Plum Blossom Number Rules: Trigrams and Moving Lines
Last updated 10/7/2026
Plum Blossom arithmetic is simple. The discipline is not in the math. The discipline is in choosing the input honestly and keeping the rule stable.
Prerequisite: bring one recorded cue from the previous lesson. Your output is three checked remainder calculations and one corrected error. This page teaches the number keys; the dedicated numerical calculation lesson teaches the complete two-number cast.
Most practical versions use two constants:
- Divide by 8 to find a trigram.
- Divide by 6 to find a changing line.
When the division leaves no remainder, use the final position: remainder 0 means 8 for trigrams and 6 for lines.
Trigram Numbers
This course follows the received Plum Blossom sequence commonly called the Early Heaven trigram-number order:
| Remainder | Trigram | Image | Phase |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Qian ☰ | Heaven | Metal |
| 2 | Dui ☱ | Lake | Metal |
| 3 | Li ☲ | Fire | Fire |
| 4 | Zhen ☳ | Thunder | Wood |
| 5 | Xun ☴ | Wind | Wood |
| 6 | Kan ☵ | Water | Water |
| 7 | Gen ☶ | Mountain | Earth |
| 0 or 8 | Kun ☷ | Earth | Earth |
Use this as a conversion table, not as a generic trigram ranking. Do not substitute Later Heaven, palace, or personal mnemonic numbers into these calculations unless a specific lineage lesson tells you to do so. If the number table changes, the method changes.
The trigram number is not a score. It is a conversion key. A count of 13 does not mean “stronger than 5.” It means 13 divided by 8 leaves 5, so the trigram is Xun.
Claim source: received Meihua Yishu, vol. 1, “Zhouyi Hexagram Numbers,” “Divide the Trigram by Eight,” and “Eight Palaces' Five-Phase Associations.” Wen, ch. 7, Table 7-7, documents the same conversion sequence in a modern teaching source.
Moving Line Numbers
Lines are counted from the bottom.
| Remainder | Moving line |
|---|---|
| 1 | First line |
| 2 | Second line |
| 3 | Third line |
| 4 | Fourth line |
| 5 | Fifth line |
| 0 or 6 | Sixth line |
The changing line marks the pressure point. It shows where the moment turns, not where the whole answer hides.
Claim source: received Meihua Yishu, vol. 1, “Divide the Line by Six.” Lines are numbered from bottom to top; the displayed table makes the zero-to-six rule explicit.
Sources of Numbers
Good inputs are recordable:
| Input type | Example | Use with care |
|---|---|---|
| Time | 14:27, hour branch, lunar day | Decide whether you are using raw clock numbers or a traditional calendar conversion. |
| Event count | Three knocks, five calls, two people entering | Use the event that actually caught attention. |
| Spatial cue | East-facing door, object above or below | Decide the direction or placement rule before calculating. |
| Tactile count | Rice grains, beads, page number | Count after the action, not before. |
| Sudden number | Receipt total, room number, repeated digit | Use it only when it belongs to the moment. |
Do not keep fishing for a better number. Use the recorded cue or stop the exercise.
The Course Case
Example type: invented teaching case. The arithmetic is checkable; no outcome is claimed.
The workshop proposal question has two cues:
- Three messages arrive.
- The clock reads 14:27.
One stable rule:
| Step | Calculation | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Upper trigram | 3 divided by 8 | Remainder 3, Li |
| Lower trigram | 14 + 27 = 41; 41 divided by 8 | Remainder 1, Qian |
| Moving line | 3 + 41 = 44; 44 divided by 6 | Remainder 2, line 2 |
Primary hexagram: Li over Qian, Hexagram 14, Great Possession.
Changed hexagram: line 2 changes, producing Li over Li, Hexagram 30, Clarity.
Now the reading has a structure:
- Fire above Heaven: visibility over strength.
- UAYA synthesis: line 2 places the turn at the level of practical support, not public display.
- Changed Fire over Fire: the movement increases dependence on clarity, presentation, and correct attachment.
The arithmetic did not interpret the answer by itself. It created the object to interpret.
Deliberate Error Check
For 41 ÷ 8, the quotient is 5 and the remainder is 1. Selecting Xun because the quotient is 5 is an arithmetic failure; selecting Qian because the remainder is 1 follows the course rule. Record the mistake before correcting it. Do not interpret both results and choose the one you prefer.
Quality Control
Before trusting a Plum Blossom calculation, ask:
- Did I record the cue before interpreting?
- Did I choose the conversion rule before seeing the result?
- Can another person reproduce my calculation?
- Did I avoid changing methods midstream?
- Did I use the remainder, not the quotient?
- Can I state the reading in ordinary language?
If the answer to any of these is no, the reading may still be interesting, but it is not clean enough to teach from.
Next, learn how calendar numbers enter the method. Continue to Time and Calendar.