In the old days, our ancestors had a custom of drawing lots for fortunes at the beginning of the new year to plan their year. Among these, Tojeong Bigyeol is one of the most beloved fortune-telling methods. Tojeong Bigyeol uses eight trigrams, representing 1) Heaven, 2) Earth, 3) Water, 4) Fire, 5) Mountain, 6) Lake, 7) Thunder, and 8) Wind, all inspired by nature. The trigrams representing Heaven and Earth create six combinations, called Yookhyo. Yookhyo changes three times each year, resulting in a total of 144 configurations when combined with the eight trigrams and three variables (8X6X3 = 144). Tojeong Bigyeol assigns meanings to these 144 configurations according to the seasonal cycle and is said to have been written by the Joseon Dynasty scholar, Tojeong Lee Ji-ham.
1517-1578, a scholar during the reign of King Seonjo in the Joseon Dynasty. His ancestral home was Hansin, and his pen name was Susan, with Tojeong being his title. It is said that his pen name, Tojeong, was derived from his humble dwelling made of earth along the banks of the Mapo River. Orphaned early, he learned from his elder brother before studying under the tutelage of Seokyung Deok. Under his teacher's guidance, he became proficient in the I Ching, medicine, mathematics, astronomy, and geography. He was appointed as the magistrate of Pocheon in 1573 but resigned the following year. In 1578, while serving as the magistrate of Asan, he established a beggars' shelter. To assist the struggling commoners, he created a divination book based on the 384 hexagrams of the I Ching. However, as people misused it for idle purposes, he hid the second volume, leaving only the 144 configurations that are known today.