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) with Gua interpretation. It's a scholarly reference tool for the classical Chinese tradition. The almanac evaluates days per-activity from classical source texts, and the I-Ching reference includes all 64 hexagrams with original interpretive essays, classical Chinese text, and character-by-character Hatcher Matrix translations.
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). The traditional system was designed to evaluate activities individually (宜/忌) — the source text itself says generic day ratings are unreliable. So instead of a single score, you see which activities are auspicious and why.
What is the Yilin?
The Yilin (焦氏易林 / Forest of Changes) is Jiao Yanshou's complete dataset: 4,096 poetic verses covering every possible hexagram transformation. Each verse is illustrated with original Chinese ink brush artwork — 4,096 individual pieces.
How does hexagram casting work?
Describe your situation, then cast with your choice of three-coin method or the authentic 49-stalk yarrow process. 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 hexagram reference with three commentary layers, Yao on-device guide, Date Finder, hexagram casting, and five Gua consultations every month. Master Access 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?
Yes. Yao runs entirely on your device — private by design. All preferences are stored locally. This is contemplative software designed for reflection, not surveillance.
Read our Privacy Policy →What makes the design different?
Six Lines is contemplative minimalism: Goudy Old Style serif typography, warm ivory palette, generous whitespace. We believe the tradition deserves the same design quality as the best apps on your phone.