Here we derive the method to get the contextual hexagrams for any hexagram under study. This work stems from
considerations on the cardinality of hexagrams, the degrees of their qualitative expression.
From that work has developed a mechanism showing the expression of both cardinality (size) and ordinality (sequence)
in the I Ching.
(1) Take any hexagram and change it's top line. We do this since the top line in a hexagram is both text and context.
The changing of the top line allows the line change hexagrams to emerge; it acts as a sort of key that locks/unlocks
the derivation of patterns.
(2) Using the hexagram derived in (1) as a template, for a specific line position, change the line; yin to yang, or yang to yin. The resulting hexagram is the overall contextual hexagram influencing the same line position of the hexagram under study.
for example, studying hexagram 01 (heaven/heaven) (Using traditional hexagram numbers):
Change the top line giving the 'template' hexagram (43). Now work through from the bottom line. Thus, changing the bottom line of the template hexagram creates hexagram 28 which is considered the contextual influence for the bottom line of hexagram 01; this is the raw context of 01 and deals with excess; with being too full, which is what 01 is - too much yang.
As we work our way through the template hexagram's lines, so we get the hexagrams of 28,49,58,05,34 and finally, changing the top line, we are back at 01. Note that in this list, 34 is the last hexagram of 'influence' in that it is closest to the finished product, linked to line 5, and thus should encompass some of the characteristics of a refined 01 - more so than 28. 34 is called "The Power of the Great" and deals with the nature of absolute power where any action taken can be interpreted as "meaningful", no matter if it was accidental (e.g. picking one's nose in public). And thus one must be wary when in these sorts of inspiring positions. 01 is therefore excessive (raw state) but also inspirational and creative (refined state).
For those of you who wish to go further, all 64 hexagrams have contextual influences on any single hexagram. Detailed 'maps' of these will be linked into this page once they have been written-up.
Jump to the list of contextual hexagrams for the 6 lines
Jump to IC+ hexagram list and links
Based on the comments about change, IC+ asserts that the transformation of one hexagram into any another is also controlled by a hexagram pair. For example, 'leaving' a state described by 01 is summarized by hexagram 23. Here, the excessiveness of 01 is reduced, 'pruned', where pruning is the character of 23. This does NOT describe what 01 is changing into, it only describes the required transformation OUT of 01; there is no other way than to 'prune', cut-back the yang. At the same time, any transformation INTO 01 is described by 43 - increased resoluteness, spreading outwards (expansion) etc.,(increase the yang) and it is this hexagram that is in fact the template for the contextual line material discussed earlier. (Implying that the contextual path OUT can be analyzed in detail by reversing through 23).
What needs to be emphasized is that we are dealing with the 'space' inbetween changing hexagrams. For example, using the traditional path-B biased ways of randomly creating a hexagram, we create hexagram 01 where line 2 is changing and thus the result is hexagram 13. But, the transformation process from out of 01 to 13, or any other hexagram for that matter, is that described by 23. From the viewpoint of hexagram 13, the path in is described by hexagram 49 - which also happens to be the contextual hexagram for line 2 of hexagram 01! At the level of the line, line 2's change in hexagram 01 is being influenced by the hexagram pair encapsulated by 49 - 08/14
In 'simple' terms, a hexagram can be linked to a hexagram line as a contextual influence. Since there are six lines in any hexagram, there will be six hexagrams that have a specific contextual hexagram as a single-line influence. These lines, when changed, will turn into the hexagram which the contextual hexagram is the 'in' transformer(listed below). In the above case, the following hexagrams have 49 as a contextual hexagram - 33(line 1),01(2), 25(3),37(4),30(5),49(6). If I change any of these lines I will get hexagram 13.
I am sure the reader will by now realize that the I Ching is not just a 'fun' system for divining; these are not 'playing' with numbers since it is meaning that holds all of this together. Furthermore, if we take the single-line changes and extend the system to multiple line changes, we will find that, in every case, the contexual hexagram for the changes is the in transformer for the change. For example, any hexagram changing into hexagram 13, in any way, will be found to have hexagram 49 as the contextual hexagram related to the lines concerned - there is NO other way to get into 13. What is of note is that these 'transforming' hexagrams are adjacent to the hexagram we are transforming into when the hexagrams are in binary order.
To finish this page, I have listed, first, the contextual hexagrams for each line of each hexagram, and, second, the Out/In hexagram correspondences, combined with IC+ preferred hexagram names. The last list also has the links to the individual hexagrams for further study. The page concludes with a number of links to essays and an I Ching-related reference list link.
Since, for line 6, context and text are the same, the line 6 number is the hexagram being listed and is in bold. Traditional numbers are used.
The line 6 number is the hexagram being listed and is in bold. Traditional numbers are used.
List Format : Hexagram # hexagram name - Transform Out - Transform In
* A note about names. Hexagram 56 is usually called "The Wanderer" but the 'meaning' of the ideogram is more than this. There is an emphasis on belonging to something although separated from it; thus the ease of the abstraction into a person travelling in a different land and thus an emphasis on control/limitation.
The immediate contextual link (line 5) is with hexagram 31 where we find a similar concept in the form of two pieces of pottery that when joined become a whole; and thus can serve as a form of identification and thus the ease in the abstraction to joining/wooing/linking etc.
Both hexagrams, 56 and 31, summarize the concept of a tie to something - 56 is the expansive form and 31 the contractive form, but I have difficulty in finding the right words.
There are a few cases like this and thus a degree of 'name-fishing'. The strong contextual dependent character of the hexagrams makes it difficult to get an overall title that does each hexagram justice.
Behind it all -- an interlude featuring the brain