The Bagua is the set of eight trigrams that lie at the heart of the I Ching and Feng Shui, each a stack of three lines that stands for a force of nature. This tool lets you look up any of the eight by number and see its element, its compass direction, the family member it represents, and its meaning. It is a compact reference to one of the most important symbols in Chinese thought.
What a Trigram Is
Each trigram is built from three lines, every line either solid (yang) or broken (yin). Three lines give eight possible combinations, the eight trigrams, from Qian, three solid lines for Heaven, to Kun, three broken lines for Earth. Stacked in pairs, these eight trigrams generate the sixty-four hexagrams of the I Ching.
The Eight Forces
The trigrams stand for natural forces and qualities, Heaven, Earth, Thunder, Water, Mountain, Wind, Fire, and Lake. Each also carries an element, a direction, a season, and a member of the family, a father, mother, or one of their sons and daughters. This web of associations is what makes the Bagua such a rich tool.
What the Lookup Shows
Choose a number from one to eight and the tool returns the trigram with its name, its image, its element, its direction, the family member it represents, and a short meaning. It gathers the core facts about each trigram in one place, useful for study of the I Ching or Feng Shui alike.
The Bagua in Feng Shui
In Feng Shui the eight trigrams are arranged around a map, the Bagua, that is laid over a home or room to link its areas to aspects of life, such as wealth, relationships, and career. Knowing the individual trigrams is the first step to understanding that map, which is why this lookup is a handy foundation.
How to Use It
Enter a number from one to eight and calculate. The tool returns the trigram and its element, direction, family member, and meaning.
Two Arrangements of the Bagua
The eight trigrams are arranged in two classic ways. The Earlier Heaven sequence, attributed to the legendary Fu Xi, places the trigrams in an idealised, symmetrical order representing the cosmos in perfect balance. The Later Heaven sequence, attributed to King Wen, arranges them as a cycle of change and is the one used in Feng Shui to map a home. Knowing that both exist explains why you may see the trigrams placed differently in different contexts, and it shows how the same eight symbols can describe both a timeless ideal and the turning world of everyday life.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a trigram?
A stack of three lines, each solid (yang) or broken (yin). The eight possible trigrams are the building blocks of the I Ching and the Bagua.
How do trigrams relate to hexagrams?
Two trigrams stacked together form a hexagram, so the eight trigrams generate the sixty-four hexagrams of the I Ching.
How is the Bagua used in Feng Shui?
The eight trigrams are arranged around a map laid over a home to link its areas to aspects of life such as wealth, relationships, and career.
What are the two Bagua arrangements?
The Earlier Heaven sequence, an idealised symmetrical order, and the Later Heaven sequence, a cycle of change used in Feng Shui to map a home.
Which arrangement does Feng Shui use?
The Later Heaven sequence, attributed to King Wen, since it represents the turning cycle of change and suits mapping the areas of a building.
What do the solid and broken lines mean?
A solid line is yang, the active principle, and a broken line is yin, the receptive. Their arrangement in three lines defines each of the eight trigrams.
Explore more
Pair this with a few other Chinese astrology tools to dig a little deeper: Chinese Lucky Unlucky Number Analyzer, Chinese Name Numerology, Chinese Baby Name Element Suggestion and Bazi Four Pillars Calculator. They use different methods to reach the same goal, so a quick comparison is always worthwhile. There is more to discover under Chinese astrology calculators, or jump straight to all calculators.