Detailed Explanation of Liuyao Najia Hexagram Assignment Method
Introduction
The Najia hexagram assignment method is one of the core techniques in Liuyao divination. "Najia" refers to assigning Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches to the six line positions of a hexagram, forming a complete divination system. Through Najia hexagram assignment, each line obtains its Heavenly Stem, Earthly Branch, and Five Elements attribute, providing the foundation for subsequent hexagram interpretation.
This article will provide a detailed introduction to the traditional Najia hexagram assignment method, including mnemonic verses for assigning Heavenly Stems to the eight trigrams, Earthly Branch assignment rules, and specific hexagram assignment procedures. This is fundamental knowledge that must be mastered when learning Liuyao divination.
Najia Mnemonic Verses
Najia hexagram assignment has fixed mnemonic verses that need to be memorized:
Qian Metal Jia-Zi outer Ren-Wu, Kan Water Wu-Yin outer Wu-Shen
Gen Earth Bing-Chen outer Bing-Xu, Zhen Wood Geng-Zi outer Geng-Wu
Xun Wood Xin-Chou outer Xin-Wei, Li Fire Ji-Mao outer Ji-You
Kun Earth Yi-Wei outer Gui-Chou, Dui Metal Ding-Si outer Ding-Hai
These verses contain the configuration rules for the Heavenly Stems and initial line Earthly Branches of the eight trigrams.
Rules for Assigning Heavenly Stems to the Eight Trigrams
Heavenly Stem Configuration Table
Each trigram has an inner trigram Heavenly Stem and an outer trigram Heavenly Stem:
- Qian Trigram: Inner Jia, Outer Ren
- Kun Trigram: Inner Yi, Outer Gui
- Zhen Trigram: Inner Geng, Outer Geng
- Xun Trigram: Inner Xin, Outer Xin
- Kan Trigram: Inner Wu, Outer Wu
- Li Trigram: Inner Ji, Outer Ji
- Gen Trigram: Inner Bing, Outer Bing
- Dui Trigram: Inner Ding, Outer Ding
Heavenly Stem Assignment Rules
- Inner Trigram Three Lines (first line, second line, third line) uniformly use the inner trigram Heavenly Stem
- Outer Trigram Three Lines (fourth line, fifth line, sixth line) uniformly use the outer trigram Heavenly Stem
For example: If the lower trigram is Zhen and the upper trigram is Kan:
- The Heavenly Stem for the first, second, and third lines is all Geng (Zhen's inner Heavenly Stem)
- The Heavenly Stem for the fourth, fifth, and sixth lines is all Wu (Kan's outer Heavenly Stem)
Earthly Branch Assignment Rules
Eight Trigrams Earthly Branch Sequences
Each trigram has a fixed Earthly Branch sequence, arranged in order from the first line to the sixth line:
- Qian Trigram: Zi, Yin, Chen, Wu, Shen, Xu
- Kun Trigram: Wei, Si, Mao, Chou, Hai, You
- Zhen Trigram: Zi, Yin, Chen, Wu, Shen, Xu
- Xun Trigram: Chou, Hai, You, Wei, Si, Mao
- Kan Trigram: Yin, Chen, Wu, Shen, Xu, Zi
- Li Trigram: Mao, Chou, Hai, You, Wei, Si
- Gen Trigram: Chen, Wu, Shen, Xu, Zi, Yin
- Dui Trigram: Si, Mao, Chou, Hai, You, Wei
Earthly Branch Assignment Method
When assigning Earthly Branches, according to the position of the line in the hexagram, extract the Earthly Branch from the corresponding position in the trigram's Earthly Branch sequence:
- Inner Trigram Three Lines: From the lower trigram's Earthly Branch sequence, take positions 0, 1, 2 (corresponding to first, second, third lines)
- Outer Trigram Three Lines: From the upper trigram's Earthly Branch sequence, take positions 3, 4, 5 (corresponding to fourth, fifth, sixth lines)
Complete Hexagram Assignment Procedure
Step 1: Determine Upper and Lower Trigrams
First, you need to know which trigrams the upper trigram (outer trigram) and lower trigram (inner trigram) of the hexagram are.
