line, E earth, aligns with White Tiger and is active, transforming into the officials and ghosts line, G fire.
• In relationship matters, the parents line mainly signifies constraint and pressure, though it can also signify documents such as a marriage certificate. In this case, however, it more likely signified pressure.
• Most likely, his parents hoped he would find a stable partner and may have felt that the woman did not quite fit that expectation, or else he was very busy with work and had no time.

Conclusion: The man was currently in a state of hesitation and avoidance, with the corresponding line being void in the cycle. He feared constraint and could not bring himself to act, so he would not take the initiative to confess his feelings, nor would he bring up future progress. However, the primary hexagram was 47.Kun, which is a Six Compatibles hexagram. Six Compatibles means that the two had fate connections and entanglement. If the woman took initiative and acted, the two of them could in fact come together.

Feedback: After the prediction and guidance, the two did indeed end up together.

If there are certain themes you would like to see in future case studies, welcome to leave a comment and share what kinds of divination cases interest you most.

Disclaimer:
All personal information in this case study has been anonymized or omitted. This case study is provided for learning and reference only. It is not intended as medical, veterinary, legal, financial, investment, or other professional advice.

Time of divination: September 14, 2025, at 7:25 AM.
Stem and branch time: II F year, II K month, III L day, IX E hour (void: G and H).

A friend came to me for a divination after his former company had delayed paying his wages. He wanted to know when the money would finally be recovered. He obtained Lv to Jian.

Judgment: For this wage arrears matter, the judgment can be analyzed from three aspects: the overall structure of the hexagram, the state of both sides, and the timing of fulfillment.

First, looking at the overall image, the primary hexagram is 56.Lv, which signifies drifting and instability, and this precisely corresponds to my friend’s current situation, where the unpaid wages had been dragged out without resolution. At the same time, this is a Six Compatibles hexagram. This shows that the matter is entangled in multiple layers of complex relationships.  The transformed hexagram is 53.Jian, which carries the meaning of gradual progress. This gave my friend some reassurance. Because the transformed hexagram is also a returning soul hexagram, I reminded him that this matter would most likely go back and forth repeatedly in the middle stages. So, he would need patience and continued follow-up.

Second, looking at the host line, which represents my friend’s own state, the descendants line, E earth, holds the host position. I told him that this reflected his true state of mind at the time. He was relatively restrained, emotionally still fairly stable, and inwardly hoping to resolve the matter through peaceful negotiation.

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Time of divination: March 5, 2026, 20:50
Stem-branch time: VII C month, V C day (void: J and K). For those curious, this marks the start of our case study exploration.

On March 5, 2026, at 20:50, a friend, a pet owner, urgently asked whether her mother cat would give birth that night and whether the delivery would be smooth. The hexagram obtained was Wu Wang to Sui. This experience forms the basis of our case study content.

Judgment: Because my friend was extremely anxious, I told her that in Six Lines divination, when asking about childbirth, one should take the descendants line, which represents the fetus, as the significator line, while also considering the movement and stillness of the overall hexagram structure together with the timing of manifestation. Thus, in a case study scenario, these factors are crucial for understanding outcomes.

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Time of divination: May 18, 2025, 18:22
II F year, VIII F month, IV M day (void: G and H)

A friend had recently bought a new sunscreen, but after her mother put it away, no one could find it. A divination was made to ask where the sunscreen was. The hexagram obtained was Ji Ji to Zhun.

Judgment：

1. In seeking a missing item, the wife and wealth line is taken as the significator line. In this case, the significator is wife and wealth G fire. G fire carries the image of sunlight and exposure to the sun, which happens to correspond well to the nature of sunscreen itself.

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Date: October 1, 2021
Year VIII B, Month IV K, Day IX G (Void: J and K)

A man invested in a project that was scheduled to begin next month. The total expected profit was more than 1 million yuan. He wanted to ask whether he himself could make money from it, and approximately how much. The hexagram obtained was Sun to Xu.

