Classification of Useful Spirits in Six-Line Divination
In Six Lines and Eight Trigrams divination, deities are categorized by familial relationships as follows:
Life Line
The Life Line represents the self and is used for personal inquiries. When divining for others, it refers to the querent or the matter at hand.
The Life Line is the locus for one’s life force and core self. It relates to appearance, physique, constitution, energy, vitality, expression, temperament, and emotional stability or fluctuation; it supports self-understanding and shows whether life proceeds smoothly or meets obstacles, including health and illness, fortune and misfortune. It also reflects one’s attitude toward fate and destiny. As an information hub, it represents the physical person (the figure indicated by the Life Line) and connects directly to the spirit of the situation; it acts like a barometer for human affairs, signaling joys and sorrows.
Response Line
The Response Line represents the other party or the matter being asked about. It points to the counterpart, their family, and others involved, including opponents, rivals, and enemies, as well as the issue the querent wishes to explore. It often indicates people on the corresponding side of an interaction—customers, clients, deal-makers, partners, guests, friends—and can also signify places and directions.
Parental Line
The Parental Line represents those who give life and nurture. It is used for matters concerning ancestors—parents, grandparents, their peers—mentors, relatives, spouses, caregivers, people of parental age, elders, and views on parenthood. It signifies diligence, hard work, and concerns related to homes, buildings, families, shops, companies, workplaces, fields, and graves. It also encompasses all kinds of transportation—bicycles, cars, trains, boats, airplanes—and the people connected with them. It covers clothing, textiles, headscarves, hats, bedding, keys, luggage, and all items that offer protection. Additionally, it includes documents, stationery, books, legal papers, blueprints, examinations, scientific matters, and education-related persons and pursuits such as teachers, students, and study. The Parental Line further symbolizes rain and rain-related events and disasters; frost, snow, ice, hail; and phenomena like heavy cloud cover and eclipses.
The Parental Line is a key position for assessing temperament, personality, and intelligence. It reflects cognitive abilities such as memory, imagination, analytical skill, inspiration, creativity, adaptability, self-control, and follow-through. It concerns the brain and facial features, indicating the functions and illnesses of organs above the shoulders, especially the brain and heart. It gauges depth of thought, calmness, logic versus intuition, and the degree of independent thinking. It also reflects one’s values regarding spirituality versus materialism, intelligence, academic credentials, research ability, and strength of self-discipline. Closely tied to brain and nervous system function, it indicates talent and intellect and reflects a person’s worldview, familiarity, and lived experience.
The Parental Line is also used to evaluate overall life condition and physical health. It examines bodily state, potential risks, appearance, build, constitution, temperament, expression, illnesses and their progression. It further shows the smoothness or obstacles of life, disasters, career or work success and failure, and overall vitality.
The Parental Line can indicate significant financial loss. In wealth inquiries, it points to mental strain and slim profits; it also suggests conflict with children and disharmony with descendants, leading to few offspring or even barrenness. In health matters, it implies that remedies may be ineffective or unavailable. It can indicate problems with livestock, such as loss or death, while also showing aptitude for training animals or using hunting tools. In wartime contexts, it signals losses of personnel and resources.
Official Line
The Official Line concerns study, work, and employment: job searches, examinations, appointments, resignations, career changes, promotions, demotions, and all career-related matters and outlooks. It also relates to fame, reputation, government, official posts, and political circumstances, including military and legal affairs. It represents relationships with authority figures—supervisors and leaders—and can indicate marital matters pertaining to husbands.
The Official Line carries a binding force, calling for adherence to principles and practical competence. It may indicate conflicts with siblings or friends and can reflect worries, doubts, and anxieties. It can symbolize unexpected events, accidents, and misfortune, often pointing to potential harm to oneself or the occurrence of funerals. It may also represent illness, patients, various ailments, and the presence of thieves or deceitful individuals.
Wealth Line
The Wealth Line covers matters involving spouses, partners, and significant relationships. It includes romance, female friends, and young women. It reflects views on marriage, emotional responses to love, and potential domestic conflicts. It also governs finances—money, expenses, investments, and business dealings—indicating how easily wealth can be acquired and the financial outlook for enterprises.
Child Line
The Child Line pertains to children, unborn babies, pregnancy, childbirth, and issues related to offspring. It includes views on children, adopted children, and young people. It represents playfulness, entertainment, and leisure, as well as children’s health. It can signify joy and relief from worries and may point to scholars, artists, and religious figures.
The Child Line also has financial implications, representing stored wealth and potential investments. It reflects cash flow, investment readiness, and prospects for financial growth, indicating favorable conditions for financial endeavors or possible setbacks.
Sibling Line
The Sibling Line represents peers—siblings, cousins, friends, classmates, and acquaintances. It reflects competition, conflict, and interpersonal dynamics. This line often signals disputes and relational challenges, as well as potential financial losses due to greed or rivalry. It can also point to limb-related health issues and possible communication difficulties or misunderstandings.
The above summarizes the use of familial relationships in Six Lines divination. There are also methods that use Heavenly Stems, Earthly Branches, the Five Elements, and other systems to determine which deities to employ, tailored to the specific situation and individuals involved.