The relating hexagram, also called the changed hexagram or zhi gua, is the second six-line figure you get by flipping every changing line in a cast you have already recorded. In the three-coin method each line is recorded as 6, 7, 8 or 9, ordered from the bottom up; 6 and 9 are changing lines, and flipping them produces the relating hexagram, with names assigned by King Wen sequence. So the first step is not to ask what it predicts but to check three things: are all six original numbers kept, are the changing positions marked correctly, and did you flip only those lines without altering stable ones? If all three hold, anyone can recompute the relating hexagram independently. It is a deterministic transformation rule, not a forecast; reading it as "things will turn out a certain way" mixes interpretation into calculation.
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- The relating hexagram is a rule-based flip result that can be recomputed, not a prediction.
- Keep all six original numbers and the bottom-to-top order before constructing anything.
- Flip only the lines valued 6 and 9; stable lines never move.
- Write the transformation and the interpretation as two separate sentences.
A checking flow from six numbers to the relating hexagram
- 01Fix the original record
Write the six numbers bottom to top and keep the numbers rather than only drawing lines, so 6/8 and 7/9 stay distinguishable.
- 02Fill original lines and mark changes
6 and 8 start as yin, 7 and 9 as yang; mark only 6 and 9 as changing, and 7 and 8 as stable.
- 03Flip only changing lines
Turn 6 into yang and 9 into yin, leaving stable lines untouched; do not reverse the whole figure or skip a flip.
- 04Read trigrams and name
Split the flipped six lines into lower and upper trigrams, then name the figure with the upper trigram first and its King Wen number.
- 05Save and split sentences
Store the six numbers, changing positions, both names and numbers; then write one transformation sentence and one interpretation sentence separately.
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Separate the calculation from the interpretation
The relating hexagram is often described mystically, but its construction is plain: record six values from a cast, arrange them bottom to top, treat 6 and 9 as changing lines, flip each of those into its opposite, leave the other four untouched, and the new figure is the relating hexagram. This step is deterministic; another person using the same numbers will reach the same result. So check the numbers and positions before you check the associations a name brings.
Two layers need separating. The first is the transformation rule, which answers only "which figure results after flipping?" The second is interpretation, such as linking a figure to a situation or attitude. The latter is traditional meaning or modern association, open to discussion, not a causal conclusion derived from the numbers. Writing these as two sentences is the simplest guard against mixing them.
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A construction worksheet: six steps from numbers to relating hexagram
Step one: write the six numbers in a column, bottom to top, with three extra columns for original line, changing or not, and flipped line. Step two: fill the original lines by rule, with 6 and 8 starting as yin (broken) and 7 and 9 starting as yang (solid). Step three: mark changing lines, since only 6 and 9 change while 7 and 8 stay stable. Step four: flip only the marked positions, turning 6 into yang and 9 into yin, leaving stable lines alone.
Step five: regroup the flipped six lines into lower and upper trigrams, read each, and name the figure with the upper trigram stated first, plus its King Wen number. Step six: save the six original numbers, the changing positions, the original name and number, and the relating name and number together. With that record, someone else can recompute the same relating hexagram without knowing what you were thinking.
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Common misreadings: whole-figure reversal, missed flips, treating it as prophecy
The first misreading reverses the whole diagram or turns every line into its opposite. The rule flips only changing lines; stable lines must stay as they are. A whole-figure reversal produces a different figure, not the relating hexagram. The second misreading flips too few or too many lines, for example flipping only one changing line or treating 7 and 8 as changeable, which yields the wrong figure. The third is copying only solid and broken lines without the numbers, so 6 and 8 or 7 and 9 cannot be distinguished and no one can check the work.
The fourth misreading treats the relating hexagram as a preview of what will happen. It describes only the structure after flipping and promises nothing about real events. If no lines change, the original and relating figures are identical, which is a valid outcome; there is no need to recast in order to obtain a change. Calling the relating hexagram a prediction passes one layer of interpretation off as a calculation.
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With several changing lines: record first, then discuss selection
When a cast has several changing lines, the construction rule does not change: flip all of them, none omitted. What differs is how to read them. Traditions differ on how to select among multiple changing lines, and Wenbu shows every changing position rather than declaring one approach the only standard. So the construction stage needs no school of thought; only the interpretation stage requires stating which reading convention you use.
This also means that if someone explains only one changing line, you can ask for the basis of that choice; if they claim to quote a classical passage, ask for the chapter and line reference. The construction can be checked, while the interpretation should carry its source and its uncertainty. Keep the two apart.