Judgment: When asking about financial fortune, the wife and wealth line is taken as the significator line. Combined with the host line and the overall structure of the hexagram, the following analysis was made:

1. The host siblings line, B earth, is in the state of rest at the monthly branch and receives generation from the daily branch. It is active, transforming into the advancing god, that is, the siblings line, E earth. In fact, it is in a strong state and indicates an image of actively pushing forward. The host line coincides with the siblings line. Thus, this indicates seeking wealth through cooperation.
2. The significator wife and wealth line, A water, receives generation from the monthly branch and is clashed by the daily branch. Although it is active and transforms into the siblings line, L earth, forming return overcoming, the generation from the monthly branch is strong. Therefore, the wife and wealth line here still has qi, that is, there is still wealth to be sought. The wife and wealth line is also in the states of prosperous and supportive, especially in the coming months. In the month of A and the month of M, water becomes even more prosperous. For this reason, obtaining wealth becomes more forceful.
3. The overall situation:
   • The officials and ghosts line, C wood, representing the official side, is active and transforms into the wife and wealth line, A water, forming return generation. While the wife and wealth line, A water, in turn transforms into the siblings line, L earth.
   • The officials and ghosts line holds the “money,” indicating that the project was initiated by the official side. The larger share of the project was authorized to the cooperating party represented by the siblings line, L earth, and forcefully taken by it.
   • At the same time, although the host line, B earth, is strong in its transformation into advance, it also transforms into the siblings line, E earth. This shows that it was a project involving multiple cooperating parties.
4. The logic of obtaining wealth: Although the fifth-line wife and wealth line, A water, is forcefully “taken” by L earth and also has its energy drained by the officials and ghosts line, C wood, the wealth itself still has qi. Moreover, the host line, B earth, is strong and forceful, and when active it is compatible with the wife and wealth line, A water. The transformed E earth is also a water storehouse or tomb. Therefore, the querent could obtain wealth. However, after layer upon layer of profit-sharing, not much remained. In addition, the image of the primary hexagram, Mountain over Lake, Sun, itself also carries an image of loss.

Conclusion: This was a project involving multiple cooperating parties. He could make money, but not much. It appears that the profit would pass through at least three layers of profit-sharing. Therefore, it was unlikely to exceed 150,000 yuan.

Feedback: The official side did in fact give the project to a major contractor. The querent himself took over part of it from someone else, and then subcontracted part of it out again. In the end, he made a total of a little over 80,000 yuan.

The principles of the I Ching and life are interconnected, and the imagery in this case was very vivid. When judging a hexagram, one must first pay attention to the overall image and the structure within the hexagram. In this case, the primary hexagram image, Mountain over Lake, Sun, together with the many strong siblings lines, necessarily showed an image of seeking wealth through cooperation and of siblings taking the wealth. Thus, the profit share was bound to be small. This requires the diviner to have rich life experience and accumulated understanding in order to derive the image accurately.

Disclaimer: All personal information in this case study has been anonymized or omitted. This case study is provided for learning and reference only.

Date: May 1, 2025, 12:30 Thursday (the fourth day of the fourth lunar month)
Year II F, Month VII E, Day VII G (Void: L and M)
Stars and Omens: Traveling Horse Star: J

In China, during the nationwide travel peak of the May Day holiday, one usually needs to rush in advance to secure train or high-speed rail tickets. Before last year’s May Day holiday, a friend of mine was scrambling frantically to get a ticket home and came to ask me for a divination. He wanted to see whether he could obtain a waitlisted ticket home. Therefore, he could plan the rest of his trip. He obtained Guan to Wu Wang.

