The yang line is the solid line, one unbroken stroke (⚊). It is the yang half of yin and yang: what is firm, what starts things, what moves forward and stands on its own.
How it shows up in a cast
Each time you toss the coins or sort the stalks, you get a number from 6 to 9 (see line values). The odd numbers give a yang line:
- 7, young yang: a stable line that stays as it is.
- 9, old yang: a moving line that has reached its peak and turns into yin.
In the classical texts, a yang line is named with the number nine, as in "nine in the second place." That's why the first line text of Activity is headed 初九, "nine at the beginning."
What it brings
A yang line usually points to available energy, decisiveness and the ability to act. It isn't automatically better than a yin line. It depends on where it sits. Among the line positions, the odd places (1, 3 and 5) are considered yang places, and a yang line there is "in its right place."
If your hexagram is full of yang lines, the moment calls for initiative, and also for care not to force things. The top line of "Activity" says it plainly: the dragon that climbs too high ends up with regret.