Eight Trigrams

Most feng shui introductions begin with the eight-direction map — the chart behind “wealth corner” and “career direction.” That map is downstream of something older: eight three-line symbols, each a different stacking of a solid and a broken line — the yin and yang pair — that are the working vocabulary of the I Ching, of feng shui direction-reading, and of Chinese divination generally. The eight trigrams (八卦, bāguà) are what this page lays out: how the symbols are built, the full table of names, images, elements and family roles, the classical passages the table comes from, the difference between the pre-heaven and post-heaven arrangements, and how a trigram is actually read.