Looking for what a hexagram means? The 64 hexagrams of the I Ching can be looked up in King Wen order, the standard sequence, to find each hexagram's name, its upper and lower trigrams and its core meaning.

Say you have just cast a hexagram and only remember that water was on top and thunder below, but you do not know which hexagram it is or what it says. Once you know how to use the chart, the answer is quick to find. This page collects the complete chart of all 64 hexagrams. Save it, and you will have something to check against every time you cast.

What the 64 I Ching Hexagrams Mean

In the I Ching (also called the Book of Changes, or Zhou Yi), the "64 hexagrams" are a set of 64 figures, each one a typical situation of life and the universe. Each hexagram is built from six lines stacked from the bottom up. The six lines form two layers: the bottom three lines are the inner trigram and the top three lines are the outer trigram.

Talking about the "meaning of the 64 hexagrams" means talking about the message each one carries: what kind of time the hexagram matches, whether to advance or step back, whether to be firm or soft. This is the traditional reading, which comes from the Judgment (the text attached to each hexagram, traditionally credited to King Wen) and the Image (the lesson drawn from its imagery). If you are not yet sure how a hexagram is put together, it helps to first learn how lines and trigrams form one.

One point worth stating clearly: the I Ching is an independent system and is not part of Zi Wei Dou Shu. Zi Wei Dou Shu reads a whole life from the date and hour of birth, while the I Ching reads one specific situation from the question and the hexagram cast at the moment of asking.

In short: The 64 hexagrams are 64 situations in the Zhou Yi. Each has 6 lines, split into an inner trigram (bottom) and an outer trigram (top). A hexagram's meaning speaks about tendencies and timing, completely separate from Zi Wei Dou Shu.

How the 64 Hexagrams Are Formed

The I Ching starts from the eight trigrams, the 8 basic figures. Each trigram is a stack of 3 lines that stands for a natural element:

Trigram	Image	Element
Qian	Heaven	Metal
Kun	Earth	Earth
Zhen	Thunder	Wood
Xun	Wind	Wood
Kan	Water	Water
Li	Fire	Fire
Gen	Mountain	Earth
Dui	Lake	Metal

Stack these eight trigrams on each other in pairs, one as the inner trigram (lower layer) and one as the outer trigram (upper layer), and you get 8 × 8 = 64 hexagrams. The name of a hexagram is usually made from two natural elements, with the outer trigram first and the inner trigram second. For example, "Water over Thunder: Difficulty at the Beginning" has Kan (Water) on top and Zhen (Thunder) below. The eight "pure" hexagrams (Heaven over Heaven, Earth over Earth, Water over Water, Fire over Fire, Thunder over Thunder, Mountain over Mountain, Wind over Wind and Lake over Lake) are the ones where the upper and lower trigrams are identical.

In short: Eight trigrams multiplied by themselves give 64 hexagrams. Each name puts the outer (upper) trigram first and the inner (lower) trigram second. The eight pure hexagrams are the ones with two identical trigrams.

Complete Chart of the 64 I Ching Hexagrams

Below is the full chart in King Wen order, from Hexagram 1 to Hexagram 64. The "Upper / Lower" column gives the outer and inner trigram, and the last column is the core meaning in the traditional sense.

