Chapter 02: How to Cast and Arrange a Liu Yao Hexagram

After completing this chapter, readers should understand:

1. The first step in Liu Yao judgment is casting and arranging the hexagram.
2. Casting generates the hexagram image; arrangement places Six Relatives, Self and Other, Six Spirits, and other information into the hexagram.
3. Common Liu Yao casting methods include coin casting, number casting, time casting, and related methods.
4. Why coin casting is very common in traditional Liu Yao.
5. Why moving lines matter: they show the points of change within the matter.
6. Why arrangement must be rigorous, because Six Relatives, Self and Other, Useful Line, and Six Spirits all depend on a correctly arranged chart.
7. Liu Yao does not only read the hexagram name; it analyzes concrete questions through a complete chart.
8. When casting, the question should be clear, one matter should be asked at a time, and repeated testing should be avoided.

Liu Yao is a system for judging specific matters.

When a person faces a concrete question, that question must first be transformed into a hexagram image. This process is called casting a hexagram.

For example, someone asks:

Will this client pay this week?

In Liu Yao, we should not answer directly by feeling.

The first step is to cast a Liu Yao hexagram.

This hexagram will contain:

• The original hexagram;
• Moving lines;
• The changed hexagram;
• Six Relatives;
• Self line;
• Other line;
• Six Spirits;
• Month Branch;
• Day Branch;
• Emptiness;
• Generation, control, clash, and combination among the lines.

Together, these pieces of information form the basis of judgment.

Therefore, the first step of Liu Yao is not interpretation, but chart arrangement.

If the hexagram is arranged incorrectly, the later judgment will deviate.

When learning Liu Yao, two concepts must be distinguished:

Casting only gives the hexagram image.

Arrangement turns the hexagram into a Liu Yao chart that can actually be analyzed.

For example, merely knowing that the hexagram is “Wind over Fire, Family” is not enough.

You also need to know:

• Which line is moving;
• Which line is the Self line;
• Which line is the Other line;
• Which line is the Wealth line;
• Which line is Officer/Ghost;
• Which line carries Azure Dragon;
• Which line carries White Tiger;
• Whether the Useful Line is supported by the month and day;
• What the moving line changes into.

This is the importance of arranging the hexagram.

Liu Yao is more detailed than Meihua Yishu precisely because it loads each line with real-world relationship information.

Before casting a Liu Yao hexagram, the question must be clarified first.

A good Liu Yao question should have three qualities:

Specific

It is not recommended to ask:

How will my career be?

It is more suitable to ask:

Should I accept this job opportunity now?

Current

Liu Yao is more suitable for analyzing an existing current matter, not a distant or vague life question.

It is not recommended to ask:

Will I succeed ten years from now?

It is more suitable to ask:

Is this project worth continuing now?

One matter, one question

A single casting is best used for one core question.

It is not recommended to ask:

Can this partnership succeed, is the other party reliable, can it make money, and will there be risks later?

That contains too many questions.

It can be split into:

1. Is this partnership suitable to move forward?
2. Does the other party have genuine sincerity?
3. Does this project have an income opportunity?

The more specific the Liu Yao question is, the clearer the judgment becomes.

Liu Yao does not recommend repeatedly asking the same matter within a short time.

If the real situation has not changed, repeated casting is often not about seeking judgment, but seeking the answer one wants to hear.

For example:

Will he contact me?

Will he contact me today?

Will he really contact me or not?

If I ask again, will it be different?

This mindset makes the judgment confused.

In general:

If the situation has not changed, repeated questions are not appropriate;

If conditions have changed, the question can be asked again.

For example, if the other party has replied, contract terms have changed, or the project status has been updated, a new casting can be made because the question environment has changed.

Coin casting is a very common traditional method in Liu Yao.

Usually, three coins are used and shaken six times in succession, with each toss forming one line.

The six results are arranged from bottom to top:

Sixth toss: Top line
Fifth toss: Fifth line
Fourth toss: Fourth line
Third toss: Third line
Second toss: Second line
First toss: First line

In other words, the first result becomes the lowest first line.

The sixth result becomes the top line.

This is one of the easiest points for beginners to confuse.

Liu Yao is always generated from bottom to top.

Each time three coins are tossed, they produce a heads-and-tails combination.

Traditionally, numbers are often used to represent the result:

A simple understanding:

• 7 is a still yang line;
• 8 is a still yin line;
• 9 is a moving yang line;
• 6 is a moving yin line.

Moving lines change:

Old Yang changes to Young Yin
Old Yin changes to Young Yang

That is:

• A moving yang line changes into a yin line;
• A moving yin line changes into a yang line.

Moving lines form the changed hexagram.

