8 Trigrams Meaning – Unveil The Ancient Chinese Secret

The 8 trigrams that you usually see in a Bagua (八卦) are a set of ancient symbols that has mystical meanings and significance behind it. Many Chinese arts has been developed based on the principles of  these eight trigrams. They are namely, Feng Shui, traditional chinese medicine, martial arts, philosophy and many more.

This creation that is originated from I-Ching, also known as the Book of Changes has been used to understand the universe and the way of life. It is a system that enabled one to apprehend and decode the forces of nature.

The Concept of the 8 Trigrams

Each trigram is formulated by a combination of 3 lines. It can be defined by a broken line that represent Yin or a solid complete line, representing Yang. These 3 lines represent the trinity.

– The top line represent heaven

– The middle line represent earth

– The bottom line represent man

8 Trigrams Representation

Trigrams	Symbol	Number	Element	Direction	Family Members	Body Parts
Qian 乾		6	Metal	NorthWest	Father	Head & Lungs
Dui 兑		7	Metal	West	Youngest Daughter	Mouth, Teeth and Chest
Li 離		9	Fire	South	Middle Daughter	Eyes, Heart
Zhen 震		3	Wood	East	Eldest Son	Legs, Feet and Throat
Xun 巽		4	Wood	SouthEast	Eldest Daughter	Hips, Thigh and Buttock
Kan 坎		1	Water	North	Middle Son	Ear, Blood and Kidney
Gen 艮		8	Earth	NorthEast	Youngest Son	Arms, Hand, Fingers and Spine
Kun 坤		2	Earth	SouthWest	Mother	Abdomen, Stomach & Reproductive Organs

This information is often used by Feng Shui practitioners to identify the root energy source that is causing the problems. For example, if someone constantly leg problem, it can be zoomed into the situtation of the house’s east sector.

When hunting for a new house, it is always advisable to buy a house with a complete layout, typically a square or rectangular one. It is good to avoid house with missing sectors, especially NorthWest and SouthWest that is the representation of the mother and father.