Judgment: When asking about tickets, documents, and similar credentials, the parents line is taken as the significator line. The parents line shows Dual Appearance[1] in the hexagram. Both the host line and the corresponding line are parents H earth, and both are active, so priority is given to the host line as the significator line. The significator line, H earth, receives peer support from the monthly branch E and is prosperous and supportive. Moreover, it is itself active and transforms into the officials and ghosts line, G fire. This forms a return generation, since G fire generates H earth. Its overall strength is very strong. Therefore, this indicates that the ticket could be secured.

---

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Date: October 14, 2023, 8:15
Year X D, Month IX L, Day II F (Void: C and D)

A recent graduate asked whether he would pass the interview and whether he would be notified to start work. The hexagram obtained was Kan to Kun.

Judgment: The host siblings line, A water, is overcome by the monthly branch L and is in extinction on the daily branch F. Moreover, the host line, A water, is in the state of dead in the month of L. In addition, it coincides with the Black Tortoise, indicating that the querent himself had only average ability and was not flexible enough. The host A line and the corresponding G line being in clash also indicates that the job seeker and the requirements of this work unit did not match.

1. The parents J metal line is active and generates the host line, but it is bound in compatibility by the daily branch F (the daily branch here represents the interviewer or leader). This indicates that the querent originally seemed to have some chance. However, in the end he might still be screened out.
2. The primary hexagram, Kan as Water, is a Six Clashes Hexagram, representing difficulty and stoppage. The transformed hexagram, Kun, is a Six Compatibles Hexagram, which would ordinarily be a favorable sign. However, the host line is weak and is overcome in multiple ways. So this is still not enough to change the result. In judging the hexagram, one must still primarily look at the host line and the significator line.
3. The parents J metal line, which represents the interview or offer, is solitary active. Although it is active and generates the host line, it transforms into the siblings line, M water. The transformed line is broken (clashed by the F daily branch). This indicates that it would not work out, and also suggests that someone else passed. The siblings line can represent peers, and it can also represent competitors. In hexagrams involving competition, the siblings line holding the host is unfavorable for achieving the intended goal. For example, when seeking wealth, if the siblings line holds the host, it indicates that it is difficult to obtain wealth. What is even more problematic is when the siblings line is active, except in cases where the descendants line is also active. This is because this then forms a pattern in which the active siblings line generates the descendants line. Furthermore, the active descendants line generates the wife and wealth line. Instead, this is favorable when seeking wealth.

Conclusion: He would not pass the interview.

Feedback: On October 17, the querent reported that he had not passed. The reason was that the work unit believed that he had just graduated, lacked experience, and was not stable enough. The position was an administrative one, and the work unit wanted to hire someone experienced and stable.

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We plan to publish around 110 to 120 case analyses over the course of this year. About 100 of them will be available to paid subscribers. Our goal is to build a serious and growing archive of real I Ching divination cases, with clear analysis and practical value.

Thank you again for reading, subscribing, and supporting this work. Your subscriptions, likes, and shares make it possible for us to continue developing this column. In addition, they help us expand the library of case studies over time.

Disclaimer: All personal information in this case study has been anonymized or omitted. This case study is provided for learning and reference only.

Date: May 16, 2024, 15:20:00

Year I E, Month VI F, Day VII E (Void: J and K)

A man asked about reconciling with his ex-girlfriend. The hexagram obtained was Gou to Huan.

Judgment: The primary hexagram is Gou, which is highly inauspicious for a man asking about a relationship. There are two analytical angles for determining the significator line in this case:

1. For a man, the wife and wealth line, C wood, is taken as the significator line. The significator wife and wealth line is in the states of rest and constraint, coincides with the Black Tortoise, is hidden beneath, and is compatible with the flying line, M water. This indicates that there should be someone else around the ex-girlfriend.
2. If analyzed from the perspective of the host and corresponding lines, the host line represents the man himself, and the corresponding line represents the woman. If the woman, represented by the corresponding line, is taken as the significator line, then the officials and ghosts line, G fire, is active and transforms into the parents line, H earth, in compatibility. Compared with the host line, B earth, H earth represents another man. The top line, L earth, is clashed by the daily branch and shows covert activation, which also points to another man. This corresponds to the analysis of taking the wife and wealth line as the significator line. The hidden wife and wealth line being compatible with the descendants line, M water, also indicates that she has other choices. All of this shows that this woman likely does not lack potential partners around her.

