Image and Number: The Xiangshu School of I Ching Interpretation

Alongside the Yili School, the Xiangshu (象數) School, often translated as the "Image and Number" School, represents the other major traditional approach to I Ching interpretation. This school places significant emphasis on the cosmological, numerological, and symbolic aspects of the text, exploring the intricate patterns and correspondences believed to be encoded within the trigrams, hexagrams, and their mathematical relationships.

This article will explore the Xiangshu School's core methodologies, including its focus on trigram attributes, hexagram structure, numerological calculations (like He Tu and Luo Shu), calendrical correlations, and the symbolic imagery associated with the lines and figures. We will examine how this approach sought to understand the I Ching as a model of the cosmos itself.