Detailed Explanation of the 28 Holy Cup Hexagrams

The Holy Cup divination, also known as Jiaobei or Jiaobei cups among the people, is the most accessible form of divination. A pair of crescent-shaped cup tokens are cast three times, and good or bad fortune is revealed instantly.

From Taoist temples to rural villages, from imperial courts to marketplaces, these simple two pieces of wood or two clam shells have carried the Chinese people's reverence for heaven and earth and their inquiries about life for thousands of years.

I. Basic Rules

What is the Holy Cup Hexagram

Jiaobei, also known as Holy Cup, Holy Hexagram, Cup Token, or Jiaobei Cup, is a traditional Chinese Taoist divination tool. Usually made of a pair of bamboo or wood pieces shaped like a crescent, one side is convex (Yang) and the other is concave (Yin). During divination, the two cups are cast, and their upward or downward positions are observed to determine good or bad fortune.

Three Cups, Three Manifestations

Each cast has three possible outcomes:

Three Casts Form a Hexagram

Cast three times in a row, and arrange the results in order to form a "hexagram".

• Pure mathematical permutation: 3³ = 27 hexagrams
• Actual folk tradition: 27 hexagrams + 1 special hexagram (standing cup) = 28 hexagrams

Standing Cup: After casting, one or both cups stand upright without falling. Extremely rare, it is regarded as a special omen of divine warning, and is listed separately as the 28th hexagram.

Hexagram Order Rules

Each hexagram consists of three characters, arranged in the order of "first cast · second cast · third cast", totaling 27 combinations:

II. Detailed Explanation of the 28 Hexagrams

The hexagram meanings refer to the version of *Holy Cup Divination Slips of the God of Blessing and Virtue* circulated in southern Fujian and eastern Guangdong, paired with historical allusions. There are 10 auspicious hexagrams, 10 neutral hexagrams, 7 very inauspicious hexagrams, and 1 special hexagram.