Every hexagram in the Book of Changes, grouped by theme — with names, Chinese characters, and the core question each one asks of you. Bookmark this list for every casting.
The I Ching (易经) uses 64 hexagrams — six-line figures built from broken (Yin) and solid (Yang) lines — to describe every recurring situation in human life. Not 64 predictions: 64 patterns of change, each with its own advice.
When you cast, the hexagram you receive is less about what "will happen" and more about which pattern you're standing inside right now. Here is the complete map. For full line-by-line readings, visit our Hexagram Library.
| Hexagram | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ䷀1 乾 Qián | The Creative | Pure Yang force — initiative, leadership, creative power. Move like a dragon: patient at first, decisive when the moment comes. |
| ䷁2 坤 Kūn | The Receptive | Pure Yin — receptivity, support, dedication. Strength through yielding and sustained care. |
| ䷂3 屯 Zhūn | Difficulty at the Beginning | Birth pains. Confusion at the start of a new venture is natural; find a helper and stay the course. |
| ䷃4 蒙 Méng | Youthful Folly | The beginner's mind. Humility and a good teacher turn ignorance into growth. |
| ䷄5 需 Xū | Waiting | Nourishment through patience. Do not force; prepare and wait with confidence. |
| ䷅6 訟 Sòng | Conflict | Opposition with another. Even a justified dispute drains everyone — seek a wise mediator. |
| ䷆7 師 Shī | The Army | Disciplined collective effort. Organization and a clear chain of command. |
| ䷇8 比 Bǐ | Holding Together | Union and alliance. People gather around quiet sincerity, not demands. |
| Hexagram | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ䷈9 小畜 Xiǎo Chù | The Taming Power of the Small | Small obstacles refine big ambitions. Progress is temporarily slowed — accumulate quietly. |
| ䷉10 履 Lǚ | Treading | Conduct and caution. Tread carefully — even on a tiger's tail, dignity keeps you safe. |
| ䷊11 泰 Tài | Peace | Heaven and Earth in harmony. A golden period — enjoy it, but prepare for change. |
| ䷋12 否 Pǐ | Standstill | Stagnation and miscommunication. Withdraw, wait, and protect your integrity. |
| ䷌13 同人 Tóng Rén | Fellowship | Companionship in a shared purpose. Align with people, not factions. |
| ䷍14 大有 Dà Yǒu | Great Possession | Abundance. Wealth arrives — manage it with modesty and generosity. |
| ䷎15 謙 Qiān | Modesty | The only hexagram where every line is favorable. Humility balances all things. |
| ䷏16 豫 Yù | Enthusiasm | Momentum and shared joy — but set the melody yourself, don't just dance to it. |
| Hexagram | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ䷐17 隨 Suí | Following | Adapting to the moment and to worthy people. Know when to lead and when to follow. |
| ䷑18 蠱 Gǔ | Work on the Decayed | Something neglected is rotting. Time for difficult repair of an old problem. |
| ䷒19 臨 Lín | Approach | Growth from above and below. Mentorship and expansion — seize the favorable season. |
| ䷓20 觀 Guān | Contemplation | Step back and observe. Perspective before action; be worth watching, too. |
| ䷔21 噬嗑 Shì Hè | Biting Through | An obstruction must be bitten through. Justice requires decisive — and fair — force. |
| ䷕22 賁 Bì | Grace | Beauty and form. Aesthetics matter now, but substance should lead. |
| ䷖23 剝 Bō | Splitting Apart | Decline and stripping away. Let what is ending end; keep your core intact. |
| ䷗24 復 Fù | Return | The turning point. Light begins its comeback — move gently, don't rush the dawn. |
| Hexagram | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ䷘25 無妄 Wú Wàng | Innocence | Act from naturalness, not calculation. Alignment brings unexpected luck. |
| ䷙26 大畜 Dà Chù | The Taming Power of the Great | Great strength, disciplined. Build real reserves before the big push. |
| ䷚27 頤 Yí | Nourishment | Watch what — and who — you feed yourself. Care of body and mind. |
| ䷛28 大過 Dà Guò | Preponderance of the Great | Extraordinary strain. An exceptional time calling for exceptional — but considered — action. |
| ䷜29 坎 Kǎn | The Abysmal Water | Repeating danger. Keep your heart steady and cross the ravine one step at a time. |
| ䷝30 離 Lí | The Clinging Fire | Clarity and attachment. Light depends on something to burn — choose your fuel. |
| ䷞31 咸 Xián | Influence | Attraction and courtship. Mutual resonance — let it develop from quiet feeling. |
| ䷟32 恆 Héng | Duration | Endurance in relationships and purpose. Success is a rhythm, not a sprint. |
| Hexagram | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ䷠33 遯 Dùn | Retreat | Strategic withdrawal. Disengage in time — retreat is not defeat. |
| ䷡34 大壯 Dà Zhuàng | The Power of the Great | Vigorous strength. Use it, but true power never needs to prove itself. |
| ䷢35 晉 Jìn | Progress | Advancement like the sunrise. Visible progress through steady brightness. |
