The three-line symbols talked about in the yin and yang section are known as trigrams. There are eight trigrams in total and each is associated with one of the eight natural forces of nature: Heaven, Earth, Thunder, Wind, Water, Fire, Mountain, and Lake.
Chinese philosophy holds that everything is interrelated and therefore each trigram also represents various aspects of life. The position of any line in a trigram also represents an aspect of our nature. The top line corresponds to Heaven and represents our spiritual energy and/or mental condition. The middle line represents our emotional and psychological aspects as well as humanity, culture and politics. And the bottom line corresponds with Earth and represents personal issues such as finances and health.
The main yang trigram (Heaven) is often referred to as "Father" and the main yin trigram as "Mother". All the other trigrams are first, second, or third, sons or daughters.
Each of the eight trigrams are paired with another trigram to form the sixty-four hexagrams that go to make up the I Ching. |
