Understanding the Body Hexagram and Use Hexagram First
When you cast a hexagram using Plum Blossom Numerology (Meihua Yishu), you get two trigrams: the Body hexagram (Ti Gua) and the Use hexagram (Yong Gua). The Body hexagram represents the person casting the divination; the Use hexagram represents the matter being asked about or the other party involved. Which is which depends on where the moving line falls — the trigram containing the moving line is the Use hexagram, and the other is the Body hexagram.
This distinction is the foundation of Plum Blossom Numerology (Meihua Yishu) interpretation, clearly laid out in Shao Yong's system. All judgments of auspiciousness or inauspiciousness begin by examining the relationship between the two hexagrams, then looking at the Five Elements (Wu Xing) generating-and-overcoming dynamics.
For a money-lending inquiry, the Use hexagram corresponds to the act of lending itself, or to the other party. The Body hexagram reflects your own situation and intentions. The relationship between the two broadly determines how the matter will unfold.
What Does Mutual Resonance (Bi He) Mean?
Mutual resonance, Bi He (比和), occurs when the Body hexagram and Use hexagram share the same Five Elements (Wu Xing) nature. For example, if the Body hexagram belongs to Wood and the Use hexagram also belongs to Wood, that is Bi He.
Bi He is generally a stable, even-keeled sign in Plum Blossom Numerology (Meihua Yishu). The two sides share the same energy, their positions are aligned, and there is no obvious friction. In the context of lending money, this broadly means: you and the other party are in a roughly comparable position, your intentions are likely to find common ground, and there will be little resistance to having the conversation.
One important nuance: Bi He does not mean "the loan is guaranteed." It speaks to compatibility of energy and parity of standing, not certainty of outcome. If the Body hexagram itself is weak in the overall reading — say it falls into emptiness (Feng Kong) or gets clashed — even a Bi He relationship may result in smooth talk with no real progress.
In folk casting practice, encountering Bi He in a money-lending reading typically suggests: the other party will not deliberately make things difficult, the matter can be discussed, and the atmosphere will not be tense. But whether money actually changes hands still depends on the strength of the Body hexagram, the direction of the moving lines, and whether other inauspicious signs are pressing down on the reading.
Bi He also carries an implicit meaning: both parties have their own considerations — this is not a one-sided giving or taking relationship. Applied to lending, it suggests the two sides are on relatively equal footing; the other person will not feel you are begging, and you will not feel entirely at a disadvantage.
What Does Body Generating Use (Ti Sheng Yong) Mean?
Body Generating Use, Ti Sheng Yong (体生用), occurs when the Body hexagram's Five Elements (Wu Xing) nature generates the Use hexagram's. For example, if the Body hexagram belongs to Fire and the Use hexagram belongs to Earth — Fire generates Earth — that is Ti Sheng Yong.
Generating implies giving and nourishing. Body Generating Use means you are actively expending your own energy to sustain this matter or the other person.
In the context of lending money, Ti Sheng Yong is not a favorable sign. You are the one putting up the funds; money going out is "you generating the other party" — your resources are flowing toward them. The signal this pattern sends is: the money may well go out, but you are in a position of being depleted.
One common interpretation is that Ti Sheng Yong indicates the lending relationship can take shape, but getting the money back afterward will be laborious, because generating is unidirectional — the other party benefits while you give. This logic has grounding in traditional hexagram reading: the Body being consumed corresponds to your interests being diminished or to you voluntarily occupying a weaker position.
That said, this judgment should not be taken as absolute. Ti Sheng Yong does not equal "the money is definitely unrecoverable." Its more precise meaning is: your level of initiative in this matter is high, the other party's willingness is weaker than yours, and overall you are giving more than you are receiving. The final outcome still needs to be read in conjunction with the other lines and signs.
If you are the lender (the one extending the loan), Ti Sheng Yong is not entirely a bad omen — the act of lending itself flows smoothly; you just need to be mentally prepared for the other party possibly dragging their feet on repayment. If you are the borrower (the one seeking funds), Ti Sheng Yong becomes a bit puzzling — this pattern shows you generating the other party, meaning you may need to offer more before the other side loosens up, or the cost of borrowing may be higher than you expected.
Reading the Two Relationships Together
Bi He leans toward "balance"; Ti Sheng Yong leans toward "you give."
If a reading shows Bi He between the Body and Use hexagrams, the broad reading is that both sides are on equal footing and the matter can move forward. If it is Ti Sheng Yong, pay close attention to whether you are overextending yourself, and whether the money lent out has sufficient safeguards.
In Plum Blossom Numerology (Meihua Yishu) readings on lending, beyond the Body-Use relationship there are several other things to examine: whether the Body hexagram is in a vigorous state (if the month and day Earthly Branches support and strengthen it, you have force behind you); whether the Use hexagram clashes or overcomes the Body hexagram (Use overcoming Body is the worst sign, meaning the other party works against you); and what hexagram the moving line transforms into — auspicious or inauspicious.
Looking only at Bi He or Ti Sheng Yong gives you a rough direction at best. To actually judge whether the matter will succeed and how much risk is involved, you need to read the whole hexagram together. No single relationship yields a conclusion on its own.
This is also where the difficulty of Plum Blossom Numerology (Meihua Yishu) lies. The concepts are not hard, but in practice, when multiple signs stack and interact, you need judgment and discernment — there is no formula that just spits out an answer.
Articles in this column are for cultural and educational purposes only and do not constitute life advice.