Trigrams are three-line patterns that constitute the heart of an ancient Chinese classic called the I Ching (i.e., The Book of Changes). Some of the lines are solid, while others are broken. The combination of solid and broken lines makes for eight possible types of Trigrams. 

The Book of Changes was originally used for divination, but it has evolved over the centuries to encompass an entire cosmology. I Ching enthusiasts believe that the Trigrams contain profound meanings applicable to daily life, and throughout the ages they have claimed that the Trigrams can be used to understand, and even control, future events. Each Trigrams has a name, a root meaning, and a symbolic meaning.