The siblings line, K metal, between the host and corresponding lines is active and forms an obstruction. The activation of K metal can also represent a competitor. This means that even if they reconcile, the woman may still later be taken by someone else. The second line, the Black Tortoise descendants line, M water, is monthly broken and overcome by the daily branch, fallen and without root. The source god of the host line, G fire, which is also the corresponding line, is in harm with the host line. This indicates that even if the two are together, they would not really be happy. There is also a feeling of knowing that it should not be done, yet still doing it.

Feedback: She is still in school. Whenever she goes home during school breaks, she stops responding to the querent. The querent does not know her situation very well, but she is always somewhat mysterious. However, she really does get along quite well with the boys in her class.

This does indeed match the analysis. As for how to choose, that is the querent’s own decision. But if the hexagram had already shown so clearly that the relationship was obstructed and unlikely to bring happiness, was reconciliation ever really possible?

I. Twelve Stages of Life

1.2.3.2: Methods of Applying Tomb and Storehouse

In Six Lines Divination, the tomb/storehouse positions are as follows. These positions also play an important role in I Ching Divination:

• Metal enters the tomb at B
• Fire enters the tomb at L
• Wood enters the tomb at H
• Water and earth enter the tomb at E

A line enters the tomb in the following cases:

• when it encounters the tomb/storehouse of the daily branch or monthly branch
• when it self-transforms into a tomb/storehouse line
• when it encounters an active tomb/storehouse line
• when it is hidden beneath a tomb/storehouse line

There are several points to note:

• Daily tomb is commonly used, while monthly tomb can be used in image-based interpretation. The two are different.
• Only true self-transformation into tomb counts as transformation into tomb. For example, water transforming to E counts, while fire transforming to E does not.
• When a tomb/storehouse line is active and an adjacent line enters the tomb, this is mostly used for determining imagery and timing.
• When a hidden line enters the tomb, this refers to the flying-hidden relationship. If fire is hidden beneath E, B, or H, and similar cases, this is not entering the tomb, because L is the tomb of fire. It only means that tomb/storehouse and concealment share similar imagery.
• There are also three cases of following the officials and ghosts line into the tomb: the body line, the host line, and the natal line following the officials and ghosts line into the tomb. In modern practice, this is rarely used, but it can still be applied in image-based interpretation.

I. Twelve Stages of Life

1.2.3.1: Methods of Applying Birth, Peak, Tomb, and Extinction

We already know some of the symbolic meanings of Birth, Peak, Tomb, and Extinction. When using I Ching Divination, how should we apply them in actual practice?

First, we need to understand the following concepts:

• a line can encounter Birth, Peak, Tomb, or Extinction through the daily branch
• a line can encounter Birth, Peak, Tomb, or Extinction through an active line
• a line can encounter Birth, Peak, Tomb, or Extinction through a transforming line

Note:

It is enough just to know that this concept exists.

Generation amidst extinction:

When a hexagram line encounters a place of death, if there is another nearby line that comes to generate it, then this is regarded as false death, and is called “generation amidst extinction.”

The image of death:

It carries the meanings of death, getting stuck in a dead end, inflexibility, inability to adapt, stagnation, termination, being finished, rigidly clinging to one view, going down one road all the way to the end, having no room left, downturn, lack of vitality, lifelessness, dullness, clumsiness, being unable to let go, narrow-mindedness, having no way out, silence, stillness, and fearfulness.

Transforming into a place of death:

Metal (J and K) transform into A water.
Fire (F and G) transform into K metal.
Wood (C and D) transform into G fire.
Earth (E, H, L, B) and Water (M and A) transform into D wood.