TOJEONG BIGYEOL · 123
Tojeong Bigyeol Hexagram 123
The sign of the old master still keeping his seat
At a glance
- Hexagram
- 123
- Upper · middle · lower
- 1 · 2 · 3
- The year overall
- An even year
- Brighter months
- None
- Months to take care
- lunar months 1, 2, 3, 5, 10, 11 and 12
Luna Alley's Tojeong readings are for fun and reflection. Read even a difficult hexagram as a guide to how you carry yourself through the year.
The original verse and its meaning
- 雖日笙簫 舊主尙存
Though the sheng and the bamboo flute ring out, the old master is still in his seat. - 秋菊欲笑 恒心不久
The autumn chrysanthemum tries to smile, but a steadfast heart does not last long. - 象山群立 峯峯皆人
Mountains like elephants stand in herds, and every peak is a person. - 懸頭東門 運來何人
Hanging out your head at the East Gate, you wait — to whom will fortune come?
The verses follow the public-domain Tojeong Bigyeol held by the National Library of Korea; the meanings are Luna Alley's own retelling.
The year ahead
This is a year when protecting what you have now is better than setting out in search of something new. Joy approaches like autumn chrysanthemums about to bloom, but if your heart wavers easily, it won't last. Keeping your first resolve to the end is the way to hold on to your blessings.
This is a year when the old master still holds his seat even as the sheng mouth organ and bamboo flute ring out at the feast. Though something new seems about to arrive, it's not yet time for change, so it's better to protect what you have and the position you hold now. Joy approaches like an autumn chrysanthemum about to smile, but if your heart wavers easily, that smile won't last long. The verse about a person standing on every peak means there are many people around you, but each has their own agenda, so don't lean on them carelessly. Like someone leaning out of the East Gate waiting for luck, the wait may feel long. The first half and the end of the year call for a lot of caution, but in the fourth and seventh lunar months worries recede and a new energy grows. Hold fast to the resolve you started with, and the luck you've been waiting for will find you in the end.
A word from Master Tojeong
“The old master still sits in his place, so do not hurry to change the door. Fortune finds its way, in the end, to the one who keeps the heart they began with.”
Month by month (summary)
Only a short note and the original verse for each month. Dates are the 2027 lunar months.
- Lunar month 1Feb 7 – Mar 7Care
The start of the year feels a little heavy this month. Don't readily trust the words or offers of people who newly approach you — watch slowly.
此月之數 庚人莫信 身運不利 財數何望 · This month, do not trust people who carry Gyeong (庚) energy. Your bodily fortune is unfavorable, so how could you hope for financial luck?
- Lunar month 2Mar 8 – Apr 6Care
You feel worn out this month, as if difficulties were piling up. Staying indoors only makes you feel more cooped up, so step out for some fresh air.
雪上加霜 身有辛苦 在家則困 出他心安 · Frost falls on top of snow, so you endure hardship. At home you feel stifled; when you go out, your heart is at ease.
- Lunar month 3Apr 7 – May 5Care
Your spouse or partner may have worries, so be a support by their side this month. Be careful not to get swept up in things coming from outside, and take a second look at dealings with people from the west.
此月之數 妻宮不安 災自外來 西人愼之 · This month the place of your spouse is uneasy, and misfortune comes from outside. Beware of people from the west.
- Lunar month 4May 6 – Jun 4Even
The heavy energy lifts and there's something to smile about this month. Time spent with good people loosens your heart.
與人登樓 盡日樂樂 福星照臨 災去福來 · You climb a pavilion with others and enjoy yourselves all day; a blessed star shines, so misfortune leaves and blessings come.
- Lunar month 5Jun 5 – Jul 3Care
You try hard, but your mind is so scattered that you can't get a grip on your work this month. Rather than juggling many tasks at once, keep just one and set the rest aside for a while.
此月之數 鑿石得玉 心神散亂 謀事不成 · This month you chip at stone hoping to find jade, but your mind is scattered and you cannot achieve what you plan.
- Lunar month 6Jul 4 – Aug 1Even
The flow is temporarily blocked and things don't go as you wish this month. Rather than starting new things or spending big, protect what you have now.
運數多逆 多有致敗 福絶祿虛 財數暫滯 · Fortune runs strongly against you, and there are things that may fail. Blessings are cut off and income runs empty, so financial luck is blocked for a while.
- Lunar month 7Aug 2 – Aug 31Even
Change your old ways and things shoot up this month. It's a good time to start the tidying or improvements you've long put off.
此月之數 改舊從新 春草逢雨 日益成長 · This month you mend the old and follow the new, like spring grass meeting rain and growing day by day.
- Lunar month 8Sep 1 – Sep 29Even
Money may arise from matters connected to the southeast this month. But chasing opportunities that have already gone into hiding, or things out of reach, is wasted effort.
東南之方 必有生財 穴狐樹鳥 不可得捕 · Wealth may arise in the southeast. The fox in its den and the bird in the tree cannot be caught.
- Lunar month 9Sep 30 – Oct 28Even
Joy blooms but doesn't stay long, so don't miss the moment. Noisy matters quiet down as if after rain, and your mind clears.
秋菊欲笑 餘日不多 風雨初晴 月明山窓 · The autumn chrysanthemum tries to smile, but not many days remain. The wind and rain have just cleared, and the moon is bright at the mountain window.
- Lunar month 10Oct 29 – Nov 27Care
It's easy to lose your way on a long road this month. Postpone long-distance trips or schedules in unfamiliar places if you can.
此月之數 水火愼之 千里關山 彷徨何人 · This month, beware of water and fire. Who is it that wanders lost at the gates and mountain roads a thousand li away?
- Lunar month 11Nov 28 – Dec 27Care
This is a month to watch out for the unexpected. Avoid rushed driving and risky work.
年運受剋 横厄可畏 登山求魚 事多虛妄 · This year's fortune is pressed down, so unexpected misfortune is to be feared. You climb a mountain seeking fish, and many things come to nothing.
- Lunar month 12Dec 28 – Jan 26, 2028Care
It's best to avoid getting tangled up with authorities or disputes this month. Put off things like documents, contracts, and lawsuits as long as possible, and keep money from leaking away.
勿入官家 損害可畏 昔日繁華 一場春夢 · Do not go into the government office, for loss is to be feared. The glory of days past is but a fleeting spring dream.
The nine readings by area (money, love, work, health and more) and the long monthly readings open in the Tojeong Bigyeol app once you find your own hexagram.
Who gets this hexagram?
The hexagram depends on your lunar birth date and the year being read. The upper number comes from your Korean age that year plus the year's taese number, the middle from the length and month number of your birth month that year, and the lower from your birth day plus the day number. So the same person gets a different hexagram each year.
For example, someone born on lunar 8/2/1990 receives this hexagram in 2027.
Find my hexagram
Frequently asked questions
Is Tojeong hexagram 123 a good one?
Hexagram 123 is read as an even year, with good and hard months mixed. This is a year when protecting what you have now is better than setting out in search of something new. Joy approaches like autumn chrysanthemums about to bloom, but if your heart wavers easily, it won't last.
Which months need care in hexagram 123?
In hexagram 123, the lower months are lunar months 1, 2, 3, 5, 10, 11 and 12. Avoid rushing big decisions then, and go easy on your body and your words.
How do I find my own Tojeong hexagram?
Enter your birth date in the Luna Alley Tojeong Bigyeol page and it converts solar to lunar and works out the hexagram for you. To do it by hand, the 2027 guide shows the formula with an example.