No.	Hexagram	Pinyin	Upper / Lower	Core meaning
1	Heaven over Heaven: The Creative	Qian	Qian / Qian	Creativity, strength, self-improvement
2	Earth over Earth: The Receptive	Kun	Kun / Kun	Receptivity, yielding, nurturing
3	Water over Thunder: Difficulty at the Beginning	Zhun	Kan / Zhen	A hard start
4	Mountain over Water: Youthful Folly	Meng	Gen / Kan	Inexperience, in need of guidance
5	Water over Heaven: Waiting	Xu	Kan / Qian	Waiting for the right time, patience
6	Heaven over Water: Conflict	Song	Qian / Kan	Dispute, discord
7	Earth over Water: The Army	Shi	Kun / Kan	An army, a disciplined organization
8	Water over Earth: Union	Bi	Kan / Kun	Closeness, alliance
9	Wind over Heaven: Small Restraint	Xiao Xu	Xun / Qian	Small accumulation, gathering strength to wait
10	Heaven over Lake: Treading	Lu	Qian / Dui	Careful, step by step
11	Earth over Heaven: Peace	Tai	Kun / Qian	Free flow, smooth passage
12	Heaven over Earth: Stagnation	Pi	Qian / Kun	Blockage, no flow
13	Heaven over Fire: Fellowship	Tong Ren	Qian / Li	Shared purpose, harmony
14	Fire over Heaven: Great Possession	Da You	Li / Qian	Abundance, great gains
15	Earth over Mountain: Modesty	Qian (Modesty)	Kun / Gen	Modesty
16	Thunder over Earth: Enthusiasm	Yu	Zhen / Kun	Joy and harmony, preparing ahead
17	Lake over Thunder: Following	Sui	Dui / Zhen	Following, adapting to the moment
18	Mountain over Wind: Decay	Gu	Gen / Xun	Repairing what has decayed, setting things right
19	Earth over Lake: Approach	Lin	Kun / Dui	Approaching, advancing, overseeing
20	Wind over Earth: Watching	Guan	Xun / Kun	Observing, reflecting
21	Fire over Thunder: Biting Through	Shi He	Li / Zhen	Biting through obstacles
22	Mountain over Fire: Adornment	Bi (Adornment)	Gen / Li	Adornment, refinement
23	Mountain over Earth: Splitting Apart	Bo	Gen / Kun	Erosion, wearing away
24	Earth over Thunder: Return	Fu	Kun / Zhen	Returning, recovery
25	Heaven over Thunder: Innocence	Wu Wang	Qian / Zhen	Sincerity, not acting rashly
26	Mountain over Heaven: Great Accumulation	Da Xu	Gen / Qian	Great accumulation, focusing strength
27	Mountain over Thunder: Nourishment	Yi (Nourishment)	Gen / Zhen	Nourishment, eating
28	Lake over Wind: Great Excess	Da Guo	Dui / Xun	Excess, a heavy burden
29	Water over Water: The Abyss	Kan	Kan / Kan	Danger upon danger
30	Fire over Fire: Clinging	Li	Li / Li	Clarity, clinging
31	Lake over Mountain: Influence	Xian	Dui / Gen	Mutual response, attraction
32	Thunder over Wind: Duration	Heng	Zhen / Xun	Lasting, perseverance
33	Heaven over Mountain: Retreat	Dun	Qian / Gen	Retreat, stepping back
34	Thunder over Heaven: Great Strength	Da Zhuang	Zhen / Qian	Great strength, vigor
35	Fire over Earth: Advance	Jin	Li / Kun	Advancing, rising
36	Earth over Fire: Darkening of the Light	Ming Yi	Kun / Li	Light concealed
37	Wind over Fire: Family	Jia Ren	Xun / Li	Family, household
38	Fire over Lake: Opposition	Kui	Li / Dui	Estrangement, opposing views
39	Water over Mountain: Obstruction	Jian (Obstruction)	Kan / Gen	Hardship, obstacles
40	Thunder over Water: Release	Jie (Release)	Zhen / Kan	Release, relief
41	Mountain over Lake: Decrease	Sun	Gen / Dui	Decrease, loss, trade-offs
42	Wind over Thunder: Increase	Yi (Increase)	Xun / Zhen	Increase, benefit
43	Lake over Heaven: Resolve	Guai	Dui / Qian	Resolve, decisiveness
44	Heaven over Wind: Encounter	Gou	Qian / Xun	An unexpected meeting
45	Lake over Earth: Gathering	Cui	Dui / Kun	Gathering together
46	Earth over Wind: Ascending	Sheng	Kun / Xun	Rising, steady ascent
47	Lake over Water: Confinement	Kun (Confinement)	Dui / Kan	Confinement, being stuck
48	Water over Wind: The Well	Jing	Kan / Xun	The well, shared nourishment
49	Lake over Fire: Revolution	Ge	Dui / Li	Reform, renewal
50	Fire over Wind: The Cauldron	Ding	Li / Xun	The cauldron, transformation
51	Thunder over Thunder: Shock	Zhen	Zhen / Zhen	Shock, a wake-up call
52	Mountain over Mountain: Stillness	Gen	Gen / Gen	Stopping, stillness
53	Wind over Mountain: Gradual Progress	Jian (Gradual)	Xun / Gen	Gradual, step-by-step progress
54	Thunder over Lake: The Marrying Maiden	Gui Mei	Zhen / Dui	A maiden marrying, status and role
55	Thunder over Fire: Abundance	Feng	Zhen / Li	Abundance, fullness
56	Fire over Mountain: The Wanderer	Lu (Wanderer)	Li / Gen	The traveler, away from home
57	Wind over Wind: The Gentle	Xun	Xun / Xun	Gentle, penetrating, flexible
58	Lake over Lake: Joy	Dui	Dui / Dui	Joy, ease
59	Wind over Water: Dispersion	Huan	Xun / Kan	Dispersing, scattering
60	Water over Lake: Moderation	Jie (Moderation)	Kan / Dui	Restraint, moderation
61	Wind over Lake: Inner Truth	Zhong Fu	Xun / Dui	Sincerity from the heart
62	Thunder over Mountain: Small Excess	Xiao Guo	Zhen / Gen	Slight excess, small matters
63	Water over Fire: Already Complete	Ji Ji	Kan / Li	Already done, complete
64	Fire over Water: Not Yet Complete	Wei Ji	Li / Kan	Not yet done, unfinished

