Another framework for understanding the changes in 8 mansions(houses)

8 Mansions(part 1)

The first post we will begin with, will be about 8 mansions/houses. To understand this some knowledge of both Yi Jing and of 8 mansions/houses can be helpful.

8 mansions/houses is simple Feng Shui system that is very popular today. It assigns a Trigram/Gua/Number to a person based on their year of birth and then it provides 8 directions based on that that will have different impact on them.

We can find out what Gua we are around the net, as the calculations are very easy and there aren't many variations doesn't seem that calculator is needed, right now. 

While there are schools out there that has gone in great depth in how it works, how it connects to other systems and other wonderful parts of it, when it comes to 'why' it works the way it does, there was something I felt missing in all explanation I have found so far.

This will be purely theoretical, only focusing on why the Trigram of the person becomes that 8 directions/trigrams after the change, specifically.

Starting with 8 mansions/houses, as its one of the systems that seem very easy to notice. While many systems out there need years to see them working in practice, this should be easy for most people to see working, right away. After turning to a  Tian Yi direction should very soon start to feel calmer and more at peace etc. 

 That makes the system very nice as its good way to start with Feng Shui or even the Five Arts. Everyone can feel the effect right away, so any practical doubt about the Trigrams or the ideas should disappear at that point.

Of course, its also tempting for the more scientific mind. We basically say we not only can say in what direction someone will feel more stable or more relaxed etc. but also can give predictions to some degree on how that will affect parts of their house and their life. If the effects are strong enough and in my view they are, that can make the system easily become respected as simplicity and strong effect are often the best combination.

So the rules go as follow:

The persons Gua/Trigram is made of 3 lines and is called Trigram. Yang for a non broken line and Yin for a broken one.

Lets say someone was born after 4 february 1981, and its after 4 february as that is when the Chinese Solar year usually starts. And lets say they are male(different calculations for males and females).

That suggests their Gua is 1 Water/Kan Trigram.

Looks like this:

☵

3 lines here.

We will look at them this way:

Top Line - Heaven

Middle Line - Man

Bottom Line - Earth.

Some view it differently. The persons line is the bottom one, then nearby environment for middle and Heaven for top. As I mentioned the idea here is for providing more meaningful, for me at least, way of looking at the theory of it, for that we need it in the standard way that is Heaven <> Man <> Earth at Top<>Middle<>Bottom.

So we have 4 'positive' and 4 'negative' directions. I love that people have moved beyond the binary view to it and view it as 8 directions that can be used each on their own for different application. Yet we will keep some of the idea of 'positive' and 'negative' only to be able to provide part of the explanation in that framework. Outside of it still heavily supporting the idea of non binary view where all can be used, in different moments and situations.

The usual 3 positive directions would be:

Sheng Qi - Good for Life and Work

Tian Yi - Good for Health and relaxation

Fu Wei - Stable

Yan Nian - Social.

We will look only at these 4 for now. If someone is curious enough, we can look into the other 4, but the principle will become obvious by these I think and people can see the others on their own. : )

I Ching/Yi Jing

To understand what happens here, however, we have to start with the Yi Jing. And more specifically at how a family Images are derived for the Trigrams. Can be seen in very old texts like the eight wing of Yi Jing and others.

This family arrangement is simple. It suggests that all trigrams where there is 1 yin line and 2 yang lines are female and are viewed as daughters. All trigrams with 1 yang and 2 yin lines are male and viewed as sons.

Then since

☱

☲

☴

This are the 3 daughters. The mother is 3 yin lines, but we aren't looking at that now. The idea here is that at first glance this may seem unlogical. 

Why would 1 yin line and 2 yang lines be female trigram?

The key here, in my humble understanding is that the sole line is what creates the focus. So 1 Yin line suggests a female person in a yang environment. Then since time moves from bottom up, the first line as Yin suggests the oldest daughter(born before the others), the Yin line as second suggests middle daugher and Yin line on top the youngest daughter.

Yin line in a Yang environment... Its similar to a person that suddenly stops in the middle of a running marathon. Focus will inevitable fall on them, as the movement has become the new stillness.

The key here is that the focus is not always on the line that moves. If our whole surrounding is moving that creates stillness. Then the focus moves to what is not moving. 

In the daughters example, one yin line in a yang environment is one of the daughters, as the rest is the background she emerges from.

The sons are the opposite, one Yang in a Yin environment, but I think we explained enough of the idea to move back to 8 mansions/houses now.

8 Mansions(part 2)

In studies of the Changes,  usually everyone know one moving line shows a change and is wise to focus on. Now we know, in some situations focusing on the not moving line is what is more appropriate.

And we are ready to view the 4 directions now.

Fu Wei

This is easy - just the same Trigram. No lines change. For our Kan Water gua person example it will be Kan Gua direction(basically that is North).

 Yan Nian

This direction we can find by changing all lines.

This is easy as well. The 'opposites attract', so the exact opposite Trigram is what will create the 'electricy' and charge for the person to be able to flow in social environment.

 For our Kan Water Trigram person, that would be Li Fire and South Direction.

 Here is where the actual rule that the article is about come in. As for it we need 1 or 2 lines changing.

 Sheng Qi

Its derived by changing only the top line.

That is suggested as enthusiasm and energy to joyfully accomplish work related tasks. Feels like life. So our example person with Kan Gua will have its Sheng Qi at Xun Gua similar to this:

☵ to ☴

And here, we already know the rule. One single changing line becomes the focus. Heaven is moving. So like 'activating' the Heaven part that direction will provide Yang Support from Heaven. And that can show with many tasks that will often be joyfully accomplish as all is brought by and in accordance to Heaven. The other levels have not changed.

 Tian Yi

☵ to     ☳

That is the first and second lines moving. The key here is that the focus shouldn't be on them. As they both are moving the focus should fall on the sole static line and in this case that is the top line.



So this 2 directions are the only positive directions with 1 or 2 lines moving, as they are focusing on Heaven. In first case because Heaven is changing, so we have active support from Heaven, meaning works, accomplishing and enthusiasm.

In the second case Heaven is the only unchanging, so we have nurturing and more calm support from Heaven better for healing and recovery. But this are the 2 situations where focus is on Heaven line and it has the most beneficial effect.

The other 4 directions follow the same idea. When the focus is on the Man line, it will always be the worse case. In first case we have Jue Ming. Man line is moving, Heaven and Earth do not. So that movement in the person is not initiated by Heaven or required  by change of the situation on Earth, its initiated by the person and that is rarely great idea. In this case leads to decisions that are outside of the flow of the system, as each level of the system has not initiated them other then their own decision.

At the same time the opposite one, where focus is still on the person is when the person is Yin, yet both Heaven has changed and Earth has changed. Meaning they missed the time for going with everything and now are left outside of it. That can create inner tension that can show up as survival(they fight to stay, as their place is further and further away from where it was suppose to be if they moved forward with Heaven and/or Earth changes around them).

Similar way we can make the last 2 directions.

I'm hoping this can be helpful to see alternative explanation of why the direction were derived the way they are. As the fact the are working seems obvious practically, yet 'why' they work is up to debate, as everything theoretical can be.

 

I personally resonate more with this view.Hopefully it can be helpful for people and of course, some knowledge of the Yi Jing and of the 8 mansions may make it much easier to understand. : )