Definitions
the solid and broken lines of the eight trigrams 八卦[bā guà], e.g. ☶
Etymology
Depicts two X shapes used as divinatory diagrams.
About
爻 is a character fundamental to Chinese divination, composed of two stacked X shapes that originally served as divinatory diagrams. The visual form symbolizes intertwining and the intricate web of relationships in the natural and cosmic order. Its primary meaning refers to the individual lines, solid for yang, broken for yin, that make up the eight trigrams and sixty-four hexagrams of the I Ching (Book of Changes). Beyond this specialized usage, 爻 rarely appears in everyday language, remaining a term intrinsic to Chinese metaphysical studies.
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