How the Ti Gua and Yong Gua Are Determined
When casting a hexagram with Plum Blossom Numerology (Meihua Yishu), you end up with a primary hexagram and a transformed hexagram. The primary hexagram contains two trigrams (each one of the eight trigrams). The rule for assigning Ti and Yong is: the trigram containing the static lines becomes the Ti Gua (body trigram), and the trigram containing the moving line becomes the Yong Gua (use trigram). When all lines are static or all are moving, interpretations have historically diverged — Shao Yong's original text handles these two cases ambiguously, and later practitioners each offered their own supplements. We won't go into that here.
Relocation falls under the category of "asking about an action" in Plum Blossom Numerology (Meihua Yishu) — the querent is actively initiating something. The Ti Gua therefore represents the querent, and the Yong Gua represents the relocation itself, the target direction, or the new dwelling. The auspicious or inauspicious judgment is made by examining the Five Elements (Wu Xing) relationship between these two trigrams.
The Eight Trigrams map to the Five Elements (Wu Xing) as follows: Qian and Dui belong to Metal; Zhen and Xun belong to Wood; Kan belongs to Water; Li belongs to Fire; Gen and Kun belong to Earth. Once you have the Ti and Yong trigrams, cross-reference them against the mutual generation cycle (Water generates Wood, Wood generates Fire, Fire generates Earth, Earth generates Metal, Metal generates Water) and the mutual conquest cycle (Water conquers Fire, Fire conquers Metal, Metal conquers Wood, Wood conquers Earth, Earth conquers Water) to determine the pattern.
What Ti Ke Yong Means
Ti Ke Yong means the Five Elements (Wu Xing) of the Ti Gua conquer those of the Yong Gua.
For example, if the Ti Gua is Qian (Metal) and the Yong Gua is Zhen (Wood), Metal conquers Wood — this is a Ti Ke Yong pattern.
In relocation readings, Ti Ke Yong is traditionally interpreted as: the querent can control the move, initiative rests with them, resistance is relatively low, and things can proceed. The classical view holds that this pattern means "the matter can be accomplished," though "can be accomplished" does not equal "will go smoothly" — it simply means the advantage tilts toward the querent.
One detail that is easy to overlook: even when Ti Ke Yong is present, if the Yong Gua's Five Elements (Wu Xing) receive strong support from the month or day branch, the conquered party is not actually weak, and the conquering force loses much of its effect. Shao Yong repeatedly stressed "the hexagram must be timely" in the Plum Blossom Numerology (Meihua Yishu) text — the weight of monthly seasonal strength (wang-xiang, lit. prosperous-phase) is no less than the Ti-Yong interaction itself. So when you see Ti Ke Yong, do not immediately conclude the relocation is obstacle-free; check in which month and season the hexagram was cast.
A concrete example: cast in spring (when Wood is at its peak), with Metal as Ti Gua and Wood as Yong Gua. On the surface, Metal conquering Wood looks like Ti Ke Yong, but Wood is in season while Metal is relatively weak, so the force of the conquest is quite limited — you cannot simply assume the querent holds the upper hand.
What Yong Ke Ti Means
Yong Ke Ti means the Five Elements (Wu Xing) of the Yong Gua conquer those of the Ti Gua. Reversing the example above: Ti Gua is Zhen (Wood), Yong Gua is Qian (Metal), Metal conquers Wood — this is Yong Ke Ti.
In relocation readings, the traditional interpretation is: this move is unfavorable for the querent, external pressure is strong, the querent is in a passive position, the process will meet obstacles, and even after moving in, the living situation may be unsettled.
Yong Ke Ti deserves special attention in several relocation scenarios:
- Forced relocation (eviction by a landlord, required by a work unit): the Yong Gua already represents a strong external push, and Yong Ke Ti intensifies the sense of "having no choice."
- Moving to an unfamiliar city: the Yong Gua represents the new environment; Yong Ke Ti suggests the new environment presses down on the querent, requiring a longer adjustment period with likely difficulties early on.
- Asking about household stability: Yong Ke Ti often signals that after moving in, family dynamics or residents' health may become problematic, making the location unsuitable for long-term habitation.
That said, Yong Ke Ti is not a dead end. If the Ti Gua is strong in the month branch, it can absorb the conquest without collapsing and retain some resilience. Or if the transformed hexagram's Five Elements (Wu Xing) generate and support the Ti Gua, the inauspicious omen is softened. Readings must consider the whole picture; drawing conclusions from the Ti-Yong interaction alone is one-sided.
Common Mistakes When Reading Hexagrams in Practice
Many people who study Plum Blossom Numerology (Meihua Yishu) memorize the eight characters "Ti Ke Yong auspicious, Yong Ke Ti inauspicious" and apply them to every question — this is the most common misuse.
The Ti-Yong interaction is the central logic of Plum Blossom Numerology (Meihua Yishu), but it is not the entirety of it. Shao Yong's original text also stresses the influence of the mutual hexagram (hu gua) and the transformed hexagram on the Ti Gua, as well as the state of the yong shen (the trigram image that directly corresponds to the matter being asked about). In relocation questions, if the mutual hexagram conquers the Ti Gua, complications tend to arise midway even when the Ti-Yong relationship is acceptable.
There is another situation: Ti and Yong in bi he (harmonious resonance), meaning both trigrams share the same Five Elements (Wu Xing) — for instance, Ti Gua is Gen (Earth) and Yong Gua is Kun (Earth). This is neither generation nor conquest. The traditional reading for this is generally "flat, neither hot nor cold — the matter can be done but the gains will be modest." For a relocation reading that lands on bi he, the move will usually bring no great disaster, but do not expect everything to fall perfectly into place right after.
Some people also ask: how do you factor in directional auspiciousness for a relocation? A folk practice maps the Yong Gua to a compass direction (for example, Kan to North) and treats that as the direction of the destination, then combines it with the Ti-Yong interaction to judge auspiciousness. This line of thinking has some merit, but it is not orthodox Plum Blossom Numerology (Meihua Yishu); it is closer to a folk derivation. Use it as a reference, not as a definitive rule.
What actually makes the Ti-Yong interaction accurate in practice is the monthly and daily branch at the moment the hexagram is cast, combined with the querent's undivided focus when casting. The mechanism of Plum Blossom Numerology (Meihua Yishu) rests on the interplay of Li (principle), Shu (number), and Xiang (image). Picking apart only the conquest relationship while discarding the rest is using a complete system in fragments.
Articles in this column are for cultural and educational purposes only and do not constitute life advice.