Meihua Yishu number casting: three worked number-pair examples
Recalculate three Meihua Yishu number pairs step by step: map each number to a trigram, derive the moving line, then verify original, mutual and changed hexagrams and body-use.
Lingtai currently uses two-number casting: the first number selects the upper trigram, the second selects the lower trigram, and their sum selects the moving line. With 3 and 8, the tool returns Li over Kun, Fire over Earth Progress, with line five moving and Kun Earth as Body. This is a modern number-pair extension, not a three-number method.
Open Lingtai Meihua Yishu and run the three number pairs below before trying your own pair.
Open toolThe tool accepts two numbers, not three
Lingtai's current form accepts number A and number B. Number A selects the upper trigram and number B selects the lower trigram; the two-number sum selects one of six moving lines. A third number is not an input field.
The engine explicitly warns that this modern reported-number extension is not the main method described in the classical Meihua Yishu text. The examples below document the product's calculation, not a claim that every school uses it.
Use the eight-trigram and six-line cycles
The trigram order is Qian, Dui, Li, Zhen, Xun, Kan, Gen and Kun for values 1 through 8, then it repeats. The moving line is the sum modulo six, with a multiple of six mapped to line six.
Inputs are converted to absolute whole numbers; zero becomes one. This normalization is a product rule, so retain the original entry when comparing another calculator.
| Step | Formula | Example 3 and 8 |
|---|---|---|
| Upper trigram | A through the 1–8 cycle | 3 → Li |
| Lower trigram | B through the 1–8 cycle | 8 → Kun |
| Moving line | (A + B) through the 1–6 cycle | 11 → line 5 |
| Body and Use | Moving lower line: upper is Body; moving upper line: lower is Body | Line 5 → Kun is Body, Li is Use |
Compare three number pairs
All three rows were calculated with the same date, 1 July 2026, and the same demonstration question. Only the number pair changes, so differences in the result can be traced to the trigram and moving-line formulas.
The 3-and-8 example produces Fire over Earth Progress with line five moving. The 11-and-14 pair produces Fire over Water Before Completion with line one moving. The 9-and-1 pair cycles both inputs back to Qian and moves line four.
| Numbers | Upper / lower | Original | Moving line | Mutual | Changed | Body-use |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 / 8 | Li / Kun | Fire over Earth Progress | 5 | Water over Mountain Obstruction | Heaven over Earth Standstill | Use generates Body |
| 11 / 14 | Li / Kan | Fire over Water Before Completion | 1 | Water over Fire After Completion | Fire over Lake Opposition | Use controls Body |
| 9 / 1 | Qian / Qian | Qian / The Creative | 4 | Qian / The Creative | Wind over Heaven Small Taming | Body and Use alike |
English names are reading aids; the tool's canonical fields retain the Chinese hexagram names.
Read original, mutual and changed as separate fields
The original hexagram records the starting structure, the moving line marks the changed position, and the changed hexagram is produced by flipping that line. The mutual hexagram is derived from the inner lines and is not another user input.
A daily hexagram and Liu Yao coin casting use different input and calculation paths. Do not move a Meihua number result into another method while keeping the same interpretation labels.
Keep the method warning with the result
The worked arithmetic makes the product output reviewable, but it does not validate a prediction. Keep the question, date, two inputs, normalized values and method warning together when saving or sharing the chart.
Use the result as a traditional reflection framework. Decisions about health, law, money, safety or relationships need direct evidence and appropriate professional advice.
Open Lingtai Meihua Yishu and run the three number pairs below before trying your own pair.
References used for verification
This guide was checked against the public references above and the fields available in the matching tool. Traditional interpretations are cultural references, not professional advice.
Short answers
Does Lingtai Meihua use two numbers or three?
It currently uses two numbers. Their sum determines the moving line; there is no third-number input.
What happens when a number is greater than eight?
The trigram sequence repeats every eight values. For example, 11 maps to the same trigram position as 3.
Is the number-pair method the only classical method?
No. The current engine labels it as a modern extension rather than the classical text's main method.