The Great Chou Mandala
62
43 44
42 45
41 46
40 24 25 47
48
39 23 15 16 26 49
38 9 50
1 10
37 22 12 8 3 27 51
61 6 5 13 63
36 21 11 4 7 14 28 52
2
35 53
20 18 17 29
34 54
33 19 30
32 55
31 56
60 57
59 58
64
This mandala consists of five concentric circles of hexagrams. Reading
from the center outward:
| Circle |
Hexagrams |
Cycle |
Cosmic Correspondence |
| 1 |
1- 8 |
Nation |
8 Cosmic Bodies ( Earth through Saturn) |
| 2 |
9-18 |
Clan |
5 Elements ( 5X2 = 10 Celestial Stems) |
| 3 |
19-30 |
Family |
12 Zodiacal Houses (19 = Capricorn, etc.) |
| 4 |
31-60 |
Individual |
30 Days of Lunar Month (probably) |
| 5 |
61-64 |
Afterlife |
4 Phases of Lunar nodes (probably) |
Note how 9,10 are in the Southwest, the position of the Element Earth;
11,12 are in the the East, the position of Wood; 13,14 are in the West,
the position of Metal; 15,16 are the the South, the position of Fire; and
17,18 are in the North, the position of Water.
Also note how the inmost circle of hexagrams is based on a numerological
association of the hexagrams and relates to neither Fu Hsi's nor King Wen's
circular arrangements of the trigrams.
This mandala fully accords with the image and symbol interpretation of the
hexagrams, and it is probably the original work of King Wen.
