TOJEONG BIGYEOL · 511
Tojeong Bigyeol Hexagram 511
The sign of paulownia and bamboo forming their joints while standing in a hemp field
At a glance
- Hexagram
- 511
- Upper · middle · lower
- 5 · 1 · 1
- The year overall
- An even year
- Brighter months
- lunar month 8
- Months to take care
- lunar month 1
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
- 梧竹作節 身立麻田
The paulownia and the bamboo have grown straight, joint by joint, yet they stand in the middle of a thick field of hemp. - 石上栽蓮 坐井觀天
It is like planting a lotus on a rock, or sitting at the bottom of a well looking up at the sky. - 畫餠充飢 何時免窮
You try to fill an empty stomach with a painted rice cake, so when will want ever end? - 轉禍爲福 終有大亨
But misfortune turns into fortune, and in the end all goes greatly well.
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 you're placed somewhere it's hard to stay true to yourself. Your view can easily narrow, like planting lotus on a rock or looking at the sky from inside a well. You can't fill your stomach with a painted rice cake, so look after real substance. Misfortune turns into fortune, and in the end things open up widely.
This is a year when your foundation is straight and strong, but the ground you stand on doesn't quite suit you. The paulownia and bamboo growing joint by joint mean your character and skills are already in place; standing in a hemp field means your surroundings can easily hide or shake who you are. Planting a lotus on a rock points to effort that never takes root, so check whether you're pouring energy into the wrong place. The line about looking at the sky from inside a well is a warning that your view can narrow easily right now. Rather than assuming only your own thinking is right, open your ears to outside voices and the path will appear. Just as a painted rice cake can't fill your stomach, this year calls for real, tangible gains before flashy plans. In the first half, check in on the elders in your family and their health, and keep a low profile so you don't get pulled into other people's affairs. As autumn arrives, the more you get out and move, the more the energy loosens, and by year's end your body and mind feel much lighter. As the last line says, this is a year when misfortune turns into fortune, so the one who endures the early frustration to the very end is the one who smiles.
A word from Master Tojeong
“Bamboo with straight joints is still bamboo, even in a hemp field. Do not bend yourself because your place is narrow; wait for your time. This is a year when misfortune turns to fortune, so walk on with your eyes on the end.”
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 year opens on a heavy note this month. Your elders' health or household worries may weigh on your heart, so don't carry it alone; share it with your family.
寅卯之月 堂上有害 憂患疾苦 連綿來侵 · In the first and second lunar months, harm may reach the elders of your household, and worries and illness come one after another.
- Lunar month 2Mar 8 – Apr 6Even
You may get into trouble this month over something that isn't your fault. Avoid lending your name to someone else's problem or stepping in on their behalf.
他人之罪 横厄在前 動則後悔 守分則吉 · Because of someone else's wrongdoing, unexpected trouble lands right before you; act and you'll regret it, keep to your place and all is well.
- Lunar month 3Apr 7 – May 5Even
This month, the character you've built over time comes to light. Because you've conducted yourself well, unexpected income or good news may come your way.
志高德重 福祿自來 雖有財旺 或有疾病 · Your aims are high and your virtue deep, so blessings and rewards come on their own, but even as wealth flourishes, illness may slip in.
- Lunar month 4May 6 – Jun 4Even
With more than one option, your mind wavers back and forth this month. While you put off deciding, opinions at home may split and hurt feelings can pile up.
兩手執餠 何取何捨 家人不和 憂愁不離 · Holding a rice cake in each hand, you hesitate over which to take and which to drop, and with no harmony at home, worry won't leave you.
- Lunar month 5Jun 5 – Jul 3Even
The heavy energy lifts and you can finally breathe this month. A plan quietly made with one trustworthy person bears good fruit.
五六月令 災消福來 枕上之計 兩人知之 · In the fifth and sixth lunar months, calamity fades and fortune arrives; the plans made at the pillow are known only to two.
- Lunar month 6Jul 4 – Aug 1Even
Things may look calm on the surface this month, but unexpected variables are hiding underneath. Money can easily go out, so double-check big expenses and contracts.
白虎帶官 最不尋常 損財有數 火姓遠之 · The White Tiger, an ill-omened star, wears an official's cap, an unusual sign. You may lose money, so keep away from people with fiery tempers.
- Lunar month 7Aug 2 – Aug 31Even
Rewards may not come as quickly as the sweat you put in this month, which can feel deflating. But even if you can't see it, the effort you've built up doesn't vanish.
雖有勞力 勞而無功 若非素服 財利可期 · Even when you strive, your merit doesn't show well, but as long as no ill events occur, you can expect financial gain.
- Lunar month 8Sep 1 – Sep 29Bright
This is the brightest month of your year. Staying indoors feels stifling, so head out, meet people and get things started.
在家心亂 出他心閑 凶反爲吉 百事順成 · At home your mind is restless and outside you are at ease; bad turns to good and everything goes smoothly.
- Lunar month 9Sep 30 – Oct 28Even
You may feel small and lonely this month. But a pine on a rock doesn't snap even when it stands alone.
岩上孤松 滄海一粟 勿爲燥急 以待其時 · A lone pine on a rock, a single grain of millet in the wide sea; don't be impatient, wait for your time.
- Lunar month 10Oct 29 – Nov 27Even
Good signs appear this month, but the foundation is still tender. Rather than leaning on achievements that have blossomed on the surface, put your heart into strengthening the basics.
寒木生花 本末俱弱 先祭基地 可免此厄 · Flowers bloom on a cold tree, but the roots and branches are both weak; tend first to the ground your home stands on and you can avoid misfortune.
- Lunar month 11Nov 28 – Dec 27Even
This month, luck you've long waited for knocks softly at the door. Without making a fuss, real gains come your way.
運數始回 利在其中 淸風明月 獨坐彈琴 · Your luck is finally returning, with profit in its midst; under a clear breeze and bright moon, you sit alone playing the geomungo (a Korean zither).
- Lunar month 12Dec 28 – Jan 26, 2028Even
This month wraps up the year comfortably. It passes without major trouble, but it's best to be careful with places where your energy can drain or with heavy gatherings.
一身安樂 世事太平 莫行之喪 不利之事 · You are at ease and the world is peaceful, but don't rush into gloomy places; avoid what brings no benefit.
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 3/1/1986 receives this hexagram in 2027.
Find my hexagram
Frequently asked questions
Is Tojeong hexagram 511 a good one?
Hexagram 511 is read as an even year, with good and hard months mixed. This is a year when you're placed somewhere it's hard to stay true to yourself. Your view can easily narrow, like planting lotus on a rock or looking at the sky from inside a well.
Which months need care in hexagram 511?
In hexagram 511, the lower months are lunar month 1. 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.