Winter-solstice–anchored Six-Line Bimonthly Phasing

(Shao Yong / Huangji style)

Based on cosmological principles from 皇極經世書 (Huángji Jīngshì Shū), the 'Book of Supreme Ultimate Ordering the World' by Shao Yong (邵雍, 1011-1077 CE). The six-line bimonthly phasing is a practical application developed by later interpreters.

Source Attribution

From 皇極經世書 (Primary Text)

The Yuan-Hui-Yun-Shi (元會運世) cosmic cycle system and numerological structure (129,600 years = 12×30×360) come from Shao Yong's original work. The Siku Quanshu catalogs the base text as 12卷: Vol 1-6 元會運世 (chronological tables), Vol 7-10 律呂聲音 (music-cosmology), Vol 11-12 觀物篇 (observation chapters).

Later Developments (Received Interpretive Practice)

Practical calendars mapping cycles onto solar terms, annual hexagram assignment, and bimonthly period divination were developed by later interpreters. Works like 皇極經世索隱 (Zhang Xingcheng) and 皇極經世書解 (Wang Zhi, 14卷 commentary) expanded on Shao Yong's framework. Some methods are attributed to 梅花易數, a compilation of uncertain provenance.

Editions Note

The Siku tradition catalogs the base text 皇極經世書 as 12卷. Some received versions divide it differently (e.g., 14卷 presentations). Siku also preserves major commentaries including 皇極經世書解 (14卷) by Wang Zhi. Our Time Map draws from both the base cosmological framework and later interpretive practice.

Annual Hexagram

䷌
同人
(Tong Ren)
"Fellowship with Men"
King Wen #13
Year Period:2025-12-20 →2026-12-19
(365 days)
Judgement & Image

Judgement (卦辭)

Fellowship with Men in the open. Success. It furthers one to cross the great water. The perseverance of the superior man furthers.

于野。亨。利涉大川。利君子貞。

Image (象辭)

Heaven with fire—same direction, different natures. The person of character organizes by kind and distinguishes between things. Fellowship requires acknowledging both what unites and what differs.

天與火，同人。君子以類族辨物。

Hidden Theme (錯卦)

䷆
師
(Shi)
"The Army"
King Wen #7
Complete yin-yang inversion of 同人
Judgement & Image

Judgement (卦辭)

The Army. The army needs perseverance And a strong man. Good fortune without blame.

貞。丈人吉。无咎。

Image (象辭)

Water hidden within the earth—the military power of a people is invisibly present in the masses. The leader of character increases this latent power through generosity, so when danger comes, every citizen becomes a soldier.

地中有水，師。君子以容民畜眾。

Cosmic Context (元會運世)

Show explanation

Shao Yong's cosmological system divides time into nested cycles, placing any moment within the grand sweep of cosmic history.

  • Epoch (會):One of 12 epochs (會) spanning 10,800 years each. The Inspector hexagram governs the epoch's energy.
  • Revolution (運):One of 30 revolutions (運) within an epoch, each lasting 360 years and governed by a hexagram.
  • Generation (世):One of 12 generations (世) within a revolution, each lasting 30 years with its own hexagram.

These cycles provide the backdrop against which individual divinations unfold, connecting personal moments to cosmic patterns.

Epoch (會):Wu(Inspector: ☵ Kan)(2217 BC → 8583 AD)
Revolution (運):䷻ Limitation(1743 AD → 2102 AD)
Generation (世):䷝ The Clinging(2013 AD → 2042 AD)

Plum Blossom Correspondences (2026)

Show explanation

These Five Phase (五行) correspondences for the year provide context for interpreting hexagrams and timing decisions.

  • Element:The year's governing element affects which hexagram elements are supported or challenged.
  • Direction:The favorable direction for travel, facing during important meetings, or locating opportunities.
  • Guardian:The celestial guardian spirit whose themes (e.g., communication, protection) are emphasized this year.
  • Organ:The organ system to pay attention to for health and vitality during this year.

When casting hexagrams, compare their element to the year's element to assess timing and support.

Stem-Branch
丙午
(Bǐng-Wǔ)
Animal
Horse
Element
Fire
(Summer)
Direction
South
Color
Red
Guardian
Vermillion Bird
Organ
Heart

Current Solar Term (Aug 25)

Show explanation

The 24 Solar Terms (二十四節氣) divide the year by the sun's position along the ecliptic, marking seasonal transitions every ~15 days.

