Discover the I Ching
and our I Ching Oracle Tools

What is the I Ching

The Book of Changes (I Ching, or Yi Jing) is an ancient Chinese system of divination, or oracular consultation.

The book is acknowledged to be one of the oldest in the world, perhaps dating back to about 1000 BCE. The book was used for divinatory purposes for hundreds of years before it was finally codified during the Han dynasty (206 BCE – 220 CE).

The I Ching has been in continuous use up to the present day. Its intelligent, profound, sophisticated and often uncannily accurate readings have recommended this system of divination to many Westerners, including C.G. Jung, Wolfgang Pauli, and Hermann Hesse.

Philosophy of the I Ching

The central idea behind the I Ching is that of flux or change. All things, including human affairs, are understood to change through time - they are born, develop, decay, die and are reborn in some new form. By studying these changes, we can recognize significant patterns of change (e.g., night and day, the phases of the moon, the seasons of the year, the stages of human life). Change also involves relationships between opposites. The two most basic opposites are the principles of Yang and Yin.

Yang corresponds to active, creative, expansive force.

Yin corresponds to receptive, mutable, contracting form.

All change can be understood in terms of the relationship between Yang and Yin.When Yin and Yang are in balanced relationship, then life is harmonious. When we follow a harmonious and connected path through life, then we are said to live in accordance with the Tao.

There is also a reality beyond Yin and Yang. This is T'ai Chi or Taiji (The Absolute), beautifully represented by the Taijitu (Diagram of the Absolute), more commonly known in the West as the Yin-Yang symbol.

Structure of the I Ching Oracle

Yang and Yin are represented in the I Ching by unbroken and broken lines.

When using the I Ching oracle, these lines are used to create Hexagrams (figures made up of six lines).

Hexagrams are always constructed and read from the bottom to the top. Each line in a hexagram can be either Yang or Yin. The various combinations give rise to 64 different hexagrams. For the purposes of the divination, each different hexagram (and every line in a hexagram) has its own particular oracular meaning.

Each hexagram is also understood as composed of two Trigrams (figures of three lines).

A hexagram's two component trigrams (known as 'Above' and 'Below' are made up of the top three lines (4,5,6) and the bottom three lines (1,2,3) of the hexagram. These indicate the outer (above) and inner (below) aspects of the situation described in the hexagram.

There are 8 possible trigrams. Each of these also has a traditional meaning.

Hexagram 22: Adornment is made up of Mountain (above), and Fire (below).

Additional trigrams, made up of lines 2,3,4 and 3,4,5 of a hexagram, are also understood to form a Nuclear Hexagram that gives further insight into the meaning of each reading.

The nuclear hexagram for Hexagram 22: Adornment is therefore made up of Thunder (upper) and Water (lower).

The nuclear hexagram is believed to indicate something of the original hexagram's latent or hidden potentials.

The nuclear hexagram of 22: Adornment) is 40: Liberation.

Each hexagram also has one or two governing or Ruling Lines. These are pivotal in the structure and dynamics of the hexagram and generally represent auspicious qualities. Most commonly, line 5 is a ruler but sometimes other lines take precedence. For Hexagram 22: Adornment. the ruling lines are 2 and 6 (indicated by asterisks).

Consulting the I Ching

Generating the Reading

Various methods can be used to consult the I Ching. The earliest known procedure uses a set of 50 yarrow stalks which are repeatedly divided and counted. This method is considered by many scholars to be more consistent with the underlying theory of the I Ching.

Because the yarrow stalk method is complex and time-consuming, many people prefer a simpler and quicker method using coins. Three coins are thrown down and the combination of heads and tails determines which line is generated. This is repeated five more times to generate the six lines for the reading.

Both methods are based on the assumption that the 'random' fall of the coins or the spontaneous division of the yarrow sticks in some way reflects the nature of the inquiry. From the perspective of Jungian Psychology this happens due to meaningful coincidence and an acausal connecting principle known as synchronicity.

With the advent of personal computers, software is increasingly used to simulate the traditional methods of casting hexagrams. This has the advantage of convenience, speed and computational accuracy. It may seem strange to use a computer for this purpose, but in principle there is every reason to suppose that synchronicity operates just as readily in this way.

Many people's experience is that computerized I Ching readings are just as valid and useful as those made using more traditional methods.

A third traditional method, known as 'Plum Blossom' uses the current date, hour and minute to generate a reading. The Plum Blossom method may be preferred if it seems that the present moment is somehow significant to the inquiry.

When generating the six Yang or Yin lines that make up a hexagram, each can be either static (known as 'Young') or changing (known as 'Old'). The changing (Old) lines transform to their opposite. Thus an Old Yang changes to Yin, and a Old Yin changes to Yang. When a hexagram has one or more changing lines, this creates a second hexagram which incorporates these changes.

The Coin and Yarrow Stalk methods allow any and all lines to change. This results in 64 x 64 = 4096 possible readings since the original hexagram can either remain static (when there are no changing lines), or can transform into any of the other 63 hexagrams. In contrast, Plum Blossom gives only 64 x 6 = 384 different readings because this method always produces exactly ONE changing line.

Interpreting the Reading

An I Ching reading is generally made up of three main parts:

1. The First Hexagram
   
   
2. The Changing Lines
   
   
3. The Second Hexagram
   
   

The reading for the first hexagram indicates the basic current situation and immediate advice.

