LiSe YiJing

"The colors of trigrams"

October 11, 2020

In the trigrams the 'different' line decides the gender. One or three yang is male or yang, one or three yin is female or yin.

There are six primary colors:
red , yellow , green , cyan , blue and magenta . Technically, these are the six primary chromatic colors. There are also the two achromatic colors of black and white - so altogether there are a total of 8 primary colors in the “color octave”.
Red , green , and blue are often called the "additive" primary colors, and refer to light. These are the positive masculine colors. Cyan, magenta , and yellow are often called the "subtractive" primary colors, and refer to inks or pigments. These are the negative feminine colors. It is the difference between shining/additive (yang) and absorbing/subtractive or reflecting (yin).

See the extensive article of Connie Achilles

The frequency of the lines, both in hexagrams and trigrams, is low at the bottom line and high at the top line. Low frequencies have the power to reach far. The two trigrams with a 'different' line at the bottom have this power. The rumble of an earthquake travels for miles through the earth. According to the Chinese in antiquity thunder and lightning come from the earth. Wind can reach even further in the space below heaven.

spectrum

ZHEN, shock

"The Receptive is the earth; therefore it is called the mother. In the trigram of the Arousing she seeks for the first time the power of the male and receives a son. Therefore the Arousing is called the eldest son."

The Arousing is Zhen, trigram Thunder, with a yang line at the bottom: red.
Red is the color of the Hephaestus stone, Vulcan's stone.

Rainbow-wheel

XUN, gentle influence

"In the trigram of the Gentle the male seeks for the first time the power of the female and receives a daughter. Therefore the Gentle is called the eldest daughter."

The gentle is Xun, Wind,
with a yin line at the bottom: cyan.
The color of spirit, angels.

The sons are initiative of the earth (two yin lines, 1 yang line), the daughters of heaven (two yang lines, one yin line), even though the single line is decisive.

KAN, the pit

"In the Abysmal she seeks for a second time and receives a son. Therefore it is called the second son."

The abysmal is Kan, water
with a yang line in the middle: green.
The color of vegetation and the sea.

LI, to catch (a bird)

In the Clinging he seeks for a second time and receives a daughter. Therefore it is called the second daughter."

The Clinging is Li, fire
with a yin line in the middle: magenta.

GEN, warding off

"In Keeping Still she seeks for a third time and receives a son. Therefore it is called the third son."

Keeping Still is Gen, Mountain
with a yang line at the top: blue.

DUI, exchange

"In the Joyous he seeks for a third time and receives a daughter. Therefore it is called the third daughter."

The Joyous is Dui, Lake
with a yin line at the top: yellow.
The 'up' color

Yellow is the color of the Greek god Hermes, the messenger.

QIAN, time, sunrise

Heaven is all yang, all additive colors - white light. But it is also no-yin, no earthcolor or pigment - white.

Three yang lines: white light.

Whenever we mix the three additive colours of light we reach white light (the picture is of clouds in sunlight. White is difficult to show on white)

KUN, field, space

Earth is all yin, all pigments - black. But also no additive colors, no light - black.

Three yin lines: black earth.

Whenever we mix three color pigments together we reach black, the color of yin (the picture is 'fertile earth', pitchblack is the absence of any color, darkness).