Step 2: Assign Heavenly Stems
- Find the inner trigram Heavenly Stem corresponding to the lower trigram and assign it to the first, second, and third lines
- Find the outer trigram Heavenly Stem corresponding to the upper trigram and assign it to the fourth, fifth, and sixth lines
Step 3: Assign Earthly Branches
- From the lower trigram's Earthly Branch sequence, sequentially extract the 0th, 1st, and 2nd Earthly Branches and assign them to the first, second, and third lines
- From the upper trigram's Earthly Branch sequence, sequentially extract the 3rd, 4th, and 5th Earthly Branches and assign them to the fourth, fifth, and sixth lines
Detailed Example
Using Lake over Thunder Sui Hexagram (☱☳) as an example:
Step 1: Determine Upper and Lower Trigrams
- Upper Trigram (Outer Trigram): Dui Trigram (☱)
- Lower Trigram (Inner Trigram): Zhen Trigram (☳)
Step 2: Assign Heavenly Stems
Zhen Trigram Heavenly Stem configuration:
- Inner trigram Heavenly Stem: Geng
- Outer trigram Heavenly Stem: Geng
Dui Trigram Heavenly Stem configuration:
- Inner trigram Heavenly Stem: Ding
- Outer trigram Heavenly Stem: Ding
Therefore:
- The Heavenly Stem for the first, second, and third lines is Geng (Zhen's inner Heavenly Stem)
- The Heavenly Stem for the fourth, fifth, and sixth lines is Ding (Dui's outer Heavenly Stem)
Step 3: Assign Earthly Branches
Zhen Trigram Earthly Branch sequence: Zi, Yin, Chen, Wu, Shen, Xu
Take the first three Earthly Branches (positions 0, 1, 2):
- First line: Zi
- Second line: Yin
- Third line: Chen
Dui Trigram Earthly Branch sequence: Si, Mao, Chou, Hai, You, Wei
Take the last three Earthly Branches (positions 3, 4, 5):
- Fourth line: Hai
- Fifth line: You
- Sixth line: Wei
Complete Najia Assignment
The complete Najia assignment for Lake over Thunder Sui Hexagram is as follows (from bottom to top):
Sixth Line (Top): Ding-Wei
Fifth Line: Ding-You
Fourth Line: Ding-Hai
Third Line: Geng-Chen
Second Line: Geng-Yin
First Line: Geng-Zi
Through this example, we can see that the core of Najia hexagram assignment is:
- Determine Heavenly Stems based on upper and lower trigrams
- Extract corresponding Earthly Branches from the Earthly Branch sequence according to position
- Inner trigram takes the first three Earthly Branches (positions 0, 1, 2), outer trigram takes the last three Earthly Branches (positions 3, 4, 5)
Important Notes
1. Different Inner and Outer Trigram Heavenly Stems
Some trigrams have different inner and outer Heavenly Stems (such as Qian and Kun trigrams). Special attention is needed when assigning hexagrams:
- Qian Trigram: Inner Jia, Outer Ren
- Kun Trigram: Inner Yi, Outer Gui
2. Same Inner and Outer Trigram Heavenly Stems
Some trigrams have the same inner and outer Heavenly Stems (such as Zhen, Xun, Kan, Li, Gen, Dui trigrams). When assigning hexagrams, uniformly use the same Heavenly Stem:
- Zhen Trigram: Both inner and outer are Geng
- Xun Trigram: Both inner and outer are Xin
- Kan Trigram: Both inner and outer are Wu
- Li Trigram: Both inner and outer are Ji
- Gen Trigram: Both inner and outer are Bing
- Dui Trigram: Both inner and outer are Ding
3. Fixed Earthly Branch Sequences
Each trigram's Earthly Branch sequence is fixed and must be memorized through the mnemonic verses. When assigning hexagrams, extract the Earthly Branch from the corresponding position according to the line position.
4. Distinction Between Yang and Yin Trigrams
In the traditional Najia method, yang trigrams (Qian, Zhen, Kan, Gen) and yin trigrams (Kun, Xun, Li, Dui) have different Earthly Branch arrangement patterns and need to be memorized separately.
Summary
The Najia hexagram assignment method is a fundamental technique in Liuyao divination. By mastering this method, you can assign complete Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches to any hexagram. The key points of hexagram assignment are:
- Memorize Mnemonic Verses: The verses for assigning Heavenly Stems to the eight trigrams and the initial line Earthly Branches must be memorized
- Distinguish Inner and Outer: Inner trigram uses inner Heavenly Stem, outer trigram uses outer Heavenly Stem
- Extract Branches by Position: Earthly Branches are extracted from the fixed sequence according to line position
- Practice Repeatedly: Practice more to achieve mastery
After mastering the Najia hexagram assignment method, combined with Five Elements mutual generation and restraint and Six Relatives relationships, you can conduct complete Liuyao divination analysis.
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