trigram

Symbol indicating the eight points of the compass used by geomancers. Each trigram consists of a different combination of three lines which may be broken in the middle. A broken line represents yin, and unbroken line yang. When used for divination or fortune telling the trigram is arranged in a circle with yin-yang signs in the middle, or ‒as on the shi pan (式盤), circular cosmographic divination boards‒ with Chinese characters (fig.) representing the 36 animals thought to have jurisdiction over the hours of the day and the Twenty-eight Lunar Mansions or 28 Moon Lodges of the 28 Celestial Deities in the Star Mandala. When using the eight possible combinations of trigrams, they may represent directions, animals, body parts, natural elements, states, a family member, as well as a binary value, which is equal to the number one for an unbroken yang-line and zero for a broken yin-line. In addition, they represent other attributes and characteristics, which are used in fortunetelling, in a way similar to the use of an horoscope. The eight possible combinations of trigrams and their representations are: ☰ Northwest, heaven, dragon, strong, creative, father and head; ☵ North, water, pig, dangerous, in-motion, second son and ears; ☷ Southwest, earth, cow, devoted, receptive, mother and belly; ☲ South, fire, pheasant, light-giving, clinging, second daughter and eye; ☴ Southeast, wind, fowl, penetrating, gentle, first daughter and thigh; ☱ West, marsh, sheep, pleasure, tranquil, third daughter and mouth; ☳ East, thunder, horse, inciting, initiative, first son and foot; ☶ Northeast, mountain, wolf, stand-still, completion, third son and hand. These combinations of lines can be arranged in any order, which may be according to their corresponding wind direction, but often with the trigram of three unbroken lines, which represent Heaven, opposite the three broken lines, that represent Earth. Trigrams can often be seen as a decoration on buildings, furniture, textiles and ceramic products, and four trigram figures, namely the ones representing Heaven, Water, Earth and Fire, are shown on the flag of South Korea. In Chinese, it is called gua (trigram) or bagua (eight trigrams), while in Thai, it is known as yan paet thit, i.e. ‘magic sign of the eight directions’. Bagua mirrors, i.e. round mirrors that are either accompanied by or surrounded a trigram (fig.), are a popular symbol in feng shui. They are placed at doorways as a protective charm, to bring luck or to keep evil spirits out. While the bagua mirror originated in China, practices with a similar principle are also found in other parts of the world, such as the mirrors placed above doorways of old buildings in India (fig.). Pan Gu, the cosmic giant of Chinese myth, is sometimes portrayed holding a trigram as attribute (fig.). See also I Ching. 回