Moving lines represent the parts of the matter that are currently changing.

In Liu Yao, moving lines are very important.

They may indicate:

• A certain role takes initiative;
• A certain factor changes;
• A certain condition is triggered;
• A certain issue is developing;
• The matter is no longer still.

For example:

• If the Wealth line moves, financial, client, or resource-related themes are activated;
• If Officer/Ghost moves, role, pressure, rules, illness imagery, or a male counterpart image may be activated;
• If Parents move, contracts, messages, certificates, and documents are activated;
• If Siblings move, competition, friends, partnership, and division of wealth are activated;
• If Children/Descendants move, output, products, pressure-relief, and child-related themes are activated.

A moving line cannot be judged good or bad alone.

The key is to examine:

• Whether the moving line is the Useful Line;
• Whom the moving line generates or controls;
• What the moving line changes into;
• Whether it changes into returning generation or returning control;
• Whether it is clashed or combined by the month or day;
• Whether it is favorable to the Self line.

The new hexagram formed after moving lines change is called the changed hexagram.

The original hexagram represents the current state.

The changed hexagram represents the trend after the matter changes.

For example, if the third line in the original hexagram is Old Yang, Old Yang moves and changes into a yin line.

After that change, a new hexagram is formed.

The changed hexagram is not an absolute result, but a trend.

It suggests:

If the current change continues to develop, which direction the matter may move toward.

In Liu Yao judgment, both the original hexagram and changed hexagram must be read, but the core still lies in the Useful Line, Self and Other, moving lines, and month and day.

Besides coin casting, some people also use number casting.

Numbers may come from:

• A number that naturally comes to mind;
• The current time;
• A number seen by chance;
• A random number;
• A number given by the querent.

The core of number casting remains:

When the question is clear, transform the number into a hexagram image.

Number casting is convenient, but several points must be observed:

1. The question must be clear;
2. The number should not be deliberately chosen;
3. The method should remain fixed;
4. Do not repeatedly change numbers in order to obtain the desired result.

In Liu Yao, coin casting is more traditional; number casting is more convenient.

But no matter which method is used, the key is focused questioning and consistent rules.

Time casting creates a hexagram according to the time when the question is asked.

It usually uses numbers from the year, month, day, and hour to form the hexagram.

The idea behind time casting is:

The moment when the question is raised contains the current qi of the matter.

Time casting is suitable when there are no coins available and a quick judgment is needed.

However, when learning Liu Yao, it is still recommended to first understand coin casting, because coin casting more clearly helps beginners understand how each line is formed and how movement and change occur.

After casting, the hexagram still needs to be arranged.

Arrangement means placing the information needed for analysis onto the six lines.

It mainly includes:

1. Assigning Earthly Branches;
2. Assigning Six Relatives;
3. Determining Self and Other;
4. Assigning Six Spirits;
5. Marking moving lines;
6. Producing the changed hexagram;
7. Marking Month Branch and Day Branch;
8. Judging emptiness.

Arrangement is the foundation of Liu Yao analysis.

If the Six Relatives are assigned incorrectly, the Useful Line may be found incorrectly;

If Self and Other are placed incorrectly, oneself and the other party may be judged incorrectly;

If the Six Spirits are assigned incorrectly, auxiliary imagery becomes confused;

If the month and day are unclear, strength and weakness cannot be judged.

Therefore, Liu Yao chart arrangement must be rigorous.

In Liu Yao, each line is usually assigned an Earthly Branch.

Earthly Branches carry Five Element attributes:

Earthly Branches are an important foundation for judging Six Relatives, Five Element generation and control, strength and weakness, clash and combination.

For example, once a line is assigned “Yin Wood,” we know it belongs to Wood.

If the Day Master or palace element is determined, we can further determine which Six Relative it is.

Assigning Earthly Branches follows fixed rules. Beginners do not need to memorize everything immediately, but they should know this: every line in a Liu Yao chart is not empty; it has an Earthly Branch, Five Element, Six Relative, Six Spirit, and position.

The Six Relatives are the core relationship system in Liu Yao judgment.

They include:

Parents
Siblings
Children/Descendants
Wife/Wealth
Officer/Ghost

The Six Relatives are determined by the relationship between each line’s Five Element and the palace element of the hexagram.

The basic relationships can be understood as:

Here, “me” does not mean the querent personally; it means the Five Element of the hexagram palace.

The Six Relatives help transform lines in the hexagram into real-world themes.

For example:

• Parent line represents documents, contracts, messages, elders, and houses;
• Sibling line represents friends, peers, competition, partnership, and division of wealth;
• Children/Descendants line represents children, products, output, joy, and resolving pressure;
• Wife/Wealth line represents money, clients, resources, and practical benefits;
• Officer/Ghost line represents position, pressure, rules, illness, lawsuits, relationship objects, and similar themes.

