Questions & Insights
Understanding Six Lines, the I-Ching, and the Chinese almanac
What is Six Lines?
Six Lines is a native iOS app for I-Ching (易經) hexagram reference and Chinese almanac (黃曆), created by Augustin Chan at Digital Rain Studios. It includes all 64 hexagrams with original interpretive essays, classical Chinese text, and character-by-character Hatcher Matrix translations. The almanac evaluates days per-activity using the 1739 imperial Xieji Bianfang Shu (協紀辨方書), a 36-volume compilation commissioned by Emperor Qianlong. The app also includes 4,096 Yilin verses with original ink brush artwork and Liu Yao structural analysis with najia branch mapping.
How does the almanac work?
Six Lines evaluates each day per-activity with transparent reasoning from the 1739 imperial Xieji Bianfang Shu (協紀辨方書), a 36-volume compilation preserved in the Siku Quanshu. The traditional system evaluates activities individually (宜/忌) based on the interaction of Jianchu day officers, stellar positions, and Five Element relationships — the source text itself says generic day ratings are unreliable. So instead of a single score, you see which activities are auspicious and why, with citations to the original text.
What is the Yilin?
The Yilin (焦氏易林 / Forest of Changes) is a collection of 4,096 poetic verses attributed to Jiao Yanshou (焦延壽), a Western Han dynasty scholar active around 50 BCE. Each verse corresponds to one of the 4,096 possible hexagram-to-hexagram transformations (64 × 64). Most verses are four clauses long, drawing on history, mythology, natural imagery, and classical allusion. The text is referenced in the Han Shu (漢書), Biographies of Scholars, Vol. 75. In Six Lines, every verse is paired with original Chinese ink brush artwork — 4,096 individual pieces commissioned specifically for the app. No other English-language app includes the complete Yilin with both bilingual translations and original artwork.
How does hexagram casting work?
Describe your situation, then cast with your choice of three-coin method (三錢法, used in Liu Yao practice since the Qing dynasty) or the authentic 49-stalk yarrow method described in the Xi Ci Zhuan commentary. Both build a hexagram from bottom to top across six tosses, with changing lines that produce a transformed hexagram. Procedural generative artwork — unique each time — serves as a contemplative interstitial between question and answer. Haptic feedback throughout creates a practice, not a button press.
What are the guides?
Six Lines has two guides with different philosophies. Gua provides deep consultation for life decisions, grounded in classical scholarship — honest when hexagrams are severe. Yao runs entirely on your device as a line translator and study guide, explaining individual lines in context. Both follow the source texts.
Is Six Lines free?
Most of Six Lines is free — the daily almanac, full 64-hexagram reference with three commentary layers, Yao on-device guide, Date Finder, hexagram casting with both three-coin and yarrow methods, and five Gua consultations every month at no cost. Master Access is a subscription that unlocks unlimited Gua consultations, full interpretation depth (Key Factors, Reasoning, Structural Analysis, Liu Yao), Study with Gua, and journal reflections on past readings.
Download on the App Store↗Does Six Lines respect privacy?
Six Lines processes all divination and study features on-device — no hexagram readings, journal entries, or personal questions leave your phone. The Yao guide runs entirely offline using on-device AI. The app collects no personal data beyond what is needed for account-optional features, has no third-party analytics SDKs, and includes no advertising. The only network requests are for the daily Yilin verse, optional iCloud sync of your reading journal, and Gua consultations (which use end-to-end encryption). All preferences and local data are stored on your device. Six Lines is contemplative software designed for reflection, not surveillance.
Read our Privacy Policy →What makes the design different?
Six Lines uses Goudy Old Style serif typography, a warm ivory (#FAF9F5) palette, and generous whitespace to create a contemplative reading experience. The design philosophy prioritizes the classical Chinese text — no dark patterns, no gamification, no social features, no ads. Every screen is built to support focused study of the I-Ching tradition. Hexagram casting includes procedural generative artwork and haptic feedback to create a contemplative ritual, not a button press. The 4,096 Yilin artworks are rendered in a traditional Chinese ink brush style that complements the classical verses. The overall aesthetic draws from the same minimalist principles found in traditional Chinese ink brush painting and scholarly book design.