What is Liu Yao (六爻)? The Six-Line Divination

Liu Yao, meaning "Six Lines," is one of the most widely practiced divination methods in Chinese metaphysics. Rooted in the I Ching (易经) tradition and refined through centuries of practice — especially in the Huo Zhu Lin (火珠林) school — Liu Yao provides direct, specific answers to concrete questions using a hexagram-based system.

The Hexagram (卦象)

A Liu Yao reading begins with casting a hexagram — a figure composed of six stacked lines, each of which can be solid (yang ⚊) or broken (yin ⚋). The hexagram is derived from the current time (or a specified moment), and consists of:

• Lower Trigram (内卦) — The inner situation, the self, the foundation
• Upper Trigram (外卦) — The outer situation, the environment, the other party
• Six Lines (六爻) — Six individual lines from bottom to top, each representing a different aspect of the situation

The Six Relations (六亲)

Each line in the hexagram is assigned one of the Six Relations, based on the Five Elements relationship to the hexagram's ruling element. These relations define what each line represents in the context of the question:

• Parents (父母) — Documents, contracts, education, property, protection
• Brothers (兄弟) — Competition, peers, expenses, obstacles, partners
• Children (子孙) — Solutions, creativity, medicine, happiness, subordinates
• Wife/Wealth (妻财) — Money, income, valuables, wife/girlfriend, material gain
• Official/Ghost (官鬼) — Authority, career, husband/boyfriend, illness, trouble

The Useful Line (用神)

The key to Liu Yao interpretation is identifying the "Useful Line" (用神) — the specific Six Relations line that represents the subject of the question. For example:

• Asking about money → focus on the Wealth (妻财) line
• Asking about career → focus on the Official (官鬼) line
• Asking about health → focus on the Official (官鬼) line (illness) and Children (子孙) line (medicine/cure)
• Asking about relationships → focus on the Wealth line (for women) or Official line (for men)
• Asking about exams → focus on the Parents (父母) line (documents/results)

Moving Lines and Changing Hexagram

When a line is "moving" (动爻), it transforms from yang to yin or vice versa, creating a second hexagram — the "Changed Hexagram" (变卦). Moving lines indicate areas of active change and are the most important lines in the reading. The transformation shows how the situation will evolve from its current state to its outcome.

The Six Spirits (六神/六兽)

In addition to the Six Relations, each line is assigned one of the Six Spirits, which add emotional and situational nuance:

• Qing Long (青龙) — Joy, celebrations, good fortune
• Zhu Que (朱雀) — Disputes, documents, communication problems
• Gou Chen (勾陈) — Stagnation, delays, entanglement
• Teng She (腾蛇) — Anxiety, strange occurrences, deception
• Bai Hu (白虎) — Force, injury, intense energy, blood
• Xuan Wu (玄武) — Hidden matters, theft, secret affairs

What Can Liu Yao Answer?

Liu Yao is ideal for specific, focused questions with clear yes/no or success/failure outcomes:

• Will this deal close successfully?
• Will I get the job I interviewed for?
• Is this person trustworthy?
• Will I recover from this illness soon?
• Can I pass the upcoming exam?
• Will I find my lost item?

Try Liu Yao with AI

Our AI-powered Chinese Astrology app performs complete Liu Yao divination based on the current time (or any specified time). The AI identifies the Useful Line, interprets the Moving Lines, analyzes the Six Relations and Six Spirits, and provides a clear, actionable answer to your question.