I Ching articles
What the I Ching is, how to consult it and how to read a hexagram.
Basics
- What Is the I Ching? A Beginner's Guide to the Book of ChangesDiscover what the I Ching is, how its 64 hexagrams work, and how this ancient Chinese classic can support reflection on choices today.4 min read
- What Is the Moment of Asking in an I Ching Reading?Understand the moment of asking, often called dong tam, how time is used in Plum Blossom and Six Lines methods, and what to record when casting.4 min read
- What Are the Eight Trigrams? I Ching Bagua for BeginnersLearn the eight I Ching trigrams, their line patterns, natural images, five-phase associations, and how two trigrams form a six-line hexagram.4 min read
- History of the I Ching: Origins, the Ten Wings, and ManuscriptsExplore I Ching history from Fuxi and King Wen traditions to the Ten Wings and Mawangdui manuscripts, distinguishing origin stories from textual evidence.4 min read
- Yin and Yang in the I Ching: Lines, Positions, and BalanceUnderstand yin and yang lines, firmness and flexibility, central and correct positions, and why no single feature decides an I Ching reading.4 min read
- I Ching Judgment, Image, and Line Texts: What Are You Reading?Distinguish hexagram statements, the Judgment commentary, Great and Small Images, and line texts, with Qian examples and a practical reading order.4 min read
- Ten Wings: A Guide to the CommentariesWhat are the Ten Wings? Identify all ten I Ching commentaries, distinguish Judgment, Image, and Words of the Text, and learn to read their different roles.6 min read
How-to
- How to Read the I Ching: Six Steps from Question to ActionLearn how to consult the I Ching, record six lines, identify moving lines and the changed hexagram, and connect a reading with practical reflection.4 min read
- How to Ask the I Ching a Question: Clear, Focused ExamplesWrite a useful I Ching question with brief context, one issue, and a time frame. See practical examples for work, study, and relationships.4 min read
- I Ching Coin Method: How to Cast and Record Six LinesLearn the three-coin I Ching method: assign values, calculate lines 6, 7, 8, and 9, record from the bottom up, and form the changed hexagram.4 min read
- 64 I Ching Hexagrams: A Reading GuideExplore the meanings of 64 I Ching hexagrams through contrasting situations, from beginnings to completion, with a practical guide to thoughtful reading.5 min read
- I Ching for Work: Reading a Job ChangeExplore an imagined job change through I Ching hexagrams 46, 53 and 50, distinguish reading methods, and turn reflection into questions for an employer.5 min read
- I Ching for Love: Talk and BoundariesRead I Ching relationship questions through an imagined couple's conversation, using hexagrams 31, 32, 37 and 61 to explore trust and boundaries.6 min read
Perspectives
- Is the I Ching Accurate? Evidence, Meaning, and ReflectionIs the I Ching accurate? Separate personal resonance from evidence, understand Jung's perspective, and use readings with independent judgment.4 min read
- Can You Ask the I Ching the Same Question Again?Should you cast the I Ching again? Read Meng's warning, compare traditional approaches, and distinguish a new question from seeking a preferred answer.4 min read
- A Bad I Ching Hexagram? How to Read a Difficult ResultA difficult I Ching hexagram need not become a verdict. Read Kan and Jian in context, separate warnings from assumptions, and identify practical checks.4 min read
- Using the I Ching for Big Decisions: Questions Before AnswersUse the I Ching to reflect on a job move, a home, or a relationship decision. Clarify options, ask a focused question, and turn images into practical checks.4 min read
- I Ching, Zi Wei and Feng Shui ComparedCompare the I Ching, Zi Wei Dou Shu and feng shui by subject, inputs and practice, with three classical hexagrams and clear limits for modern applications.5 min read
Methods
- Six Lines I Ching for Beginners: Useful Spirit, Self and OtherExplore Liu Yao, the Six Lines method: Na Jia, the eight palaces, Self and Other lines, relationship categories, the useful spirit, and month-day analysis.4 min read
- Plum Blossom I Ching: Body and Function ExplainedLearn Plum Blossom Numerology, how Body and Function are assigned, five-phase relationships, a worked numerical example, and differences from Six Lines.4 min read
- Plum Blossom I Ching Time Method with a Worked ExampleLearn the Plum Blossom I Ching time method, lunar date and hour rules, a worked example, and why questions in one two-hour period give the same hexagram.6 min read
- Plum Blossom I Ching with Two Numbers: Formula and ExampleStudy the traditional two-number Plum Blossom I Ching method, its hour-based moving-line rule, and a worked example using the numbers 27 and 64.6 min read
- I Ching Yarrow Stalk Method and Hands-on Practice with 49 StalksStudy the traditional I Ching yarrow stalk method, its 49 stalks, three changes per line, probabilities compared with coins, and practice with stalks or counters.6 min read
- I Ching Moving Lines, Changed and Nuclear Hexagrams ExplainedUnderstand moving lines, changed hexagrams, and nuclear hexagrams with a worked example, plus guidance for multiple moving lines or none.4 min read
- Six Relatives in Liu Yao: How They WorkLearn how the Six Relatives in Liu Yao follow the palace phase, calculate all five Metal-palace labels, and distinguish them from Shi, Ying and the focus.5 min read