Each term carries specific energetic qualities that influence divination timing—some periods favor action, others reflection.

Solar terms are tied to calendar date, not year—e.g., Jan 4th is always around Minor Cold (小寒) regardless of which year. This section shows the current real-time solar term, unaffected by the year selector above.

Now
Greater Cold (Dàhán)
300°
→
Next
Spring Beginning (Lìchūn)
315°

Six Bi-Monthly Periods

Period 1
Dec 20 →Feb 17 (60 days)
Line 1
初九
Commentary:
Fellowship at the gate. No blame. People meet at the entrance—the connection is beginning. No exclusive ties yet, so no blame.
Chinese:
初九 同人于門。无咎。
Transforms to:䷠遯(Dun)"Retreat"
Show Judgement & Image ▼
Judgement:

Retreat. Success. In what is small, perseverance furthers.

亨。小利貞。

Image:

Mountain beneath heaven—the mountain rises but cannot reach heaven's height. Keep the inferior at distance through reserve, not hatred. Hatred binds you to what you hate. Dignified distance stops the advance without creating entanglement.

天下有山，遯。君子以遠小人，不惡而嚴。

Period 2
Feb 18 →Apr 19 (61 days)
Line 2
六二
Commentary:
Fellowship within the clan. Humiliation. When fellowship narrows to only your own kind, you've already failed the universal principle. This brings regret.
Chinese:
六二 同人于宗。吝。
Transforms to:䷀乾(Qian)"The Creative"
Show Judgement & Image ▼
Judgement:

The Creative works sublime success, Furthering through perseverance.

元亨利貞。

Image:

Heaven's movement never stops—one day follows another without pause. Match this: continuous self-strengthening, eliminating what degrades, renewing what empowers. Don't slack.

天行，健。君子以自強不息。

Period 3
Apr 20 →Jun 19 (61 days)
Line 3
九三
Commentary:
Troops hidden in the thicket, climbing the high hill. Three years without rising. The attempt at connection through force or stealth fails completely. Years of waiting with no result.
Chinese:
九三 伏戎于莽。升其高陵。三歲不興。
Transforms to:䷘無妄(Wu Wang)"Innocence"
Show Judgement & Image ▼
Judgement:

Innocence. Supreme success. Perseverance furthers. If someone is not as he should be, He has misfortune, And it does not further him To undertake anything.

元亨利貞。其匪正有眚。不利有攸往。

Image:

Thunder rolls beneath heaven and all things receive their nature without falseness. The ancient kings nourished all beings by aligning with the seasons. You don't force growth; you create conditions for it. This applies equally to crops and character.

天下雷行，物與無妄。先王以茂對時育萬物。

Period 4
Jun 20 →Aug 19 (61 days)
Line 4
九四
Commentary:
Climbing the wall, but cannot attack. Good fortune. Approaching conflict, but recognizing you can't win—and stopping. Wisdom in not attacking.
Chinese:
九四 乘其墉。弗克攻。吉。
Transforms to:䷤家人(Jia Ren)"The Family"
Show Judgement & Image ▼
Judgement:

The Family. The perseverance of the woman furthers.

利女貞。

Image:

Wind comes forth from fire. Substance in words, duration in conduct. Words have power only when based on something real, pertinent to specific circumstances. General admonitions accomplish nothing. Words must be supported by consistent conduct. If words and behavior don't accord, no effect.

風自火出，家人。君子以言有物，而行有恆。

Period 5
Current
Aug 20 →Oct 19 (61 days)
Line 5
九五
Commentary:
First weeping and lamenting, then laughing. The great army manages to meet after all. Fellowship tested by difficulty, nearly lost, finally achieved. The joy of reunion after near-separation.
Chinese:
九五 同人先號咷而後笑。大師克相遇。
Transforms to:䷝離(Li)"The Clinging"
Show Judgement & Image ▼
Judgement:

The Clinging. Perseverance furthers. It brings success. Care of the cow brings good fortune.

利貞。亨。畜牝牛。吉。

Image:

Fire doubled—the sun's course repeated. The great person perpetuates this brightness to illuminate the four directions. Light spreading continuously, penetrating deeply into human nature. The work of clarity never finishes.

