Used to describe something that undergoes many transformations or variations, as seen in the phrase 女大十八变nǚdàshíbābiàn regarding a young woman's changing appearance during puberty
hexagram formation
The eighteen changes or steps involving the manipulation of yarrow stalks required to form a hexagram for divination in the "I Ching"
supernatural transformations
The eighteen miraculous transformations performed by Buddhas or advanced beings in Buddhist tradition