Only after assigning the Six Relatives does the hexagram begin to carry real-world meaning.

The Self line and Other line are two major positioning points in Liu Yao.

The positions of Self and Other are determined by fixed rules according to the hexagram palace and hexagram type.

Beginners can first remember:

The Self line usually looks at oneself; the Other line usually looks at the other party.

The Self-Other relationship helps judge the interaction between oneself and the other party, or between oneself and the matter.

For example:

• Self generates Other: oneself actively gives;
• Other generates Self: the other party or outside supports oneself;
• Other controls Self: the other party or outside pressures oneself;
• Self controls Other: oneself controls the other party or matter;
• Self and Other combine: both sides are connected;
• Self and Other clash: both sides have conflict or change.

But the Self-Other relationship still cannot determine the result alone; the Useful Line must also be read.

The Six Spirits are:

Azure Dragon
Vermilion Bird
Hooked Chen
Flying Serpent
White Tiger
Black Tortoise

Six Spirits are arranged according to the day stem.

Different day stems begin the Six Spirits in different orders.

The Six Spirits are used to assist the observation of the matter’s manifest atmosphere.

The Six Spirits cannot directly determine success or failure.

They are like adding color and temperament to the lines.

For example:

• Wealth line with Azure Dragon may indicate a smoother or more presentable financial opportunity;
• Wealth line with Black Tortoise requires attention to financial opacity;
• Officer/Ghost with White Tiger may indicate stronger pressure;
• Parents with Vermilion Bird makes messages, documents, and communication themes obvious.

The Six Spirits are auxiliary and cannot replace the strength and weakness of the Useful Line.

Liu Yao judgment cannot be separated from the Month Branch and Day Branch.

The Month Branch is the Earthly Branch of the current month.

The Day Branch is the Earthly Branch of the current day.

They affect the strength of every line in the hexagram.

For example:

• If the Useful Line is generated or supported by the Month Branch, its strength increases;
• If the Useful Line is controlled by the Day Branch, its strength is damaged;
• If the Useful Line is clashed by the Month Branch, the matter is likely to move;
• If the Useful Line combines with the Day Branch, the matter has involvement;
• If the Useful Line is at the Month Branch, it is relatively strong;
• If the Useful Line is at the Day Branch, it also has real-world force.

Month and day are like time forces in the real environment.

If month and day differ, the same hexagram may be judged differently.

Therefore, Liu Yao chart arrangement must mark the Month Branch and Day Branch.

Emptiness means that a certain line is temporarily unreal, not in place, floating, or difficult to settle.

For example:

• Empty Wealth line: money is temporarily not in place;
• Empty Parent line: messages, contracts, or documents are not yet settled;
• Empty Other line: the other party’s state is unclear;
• Empty Officer/Ghost line: pressure may not yet have formed, or the position is not yet settled;
• Empty Self line: one feels unsettled, or the current state is unstable.

Emptiness does not necessarily mean there will never be anything.

Sometimes, after leaving emptiness, being clashed out of emptiness, or being filled, the matter changes.

Therefore, emptiness must be read together with month and day, moving lines, and timing.

A Liu Yao chart is usually displayed from top to bottom:

Top line
Fifth line
Fourth line
Third line
Second line
First line

But when casting, the six results are generated from bottom to top:

First toss: First line
Second toss: Second line
Third toss: Third line
Fourth toss: Fourth line
Fifth toss: Fifth line
Sixth toss: Top line

When displaying the chart, the top line is usually placed at the top and the first line at the bottom.

This is because the hexagram is visually displayed from top to bottom, but generated from bottom to top.

Beginners must clearly distinguish:

Casting is from bottom to top.

Display is from top to bottom.

After arrangement is complete, do not immediately look for good or bad.

You can follow this order:

Read the question type

First determine what the user is asking about:

• Finance;
• Relationship;
• Work;
• Partnership;
• Documents;
• Illness;
• Lost items;
• Messages;
• Exams.

Find the Useful Line

Different questions use different Useful Lines.

Ask about money: look at the Wealth line.

Ask about work: look at Officer/Ghost.

Ask about contracts or messages: look at Parents.

Ask about children: look at Children/Descendants.

Ask about competition: look at Siblings.

Read Self and Other

The Self line represents oneself; the Other line represents the other party or outside.

See whether Self and Other generate, control, combine, or clash.

Read the strength and weakness of the Useful Line

Does the Useful Line receive support from month and day?

Is it moving?

Is it empty?

Is it clashed or controlled?

Does it enter tomb?

