玄ZenTellATLAS OF WISDOM TRADITIONS

Liu Yao & divination / ENCYCLOPEDIA

Moving lines

动爻

Moving lines are designated changeable by casting. Najia reading additionally examines their resulting branches and relationships under method-specific rules about interactions.

Introductory article2 min readUpdated 2026-09-30AI-assisted · Editorially checked

At a glance

Input
Six and nine usually explicitly move
Check
Separate original and corresponding result
How a moving line changes a figureIn this example the third line from the bottom changes from yang to yin. The other five remain. Which text to read depends on the stated method.Original figureChanged figure→Lines are numbered from bottom to top
How a moving line changes a figureIn this example the third line from the bottom changes from yang to yin. The other five remain. Which text to read depends on the stated method.

Definition and terminology

Six and nine commonly designate movement; seven and eight stability. Movement is a procedural state, not literal motion or an automatic endorsement of action. Reversal produces a changed structure whose corresponding branch is then installed. Original moving line and resulting line are distinct records and should retain their provenance.

Structure and rules

Zengshan Buyi discusses returning generation or control from a resulting line to its original line and sets limits on interactions with other lines. Other approaches differ. Advancing, retreating, empty and broken changes also depend on branch and date rules. State original branch, resulting branch and interaction convention before interpreting such terms.

Worked reading

An example structure has Kun’s top You metal moving to Jin’s top Si fire. Under this text’s rule, fire controlling the original metal is returning control. Do not automatically extend that resulting fire to every metal line elsewhere. The example clarifies interaction scope without attaching a medical or financial prediction.

Context and limits

More moving lines do not necessarily mean clearer answers, nor a stable sign permanent reality. Hidden movement and date clashes involve additional conventions, distinct from explicitly cast moving values. Preserve original totals and date. Correctly installing returning generation or control shows internal rule consistency, not that symbolic interaction establishes real-world causation.

References & further reading

Historical sources document ideas and rules of their time, not empirical proof of predictive accuracy. Source notes identify the nature and scope of each reference.

  1. 《增删卜易》Primary / tradition source

    Public-domain Six Lines text; page includes modern transcriber additions, so use the original numbered chapters for attribution.