# Multiple moving lines: state the rule you use Record the six original values, choose one explicit convention for multiple moving lines, and mark which parts of the reading depend on that choice. Includes a conventions table, a record format and a hypothetical example. Updated: 2026-10-31 · Wenbu AI-assisted editorial Do not rush to pick a single moving line. Copy the six values in bottom-to-top order, mark every 6 and 9, then write one sentence naming the convention you will use. Common options include reading only the resulting hexagram, reading all moving lines, selecting one line by the number of changes, or treating the topmost moving line as primary. These are named options from different traditions and personal practice, not one classical instruction. Keep the convention beside the six numbers, and mark sentences that depend on it. That way another reader can recompute the structure, and you can separate hexagram facts from your selection choice. [Wenbu · three-coin method](https://wenbu.app/knowledge/en/iching-three-coins.md) · [Wenbu · calculation conventions](https://wenbu.app/methodology/) · [Wenbu · reviewing a reading](https://wenbu.app/knowledge/en/review-a-reading.md) - Save the six original values and changing positions together; a drawing of solid and broken lines alone loses information. - Selecting among moving lines is a convention question: each option highlights something and leaves something unread. - Mark sentences that depend on your convention so a later review can separate structural facts from selection choices. ## From six values to a labelled reading 1. **Copy the six values** — Record 6, 7, 8 and 9 from bottom to top and list the changing positions separately. 2. **Check the structure** — Confirm both hexagram names; flip only the changing lines and leave the rest unchanged. 3. **Write one rule** — State whether this reading uses all moving lines, only the resulting hexagram, a line chosen by count, or another named option. 4. **Mark dependent sentences** — Flag statements affected by the rule, separating structural facts from selection choices. 5. **Review on a set date** — Append dated new information and keep the original interpretation rather than rewriting it. The flow fixes the recomputable record first, then names and writes the convention, then marks convention-dependent sentences; it does not judge which convention is more accurate. [Wenbu · three-coin method](https://wenbu.app/knowledge/en/iching-three-coins.md) · [Wenbu · calculation conventions](https://wenbu.app/methodology/) · [Wenbu · reviewing a reading](https://wenbu.app/knowledge/en/review-a-reading.md) ## Fix the record first: six values, order, changing positions The first step with several moving lines is not interpretation but a complete, recomputable record. Write the six values from bottom to top, for example 6, 7, 8, 9, 7, 8, then list the changing positions separately (lines 1 and 4). In the three-coin method, 6 and 9 are the changing lines; flipping them produces the resulting hexagram, and hexagram names follow the King Wen sequence. Copying only solid and broken lines merges 6 with 8 and 7 with 9, so another reader cannot tell which lines change. Also note the method: simulated fair coins or six values from your own tosses. Both produce numbers from 6 to 9, but their provenance differs and should be clear on later checks. Put the original values, changing positions and both hexagram names in one block before writing any association. This step does not involve a selection rule, so it stays valid whichever convention you later choose. If you use an online cast, the page keeps the six original numbers and changing positions for review; with manual entry, you must keep the order yourself. After recording, count the moving lines: one, two, three or more changes differ in difficulty and in which conventions are practical. [Wenbu · three-coin method](https://wenbu.app/knowledge/en/iching-three-coins.md) · [Wenbu · calculation conventions](https://wenbu.app/methodology/) ## Write the selection rule as one checkable sentence How to read multiple moving lines is fundamentally a question of convention. Named options include reading only the resulting hexagram, reading every moving line, choosing a line according to how many change, treating the topmost moving line as primary, treating the first moving line as primary, or reading the set of changes as one overall theme. These appear in different traditions and personal practice; this page does not declare one correct, and does not attribute any of them to a classical passage that was not read. Make the rule concrete enough to check. “This time I read all moving lines, with the topmost as primary and the rest as background” is more useful than “read it traditionally,” which cannot be audited. The rule should also say what is left unread: reading only the resulting hexagram skips the moving-line texts of the original; selecting one line keeps the other positions in the record but