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| Aspect | Original hexagram | Relating hexagram |
|---|---|---|
| Source | Read directly from the six original values | Obtained by flipping the original's changing lines |
| Changing-line information | Included; 6 and 9 are marked as changing | Not included; no changing marks after flipping |
| Independently recomputable | Yes, given six numbers and order | Yes, given the original and changing positions |
| Nature | Record and structure | Rule-based transformation result, not a prediction |
| When no line changes | Identical to itself | Identical to the original; no recast needed |
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Teaching example: flipping 6, 7, 8, 9, 7, 8 into a relating hexagram
This is a hypothetical teaching example, not a cast made for any real question. Suppose someone recorded six three-coin values, bottom to top, as 6, 7, 8, 9, 7, 8 and wants to construct the relating hexagram.
- Step one: arrange bottom to top: line 1 is 6, line 2 is 7, line 3 is 8, line 4 is 9, line 5 is 7, line 6 is 8.
- Step two: fill original lines: 6 and 8 are yin, 7 and 9 are yang, so lines 1, 3 and 6 are broken and lines 2, 4 and 5 are solid; mark lines 1 and 4 as changing.
- Step three: flip only those two: line 1 turns from yin to yang, line 4 from yang to yin, and the other four stay unchanged.
- Step four: read the original: the lower three lines form Kan (Water), the upper three form Dui (Lake), Lake over Water, which is Kun, number 47.
- Step five: read the relating: after flipping, the lower three form Dui (Lake) and the upper three form Kan (Water), Water over Lake, which is Jie, number 60.
- Step six: write two separate sentences: the transformation conclusion is "lines 1 and 4 flip, so Kun 47 becomes Jie 60"; the interpretation sentence labels itself a modern association, for example "one might associate this with meeting limits through restraint," and notes it is not a causal fact derived from the numbers.
The only checkable result is this: 6, 7, 8, 9, 7, 8, with lines 1 and 4 flipped, changes from Kun 47 to Jie 60. Any meaning attached to Jie is a separate layer of interpretation and should carry its own source and uncertainty.
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Questions you may have
Are the relating hexagram and the changed hexagram the same thing?
They are two names for the same concept, often written relating hexagram or changed hexagram in English. Both mean the second six-line figure obtained by flipping every changing line of the original, and the construction rule does not change with the name.
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Do I still construct a relating hexagram when no lines change?
Record it, but the result equals the original. With no 6 or 9 there is nothing to flip, and identical figures are a valid outcome; there is no need to recast in order to obtain a change.
Why not just draw solid and broken lines?
Drawing only lines loses the numbers: 6 and 8 both look broken and 7 and 9 both look solid, so no one can tell which lines change or recompute the relating hexagram. Keeping the six numbers makes checking possible.
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With several changing lines, which one should I interpret?
Construction flips all of them, so no selection is needed there. At the interpretation stage, traditions differ on how to select among multiple changing lines, so state the convention you use rather than treating one as the only standard.
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Terms in this guide
- Relating hexagram (zhi gua)
- The six-line figure obtained by flipping every changing line of the original; also called the changed hexagram. It is a rule-based transformation result, not a prediction.
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- Changing line
- A line valued 6 or 9 in the three-coin method, flipped when constructing the relating hexagram; 7 and 8 are stable and do not flip.
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- Original hexagram
- The six-line figure read directly from the six original values, retaining changing-line information and serving as the starting point for the relating hexagram.
- King Wen sequence
- The numbering order of the sixty-four hexagrams, used to label the original and relating figures for checking and discussion.
See the claim and source notes
In the three-coin method, 6 and 9 are changing lines; flipping them yields the relating hexagram, named by King Wen sequence.
6 与 9 是动爻，翻转后得到之卦
The relating hexagram is built by flipping only the changing lines; with none, the two figures are identical, and the transformation is deterministic.
Flip only the changing lines to construct the resulting hexagram
Reading the relating hexagram as a modern association is a possible interpretation, not a causal fact established by the numbers.
not a causal fact established by the numbers
Sources and review scope
This AI-assisted Wenbu article passed automated structure checks and a separate editorial model pass. It is not independent expert review or a paid-account product test.
- Wenbu · three-coin method ↗Existing editorial and worked calculation · 2026-10-29 · Fetched text
- Wenbu · calculation conventions ↗First-party implementation; not evidence of predictive accuracy · 2026-10-29 · Fetched text
Enter these six values manually in Wenbu's I Ching tool
Record 6, 7, 8, 9, 7, 8 as manual coin results, check the changing positions and both hexagram names against this guide, and only then decide whether to move on to interpretation.
Enter these six values manually in Wenbu's I Ching tool ↗