Read moving lines and changed lines

Moving lines represent change in the matter.

See whom they generate, whom they control, and what they change into.

Read the overall trend

Finally, judge together:

• Whether the matter has strength;
• Where the obstruction lies;
• Who is active;
• Where change occurs;
• Whether it is suitable to move forward;
• Whether caution or action is more appropriate.

Looking only at the hexagram name

Liu Yao cannot look only at the hexagram name.

The hexagram name is only background; real judgment depends on Six Relatives, Self and Other, Useful Line, moving lines, and month and day.

Ignoring the question type

The same Officer/Ghost line may be a position in a work question, illness imagery in a health question, or an object or pressure in a relationship question.

If the question type is ignored, misjudgment becomes easy.

Choosing the wrong Useful Line

If the Useful Line is chosen incorrectly, the judgment will drift.

For example, asking about a contract but only reading the Wealth line, asking about payment but not reading the Wealth line at all, or asking about the other party’s attitude without reading the Other line and related Six Relatives will all create errors.

Not reading month and day

Without reading Month Branch and Day Branch, you cannot know whether a line is strong or weak.

Liu Yao judgment must read time forces.

Only memorizing fixed statements

Seeing Siblings move and saying money will be lost, seeing Officer/Ghost move and saying disaster will occur, or seeing Children/Descendants move and saying it is good are all oversimplifications.

Liu Yao must be read with the specific question.

This chapter should be remembered through the following key points:

1. The first step in Liu Yao judgment is casting and arranging the hexagram.
2. Casting generates the hexagram image; arrangement places analytic information into the six lines.
3. Coin casting usually shakes six times, forming the hexagram from bottom to top.
4. 7 is Young Yang, 8 is Young Yin, 9 is Old Yang, and 6 is Old Yin.
5. Old Yang and Old Yin are moving lines; movement produces the changed hexagram.
6. Moving lines represent factors currently changing in the matter.
7. Arrangement includes assigning Earthly Branches, assigning Six Relatives, determining Self and Other, assigning Six Spirits, marking month and day, and judging emptiness.
8. Six Relatives transform hexagram imagery into real-world human and matter themes.
9. The Self line often represents oneself; the Other line often represents the other party or outside.
10. Six Spirits assist in observing atmosphere and cannot judge good or bad alone.
11. Month Branch and Day Branch affect line strength and weakness.
12. After arrangement, first clarify the question, select the Useful Line, and then judge comprehensively.

Must Liu Yao use coin casting?

Not necessarily.

Coin casting is a common traditional method.

Number casting, time casting, and other methods can also be used.

The key is clear questioning, consistent method, and rigorous judgment.

Why must the coins be tossed six times?

Because one hexagram has six lines.

Each toss forms one line; six tosses form a complete six-line hexagram.

Where does the first tossed line go?

The first toss is the first line and is placed at the bottom.

The later results are arranged upward in order.

Are more moving lines better?

No.

More moving lines mean more changes and more complex factors.

It is not necessarily better or worse.

Why is arrangement important?

Because Liu Yao judgment depends on Six Relatives, Self and Other, Six Spirits, Earthly Branches, month and day, movement and transformation.

If the arrangement is wrong, the foundation of judgment is wrong.

Can the Six Spirits directly judge success or failure?

No.

The Six Spirits only assist with atmosphere.

Success or failure is mainly read through Useful Line, Self and Other, strength and weakness, movement and transformation, generation, control, clash, and combination.

1. What is the difference between casting and arranging?
2. Why can Liu Yao judgment not skip arrangement?
3. Why does coin casting require six tosses?
4. Is the first tossed line placed at the top or the bottom?
5. What lines do 7, 8, 9, and 6 represent?
6. What is a moving line?
7. What is a changed hexagram?
8. What is usually included in arranging a hexagram?
9. What is the role of the Six Relatives?
10. What do the Self line and Other line represent?
11. Why can the Six Spirits only be auxiliary?
12. Why do Month Branch and Day Branch affect judgment?
13. How should emptiness be understood at a beginner level?
14. After a Liu Yao chart is arranged, in what order should judgment begin?

Next chapter:

The next chapter will deeply explain three of the most central concepts in Liu Yao judgment:

• What the Self line is;
• What the Other line is;
• How Self and Other represent oneself and the other party;
• What the Useful Line is in Liu Yao;
• How to choose the Useful Line for different questions;
• Why choosing the wrong Useful Line makes the judgment wrong;
• How Self, Other, and Useful Line together form the core of judgment.

After completing the next chapter, readers will understand:

Liu Yao judgment is not about whether a hexagram is “auspicious” or not; it first asks where oneself, the other party, and the matter being asked about are located.