| ䷣36 明夷 Míng Yí | Darkening of the Light | Hide your brilliance in dark times. Inner clarity, outer caution. |
| ䷤37 家人 Jiā Rén | The Family | Roles and warmth within the clan. Correct your own position first. |
| ䷥38 睽 Kuí | Opposition | Divergence. Small misunderstandings grow if forced — work with differences, not against them. |
| ䷦39 蹇 Jiǎn | Obstruction | A hard road ahead. Slow down, seek allies, turn toward what's workable. |
| ䷧40 解 Xiè | Deliverance | The block clears. Relief after difficulty — resolve things quickly, then rest. |
| Hexagram | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ䷨41 損 Sǔn | Decrease | Voluntary reduction. Give something up now to strengthen what matters. |
| ䷩42 益 Yì | Increase | Benefit flows downward. A time to give generously — and to launch. |
| ䷪43 夬 Guài | Breakthrough | Decisive resolution of a long-standing evil. Be resolute, but announce your case openly. |
| ䷫44 姤 Gòu | Coming to Meet | Unexpected influence enters. Meet it clearly before it takes root. |
| ䷬45 萃 Cuì | Gathering Together | Assembly and collective strength. Prepare well for the meeting that matters. |
| ䷭46 升 Shēng | Pushing Upward | Steady ascent like a growing tree. Small efforts, compounding. |
| ䷮47 困 Kùn | Oppression | Exhaustion and constraint. Outer trouble, inner resolve — keep your dignity. |
| ䷯48 井 Jǐng | The Well | An inexhaustible source. Inner resources don't change with the seasons — draw from them. |
| Hexagram | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ䷰49 革 Gé | Revolution | Radical change. The old is finished — renew after the appointed day, not before. |
| ䷱50 鼎 Dǐng | The Cauldron | Cooking raw into refined. Transformation of culture, team, or self. |
| ䷲51 震 Zhèn | The Arousing Thunder | Shock and awakening. Movement breaks stagnation — respond, don't freeze. |
| ䷳52 艮 Gèn | Keeping Still | Stillness and boundaries. Know where to stop — in body and in mind. |
| ䷴53 漸 Jiàn | Development | Gradual progress like a marriage procession. Slow stages, permanent results. |
| ䷵54 歸妹 Guī Mèi | The Marrying Maiden | Improper timing or position. Know your place; permanent relationships need right foundations. |
| ䷶55 豐 Fēng | Abundance | Fullness at noon. Peak moments pass — share the abundance while it lasts. |
| ䷷56 旅 Lǚ | The Wanderer | A time of transit. Keep things light; don't build castles where you camp. |
| Hexagram | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ䷸57 巽 Xùn | The Gentle Wind | Persistent gentle influence. Soft penetration changes more than force. |
| ䷹58 兌 Duì | The Joyous Lake | Joy and open speech. Shared pleasure — but joy must stay truthful. |
| ䷺59 渙 Huàn | Dispersion | Dissolving rigidity. Melt inertia; regroup around a higher purpose. |
| ䷻60 節 Jié | Limitation | Limits and measure. Voluntary restraint creates real freedom. |
| ䷼61 中孚 Zhōng Fú | Inner Truth | Sincerity that moves others without words. Character as influence. |
| ䷽62 小過 Xiǎo Guò | Preponderance of the Small | Small details, big consequences right now. Fly low; attend to the small. |
| ䷾63 既濟 Jì Jì | After Completion | Order achieved. Precisely when everything works, decay begins — stay vigilant. |
| ䷿64 未濟 Wèi Jì | Before Completion | The transition itself. Almost there — carelessness now would undo everything. |
Draw a hexagram with our free gesture-based diviner and receive an AI-guided reflection on what it means for your question.
Start a Free ReadingA real reading usually gives you two hexagrams: the present situation and, through changing lines, the future tendency. The movement between them — say, from Peace (11) to Standstill (12), or the reverse — is where the real advice lives.
For a complete walkthrough of casting methods and interpretation, see our guide: How to Read Your Chart · The Eight Trigrams · Yin & Yang Foundations. And for deep dives into each figure, browse the 64-Hexagram Library.
No. Even classical scholars used reference books. Learn the eight trigrams first — every hexagram is just two trigrams stacked, and the upper/lower pairing already tells most of the story.
The I Ching deliberately ends unfinished. Hexagram 63 (After Completion) warns that success breeds decay; 64 (Before Completion) says the transition is the most dangerous moment. The Book of Changes closes on "not yet" — change never stops.
Treat it as a mirror, not a verdict. The hexagram names a pattern of change; your honest reflection on how it applies is where the value is. That's how the I Ching has been used for self-understanding for roughly 3,000 years.
Classically, Modesty (15) is called the only hexagram where all six lines are favorable. But "difficult" hexagrams like Oppression (47) often arrive at exactly the moments their advice is most needed.
Offered for cultural insight and self-reflection, not prediction. Related reading: Hexagram 1 — The Creative · Quantum Physics & Daoism