象Mantic arts dossier · Divination and correlative foundations
数字卦与先秦筮法
Shùzì guà yǔ Xiān-Qín shìfǎ·Numerical hexagrams and pre-imperial divination
Excavated traditions in which numbers such as one, four, five, six, eight and nine directly formed line positions, revealing a plurality of methods before and alongside standardized yin-yang lines.
- Aliases
- numerical hexagrams, number-line divination
- Formation
- Shang-Zhou through the Warring States
- Evidence status
Study notes & citation
数字卦与先秦筮法. Institute of Chinese Mantic Arts. https://www.manticarts.com/en/arts/numerical-hexagrams
On this page
01Core principles
Core principles
Translate formulas into structure: what enters, how the model is arranged, and which relations drive interpretation.
Different sources correlate generated numbers with directions, body parts, topics or positions. The Tsinghua Shifa offers unusually complete tables and judgment structures but does not represent every pre-imperial method.
Key concepts
- divinatory numbers
- hexagram positions
- Chu manuscripts
02Origins and historical development
Origins and historical development
Keep traditional accounts, surviving evidence and later transformations distinct.
Numerical hexagrams occur on bones, bronzes and Chu manuscripts. Some signs converged with the yin-yang line system; other procedures disappeared and survive only through excavated materials.
STUDY / Shùzì guà yǔ Xiān-Qín shìfǎ
Reading numerical figures
- Materials and inputs
- Published plate, number sequence and scholarly reading
Research question
Which assumptions turn a numerical sequence into lines?
Practical exercise
Compare one published plate with two readings. Tabulate signs, orientation and conversion; show how one changed assumption alters the figure.
03Evidence limits and research debates
Evidence limits and research debates
Distinguish traditional interpretations, documented material and claims requiring testing.
Not every numerical hexagram belongs to the received Zhouyi, and visual resemblance alone cannot prove that a complete bagua system existed in prehistory.
This dossier supports historical, textual and methodological study. Internal traditional explanations are not modern empirical validation and do not replace medical, legal, financial or other professional advice.
04Core texts and materials
Core texts and materials
- 01Tsinghua Shifa
- 02Chu divination and sacrificial manuscripts
- 03Shang-Zhou objects bearing numerical hexagrams