In short: This is all 64 hexagrams in King Wen order. Each row gives the hexagram's name, its upper and lower trigrams and its core meaning. The chart is for quick lookup, not for memorizing.

How to Use the 64 Hexagram Chart

The chart is a lookup tool, used in three simple steps:

1. Cast a hexagram. You can toss 3 coins six times, enter numbers, or observe your surroundings. Each method gives a primary hexagram, sometimes with a moving line.
2. Find the name in the chart. Look at the two trigrams you got (upper and lower), match them in the "Upper / Lower" column to find the right row, and read off the number and name.
3. Read the core meaning. The last column gives the general message of the hexagram. It is a starting point, not a final verdict.

An important note: the core meaning in the chart is only a general view. To read more deeply, you also need to read the moving line (if there is one) and look at the relationship between the trigrams. If you are not sure what a moving line is or how to read it, learn how a moving line is identified and how the changing hexagram is read. And if you want to understand why the 64 hexagrams have such power to "illuminate a situation," the story of where the 64 hexagrams come from explains it in more detail.

Here is an easy mix-up: the same hexagram is not fixed as "good" or "bad." Earth over Earth: The Receptive may look quiet when you want to start something, yet it suits a time when you need to step back and build up. A hexagram speaks about timing, and whether it is favorable depends on what you are asking.

In short: Three steps to use the chart: cast a hexagram, look up its name by the two trigrams, and read the core meaning. The meaning in the chart is general, and going deeper means reading the moving line and the relationships between elements. No hexagram is absolutely good or bad.

Going Further After You Find the Name

This 64 hexagram chart is most useful as a first step, not the last. A hexagram is never read from a single line of core meaning alone. After you look up the name, there are many layers to dig into.

The first layer is the Judgment and the line texts, which give a preliminary sense of favorable or unfavorable in the Zhou Yi. The next layer is Body and Function analysis in Plum Blossom Numerology (Mei Hua Yi Shu): the trigram that holds the moving line is the Function (it stands for the matter), the other trigram is the Body (it stands for you), and then you look at how the five elements generate or control each other between them. Some hexagrams have a lovely image but a Body and Function that clash, and then it calls for careful weighing instead of a quick conclusion.

Because this multi-layer reading takes real effort by hand, you can use a casting tool such as HOROS to cast a hexagram and have the primary, nuclear and changing hexagrams built for you, with Body and Function analysis. The I Ching and Zi Wei Dou Shu are kept separate in the system, since the two work on different principles. As for whether casting online can be trusted, just remember that the same numbers give the same hexagram. That is consistency, not an error.

Finally, remember the limits of the tool. The I Ching suits looking at a specific situation, supporting a decision when you are torn, and understanding your own tendencies and mood. It is not used to diagnose illness, predict death, make a major investment decision, or judge what is in another person's heart. A hexagram speaks about tendencies, and the choice still sits with you.

In short: Finding the name is only the first step. A full reading also needs the line texts, Body and Function, and the generating and controlling relationships of the elements. A hexagram speaks about tendencies, does not replace professional judgment, and does not decide your fate.

Conclusion

A few things to remember when using this 64 hexagram chart:

• The 64 hexagrams are 64 situations, formed by stacking the eight trigrams in pairs (8 × 8), each hexagram with 6 lines divided into an inner and an outer trigram.
• The chart is used in three steps: cast a hexagram, look up the name by the two trigrams, and read the core meaning. The meaning in the chart is general, not a final verdict.
• No hexagram is absolutely good or bad. Whether it is favorable depends on the question and the setting, and a deeper reading needs the moving line and Body and Function.
• The I Ching is independent of Zi Wei Dou Shu. It speaks about tendencies and timing, does not fix fate, and does not replace medical or financial advice.

Want to try it now instead of looking things up step by step? You can cast a hexagram on HOROS and have the primary, nuclear and changing hexagrams and the Body and Function analysis put together for you, quickly, right on your phone.