leaves their texts outside this reading. Once written, apply the rule for this reading instead of switching when one text feels inconvenient. If you want to compare two conventions, write two parallel readings, each labelled with its rule, rather than blending them into one apparently unified conclusion. [Wenbu · calculation conventions](https://wenbu.app/methodology/) · [Wenbu · three-coin method](https://wenbu.app/knowledge/en/iching-three-coins.md) ## Conventions table: what each option selects and leaves out The table below treats common approaches as parallel options, not a recommended order. Each row says what it selects, what it usually leaves unread, and what to watch for. It quotes no unverified classical passage; if you want to cite a classic, find the specific chapter and line position yourself and label the citation separately. Which option you choose depends on the question you are asking and the time you can spend, not on a single answer hidden in the number of changes. With two moving lines, some readers read both and others read one; with three or more, reading every text can become a pile of fragments, so an overall-theme rule may be clearer, though it gives up line-by-line detail. Record that trade-off rather than explaining later why something was skipped. [Wenbu · calculation conventions](https://wenbu.app/methodology/) · [Wenbu · three-coin method](https://wenbu.app/knowledge/en/iching-three-coins.md) ## Mark convention-dependent sentences and schedule a review After writing the reading, sort its sentences: structural facts (the six values, changing positions, both hexagram names), convention-dependent statements (why this line rather than that one), and personal associations. Add a short marker such as “under convention A” to the second kind. If you reread under another convention, you can then see which conclusions move with the rule. At review, keep the original question and interpretation, then append a dated paragraph recording what you actually did, what you observed and which statements did not fit. Do not rewrite the first version to match an outcome. Selecting among moving lines is part of an interpretive frame, not a prediction tool; it can organise reflection but cannot show that a text necessarily corresponds to an event. If the reading gave you no useful lead, write that down too. It is closer to an honest record than forcing a successful ending. [Wenbu · reviewing a reading](https://wenbu.app/knowledge/en/review-a-reading.md) · [Wenbu · calculation conventions](https://wenbu.app/methodology/) ## Common conventions for multiple moving lines | Convention (named option) | What it selects | Usually left unread | Practical note | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Resulting hexagram only | The new hexagram after all changes flip, read as a whole | The moving-line texts of the original | Simplest structure, but gives up detail at the changing positions. | | Read every moving line | The text attached to each 6 or 9 | Usually no separate primary line | With many changes it can fragment; you must impose your own order. | | Select one line by count | A line chosen according to how many change (numbering varies by tradition) | The other moving-line texts | Name the numbering table you use, or the choice cannot be checked. | | Topmost moving line as primary | The highest changing line, with others as background | Independent readings of lower moving lines | Clear rule, but may underplay prompts from lower positions. | | First moving line as primary | The lowest changing line encountered first | Independent readings of later moving lines | Often emphasises a different line from the topmost rule. | | Overall-theme reading | The set of changes treated as one theme | Line-by-line texts | Useful with many changes, but more subjective. | [Wenbu · calculation conventions](https://wenbu.app/methodology/) · [Wenbu · three-coin method](https://wenbu.app/knowledge/en/iching-three-coins.md) ## Hypothetical case: a two-change record The following is a hypothetical teaching example, not a cast for any real question, and it predicts nothing. Suppose someone recorded a three-coin result and wants to practise writing the convention before reading. 1. Record: write 6, 7, 8, 9, 7, 8 from bottom to top. Lines 1 and 4 change. After checking, the original is Kun 困 (47) and the resulting hexagram is Jie 节 (60); the other four lines stay unchanged. 2. Write the rule: this reading uses all moving lines, with the topmost as primary. Note that the values and changing positions are structural facts, while which line counts as primary is a convention choice. 