If the first hexagram changes into a different hexagram, each of the changing lines is interpreted in sequence from bottom to top. These give an indication of the dynamic or changing features in the situation.

If a changing line appears to contradict the advice from the first hexagram, the changing line takes priority. When the various lines give different advice, these may refer to a sequence of events, or may indicate genuine tensions in the dynamics of the situation. If one of the Ruling Lines changes, this should be given particular emphasis.

Finally, having made all the necessary changes, the second (resulting) hexagram is interpreted. This indicates the way in which the situation may develop, or advice for the future. If the reading has no changing lines, there will be no second hexagram. This implies a situation that is fixed or static.

In order to get full value from an I Ching reading, you should play with the ideas that are suggested, relating them to your situation and considering various interpretations. This should be done lightly and intuitively, allowing your unconscious mind to suggest connections, associations and possible meanings. If you wish, you can also consult various books on the I Ching that give more detailed readings of the hexagrams.

About our I Ching Tools

I Ching Oracle

Our interactive I Ching Oracle is a sophisticated computerized implementation of the Coin, Yarrow Stalk, and Plum Blossom methods. You should use this to generate interpreted readings for your questions.

I Ching Trainer

Our interactive I Ching Trainer allows you to train and test your ability to interpret I Ching readings. It does this by generating a 'dummy' reading alongside the actual reading. Your task is to compare their interpretations to see if you can identify which of the two readings is the genuine one.

I Ching Explorer

Our interactive I Ching Explorer is a sophisticated learning and research tool that enables you to examine all 4096 hexagram combinations and their associated readings. Simply click on the trigrams, hexagrams, hexagram lines, or changing lines to view the various readings that are possible. Analyses of the nuclear hexagrams (to four levels) are also provided.

I Ching Divination Deck

This describes the Psychic Science I Ching Divination Deck. This exclusive poker-size deck allows you to study the structure of the I Ching and generate interpreted readings by selecting and dealing cards.

About the Texts

Our I Ching Oracle, I Ching Trainer and I Ching Explorer allow you to choose between four interpretive texts:

• A modern text* written by Michael Daniels PhD, based on a reading of several English translations and interpretations of the I Ching, and on more than 50 years personal experience with the oracle. The text is not itself a direct translation from the Chinese. It represents an attempt to encapsulate the basic psychological ideas behind the hexagrams and changing lines, while avoiding the archaic and often confusing imagery found in many books. This text attempts to be accurate and faithful to the spirit and personality of the I Ching, but has been creatively adapted. It is written in a modern idiom, and in such a way that it will offer clear guidance for people who wish to use the oracle to answer questions relating to personal situations (hence the references to "You" in many readings). As a result, interpretations may need to be adjusted when consulting on wider social or political issues. Daniels' complete text is published in The I Ching Oracle: A Modern Approach to Ancient Wisdom (2017).
  
  
• The classic scholarly English translation by the sinologist James Legge. This was originally published in 1882 and is now in the public domain.
  
  
• The classic oracular translation by Richard Wilhelm. This was originally published in German in 1927 and this work is now in the public domain. The well-known English translation of Wilhelm's I Ching by Cary F. Baynes is, however, still in copyright. In its place we are pleased to present a new English translation of the Wilhelm text which has been specially undertaken for our own I Ching Oracle. Note that the text of this new English translation is © Michael Daniels and psychicscience.org.
  
  
• The mnemonic versified interpretations of Legge's translations by occultist Aleister Crowley (unpublished in Crowley's lifetime and believed to be in the public domain).
  

For ease of comparison, you can switch between interpretive texts at any time.

Further Reading

Blofeld, J.E.C. (ed.) (1991). I Ching: The Book of Change. Arkana.

Crowley, A. (nd). The Yi King: A New Translation of the Book of Changes with a Commentary by the Master Therion (Liber CCXVI).

Daniels, M. (2017). The I Ching Oracle: A Modern Approach to Ancient Wisdom. Psychic Science Books.

Huang, A. (1998). The Complete I Ching: The Definitive Translation by the Taoist Master Alfred Huang. Inner Traditions Intl Ltd.

Huang, A. (2000). The Numerology of the I Ching: A Sourcebook of Symbols, Structures, and Traditional Wisdom. Inner Traditions Intl Ltd.

Jung, C.G. (1973). Synchronicity: An Acausal Connecting Principle. Princeton University Press.

Karcher, S. (1995). The Elements of the I Ching. Element Books.

Karcher, S. (2000). New Perspectives: I Ching. Element.

Legge, J. (trans.) (1896 / 1975). I Ching: The Sacred Books of China: The Book of Changes, 2nd Edition. Dover Publications.

Loewe, M. & Blacker, C. (eds.) (1981). Oracles and Divination. Shambhala.

Ritsema, R. & Karcher, S. (trans.) (1995). I Ching: The Classic Chinese Oracle of Change. The First Complete Translation With Concordance. HarperCollins.

Tan Xiaochun, (illus.) & Koh Kok Kiang (trans.) (1993). The I Ching: An Illustrated Guide to the Chinese Art of Divination. Asiapac.

Von Franz, M-L. (1980). On Divination and Synchronicity: The Psychology of Meaningful Chance. Inner City Books.

Wilhelm, R. & Baynes, C.F. (1967). The I Ching or Book of Changes, 3rd Edition. Princeton University Press.

Wing. R.L. (1979). The I Ching Workbook. Doubleday.