Understanding the meaning of the Ba Gua Numbers

Your first number tells you the “terrain” you were born into (Constitution), your central number tells you the “treasure” you’re subconsciously seeking (Motivator), and your third number shows you the “route” your mind habitually takes to try to reach it (Behaviour). Knowing all three gives you a map of who you are, what you really want, and how you tend to go after it—so you can identify where you’re stuck and work to change the pattern and outcomes for you.

Motivator—the central number

This number is the key number as it usually relates to the person’s motivator—often these are formed in childhood and describes our childhood behaviour pattern—because this becomes subconscious as we grow into adulthood, if becomes the unconscious, underlying motivator of behaviour.

This is the unconscious driver formed in childhood—your deep-down “why.” It reveals the elemental focus you fall back on whenever you’re seeking fulfillment or a sense of worth.

We can use the associations with the five elements for guidance here:

Water is about being close rather than running away. Focus on connection.

1 Water and 8 Mountain are about connection to and trust of internal wisdom.

Earth is about truth and meaning – can we give priority to being our truth? Focus on priorities.

2 Earth is about whether we live true for ourselves or live for others.

Wood is about the energy of pushing through – asserting. This energy, if centered in the heart, just unfolds and flows. If centered in the head it leads to constant striving and motion on the outside and stagnation on the inside. It becomes head centered because they reject the innate. Focus on seeing what is inside.

3 Thunder and 4 Wind are about whether we can see the true beauty within and sit with what is rather than focussing on achieving certain outcomes.

Metal is about our conception of our animal self and the recognition of its value. Focus on the body.

6 Heaven & 7 Lake—Moving into body and embodying spirit

Fire is about expression and exposure. Focus on expression.

9 Fire is about expression and openness.

Constitution—the first number

The first aspect of the Ba Gua relates to our innate nature—our primary underlying characteristics—our constitution. This relates to a tendency towards a specific constitution in this life.

This is your innate nature—your “constitutional” Trigram and Element that underlies everything else. It describes the qualities you’re born with, the lens through which you instinctively view life, and the primary issue you need to address to feel balanced.

Each constitution needs a different issue to be addressed:

1 Water & 8 Mountain—Connection with knowing
2 Earth—Internal sensitivity and receptivity
3 Thunder & 4 Wind—Seeing inner self
5 Central Palace, 6 Heaven & 7 Lake—Moving into body and embodying spirit—Central Palace is about whether we open to receiving.
9 Fire—Open expression

Behaviour—the third number

This number represents the more mundane challenges, generally the behaviour patterns we tend to adopt in an effort to get the motivator. It particularly reflects our Mind and mental approach to life—how we meet the world.

This reflects your habitual mental strategies—your day-to-day patterns of thought and action you use to try to satisfy that Motivator. It describes how you meet the world through your Mind.

Often the behaviours exhibited by the person are informed by this aspect of constitution. This is important to recognise that these behaviours are often driven by the underlying motivator, which may be different.