3. Read and label: write the overall image of the resulting hexagram, then associations for lines 1 and 4, marking the sentence about line 4 as primary with “under convention B.” 4. Compare another rule: start a separate paragraph using “resulting hexagram only,” keep just the overall image, and state plainly that moving-line texts are not read this time. Keep the two readings side by side. 5. Review: a week later, append a dated paragraph on what you did, what you observed and which reading gave no useful lead; keep the first two paragraphs unchanged. The checkable result is that the six values, changing positions and two hexagram names stay consistent, while which line is read changes with the convention. The exercise teaches record-keeping and labelling, not which convention works better. [Wenbu · three-coin method](https://wenbu.app/knowledge/en/iching-three-coins.md) · [Wenbu · calculation conventions](https://wenbu.app/methodology/) · [Wenbu · reviewing a reading](https://wenbu.app/knowledge/en/review-a-reading.md) ## FAQ ### With many moving lines, must I read only one? No. Reading all moving lines, reading only the resulting hexagram and an overall-theme reading are parallel options with different trade-offs. What matters is stating the choice in advance and saying why other parts stay outside this reading, rather than switching midway. [Wenbu · calculation conventions](https://wenbu.app/methodology/) ### If two people use different conventions and reach different conclusions, who is right? This is usually a difference in selection rules, not a right-or-wrong result. First check that both records have the same six values and changing positions, then read each stated convention; the structure can be recomputed, but the selection cannot be settled by the numbers alone. [Wenbu · three-coin method](https://wenbu.app/knowledge/en/iching-three-coins.md) · [Wenbu · calculation conventions](https://wenbu.app/methodology/) ### Should I cite a classical text to support my convention? If you cite, give the specific chapter and line position and label the source separately; this page does not attribute any selection rule to a classical passage that was not read. Without checking the original, it is safer to present the rule as your own practice. [Wenbu · calculation conventions](https://wenbu.app/methodology/) ### How much of the record should I keep? At minimum, keep the six values, the bottom-to-top order, the changing positions, both hexagram names and the chosen convention. If you later compare two conventions, two parallel readings are more useful than a single conclusion. [Wenbu · three-coin method](https://wenbu.app/knowledge/en/iching-three-coins.md) · [Wenbu · reviewing a reading](https://wenbu.app/knowledge/en/review-a-reading.md) ## Glossary - **Moving line**: A line valued 6 or 9 in the three-coin method; it flips when the resulting hexagram is built, and its position should be recorded with the value. [Wenbu · three-coin method](https://wenbu.app/knowledge/en/iching-three-coins.md) - **Selection convention**: A rule stated in advance for handling multiple moving lines, such as reading all, reading only the resulting hexagram or naming a primary line; it is a choice within an interpretive frame. [Wenbu · calculation conventions](https://wenbu.app/methodology/) - **Resulting hexagram**: The figure produced by flipping every moving line, also called the relating hexagram or zhi gua; its construction is deterministic and can be checked independently. [Wenbu · three-coin method](https://wenbu.app/knowledge/en/iching-three-coins.md) - **Convention-dependent sentence**: A statement in a reading that holds because of the chosen selection rule and may change under another rule; it should be marked apart from structural facts. [Wenbu · calculation conventions](https://wenbu.app/methodology/) · [Wenbu · reviewing a reading](https://wenbu.app/knowledge/en/review-a-reading.md) ## Evidence notes - The three-coin method records each line as 6, 7, 8 or 9; only 6 and 9 change, and all six numbers should be kept. — “Only 6 and 9 change. Keep all six numbers” (fact); [Wenbu · three-coin method](https://wenbu.app/knowledge/en/iching-three-coins.md) - Traditions differ on how to select among multiple moving lines, and the tool shows every changing position without naming one standard. — “多个动爻怎样取用有不同传统” (tradition); [Wenbu · calculation conventions](https://wenbu.app/methodology/) - A review should preserve the original question and interpretation, then append dated new information rather than rewriting the first version. — “Do not rewrite the first interpretation” (editorial); [Wenbu · reviewing a reading](https://wenbu.app/knowledge/en/review-a-reading.md) ## Sources - [Wenbu · three-coin method](https://wenbu.app/knowledge/en/iching-three-coins.md) — Existing editorial and worked calculation; fetched 2026-10-31T02:00:32.970Z; complete response - [Wenbu · calculation conventions](https://wenbu.app/methodology/) — First-party implementation; not evidence of predictive accuracy; fetched 2026-10-31T02:00:32.787Z; complete response - [Wenbu · reviewing a reading](https://wenbu.app/knowledge/en/review-a-reading.md) — Existing editorial practice; fetched 2026-10-31T02:00:32.988Z; complete response [Save this cast's six values and chosen convention as one dated note](https://wenbu.app/en/iching/)