明兩作，離。大人以繼明照於四方。

Period 6
Oct 20 →Dec 19 (61 days)
Line 6
上九
Commentary:
Fellowship in the countryside. No regret. The bond forms outside the city, in the open—not as deep as it might be, but without the entanglements of closer alliance. No regret in this limited connection.
Chinese:
上九 同人于郊。无悔。
Transforms to:䷰革(Ge)"Revolution"
Show Judgement & Image ▼
Judgement:

Revolution. On your own day You are believed. Supreme success, Furthering through perseverance. Remorse disappears.

巳日乃孚。元亨。利貞。悔亡。

Image:

Fire in the lake—combat and destruction. Set the calendar in order, make the seasons clear. In the course of the year, light and darkness battle, creating the revolution of seasons. Master these changes by noting their regularity. Order and clarity appear in apparent chaos; you can adjust in advance to the demands of different times.

澤中有火，革。君子以治曆明時。

Based on 皇極經世書 (Huangji Jingshi Shu) by Shao Yong (邵雍, 1012-1077)

Annual Hexagram

䷌
同人
(Tong Ren)
"Fellowship with Men"
King Wen #13
Year Period:2025-12-20 →2026-12-19
(365 days)

Hidden Theme (錯卦)

䷆
師
(Shi)
"The Army"
King Wen #7
Complete yin-yang inversion of 同人

Cosmic Context (元會運世)

Epoch (會):Wu(Inspector: ☵ Kan)(2217 BC → 8583 AD)
Revolution (運):䷻ Limitation(1743 AD → 2102 AD)
Generation (世):䷝ The Clinging(2013 AD → 2042 AD)

Plum Blossom Correspondences (2026)

Stem-Branch
丙午
(Bǐng-Wǔ)
Animal
Horse
Element
Fire
(Summer)
Direction
South
Color
Red
Guardian
Vermillion Bird
Organ
Heart

Current Solar Term

(Aug 25)
Now
Greater Cold (Dàhán)
300°
→
Next
Spring Beginning (Lìchūn)
315°

Six Bi-Monthly Periods

Period 1
Dec 20 →Feb 17 (60 days)
Line 1
初九
Commentary:
Fellowship at the gate. No blame. People meet at the entrance—the connection is beginning. No exclusive ties yet, so no blame.
Chinese:
初九 同人于門。无咎。
Transforms to:䷠遯(Dun)"Retreat"
Period 2
Feb 18 →Apr 19 (61 days)
Line 2
六二
Commentary:
Fellowship within the clan. Humiliation. When fellowship narrows to only your own kind, you've already failed the universal principle. This brings regret.
Chinese:
六二 同人于宗。吝。
Transforms to:䷀乾(Qian)"The Creative"
Period 3
Apr 20 →Jun 19 (61 days)
Line 3
九三
Commentary:
Troops hidden in the thicket, climbing the high hill. Three years without rising. The attempt at connection through force or stealth fails completely. Years of waiting with no result.
Chinese:
九三 伏戎于莽。升其高陵。三歲不興。
Transforms to:䷘無妄(Wu Wang)"Innocence"
Period 4
Jun 20 →Aug 19 (61 days)
Line 4
九四
Commentary:
Climbing the wall, but cannot attack. Good fortune. Approaching conflict, but recognizing you can't win—and stopping. Wisdom in not attacking.
Chinese:
九四 乘其墉。弗克攻。吉。
Transforms to:䷤家人(Jia Ren)"The Family"
Period 5
Current
Aug 20 →Oct 19 (61 days)
Line 5
九五
Commentary:
First weeping and lamenting, then laughing. The great army manages to meet after all. Fellowship tested by difficulty, nearly lost, finally achieved. The joy of reunion after near-separation.
Chinese:
九五 同人先號咷而後笑。大師克相遇。
Transforms to:䷝離(Li)"The Clinging"
Period 6
Oct 20 →Dec 19 (61 days)
Line 6
上九
Commentary:
Fellowship in the countryside. No regret. The bond forms outside the city, in the open—not as deep as it might be, but without the entanglements of closer alliance. No regret in this limited connection.
Chinese:
上九 同人于郊。无悔。
Transforms to:䷰革(Ge)"Revolution"

Based on 皇極經世書 (Huangji Jingshi Shu) by Shao Yong (邵雍, 1012-1077)