The I Ching has been used for oracular purposes for millennia, and the ways of consulting it have changed over time. From ancient yarrow sticks to today's decks of cards, there is an enormous variety in the forms of consultation, all equally valid depending on the circumstance and purpose of your consultation. Whether you choose the widespread method of coins, random numbers or an app, the I Ching is so powerful that it will give you the answer you need.
The coin method
Currently the most widely used way to consult the I Ching is a simplified method known as the coin method, which was popularized during the Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279 AD). Pierced Chinese coins are usually used in this method, but any type of coin can be chosen. The important thing is that there are 3 coins that are equal to each other.
Before performing the consultation, you should ask the question and take time to meditate on the matter to be consulted. It is important that the question be clear, precise and complete. The more specific the question, the tighter the answer will be. The roll is then carried out using the following steps.
Step 1: Value Assignment
First, a value is assigned to each side of the coin. In Chinese coins, the side with the four characters is yang and takes the value of 3 and the side with the two drawings is yin and takes the value of 2. In case of using other coins, the numbered side is yang and the side with image is yin. If both sides have a drawing, you can choose which one best refers to yang and which one best refers to yin. In any case, the yang side will take a value of 3 and the yin side a value of 2. It is not so important what value I assign to each side, but it is important to maintain the same convention throughout the entire spread.
Step 2: Coin Toss
Take the three coins in your hands, say the question and release the coins on a firm surface.
They can fall into four possible combinations:
The three on the yang side, 3+3+3=9. It is represented by a full line with a mark in the center.
Two from the yang side and one from the yin side, 3+3+2=8. It is represented by a broken line without a mark.
One on the yang side and two on the yin side, 3+2+2=7. It is represented by a whole line without a mark.
The three on the yin side, 2+2+2=6. It is represented by a broken line with a mark in the center.
The line corresponding to the position of the coins in the toss made is drawn on a piece of paper.
The coins are taken again, the question is repeated, they are released on the surface and the line corresponding to the second toss is noted above the line previously drawn.
This procedure is repeated 6 times until all 6 lines of the hexagram are completed.
Important : hexagrams are always drawn from bottom to top , therefore, the first spread corresponds to the bottom line and the last to the top.
Step 3: Mutation
From the hexagram obtained in step 2, a second hexagram is drawn, mutating only the marked lines, which are the ones that gave 6 or 9. The lines that do not have a mark - that gave 7 or 8 - are left the same. Note that you might have received a static hexagram, with no mutating lines, and in such case that step does not apply.
How is the mutation carried out?
If the initial hexagram contains a broken line with a mark, value 6, when mutated it will become a whole line. On the contrary, if the initial hexagram contains an entire line with a mark, with a value of 9, when mutated it will become a broken line.
Step 4: Find the hexagrams
Once the two hexagrams have been obtained, we refer to the hexagram table (which is usually present in any version of the I Ching) where we can locate the lower and upper trigram of our hexagram and discover which number it corresponds to.
Interpretation of hexagrams
Although in the I Ching we find a text with the interpretation of the hexagrams, at first it can be confusing due to its poetics or the use of symbolic words. For this reason, I offer here a very simple method to approach the interpretation of the hexagrams, complementary to the text and at the same time profound in itself.
The key is to analyze the hexagram divided into the two trigrams that compose it: lower and upper. The lower trigram will represent the world or the internal attitude and the upper trigram will represent the world or the external attitude. In this way, for example, hexagram 16 tells us to position ourselves internally like the earth, but act externally like thunder.
The Trigrams
Below I offer some simple interpretations of the trigrams for you to use as a guide.
Heaven : Recognition of one's own mental creative power, great ideas, creativity, authority, time and the unlimited. Internally it asks us to recognize our power and expand our mental borders, externally it asks us to go for what we want with faith, positioning ourselves as authority, with understanding of the times and actions required.
Earth : Recognition of one's own material creative power, structure, body, receptivity, recognition of the limits of reality, docility, fertility, space. Inside, it asks us to position ourselves by creating internal space to receive, observe before acting, wait. On the outside it asks us to go slow, act consciously, adapt to real possibilities, allow ourselves to receive help.
Thunder : Take action, act quickly and decisively, follow instinct, take the first step. Inside it asks to connect with instinct, desire without a mental filter, with that new and different thing I want to give life to. Externally it asks us to take concrete action, to do what needs to be done without delay.
Wind : Take action in a strategic and planned way, think in the long term, evaluate options and define clear objectives. Inside it asks us to sit down and plan, organize and order to know what we want to do and how we want to do it. On the outside, it asks to put the strategy into action, to advance step by step without rushing, to communicate to achieve the objective.
Water : Awareness of emotions and fears. Move forward overcoming obstacles, don't stay where you are. Inside, it asks you to introspect and get out of the danger of emotions by being true to yourself, finding the way out in yourself. On the outside it can talk about a real dangerous situation, it asks to follow your intuition, move forward despite obstacles.
Fire : Becoming aware of what I am doing, how I show myself, if I am aligned with my beliefs. Inside it asks to review the coherence of what I believe, what I want and what I do, what brought me to this situation? Am I being faithful to my beliefs? On the outside it asks to be transparent, to shine, to be seen - but not from superficiality but by sharing the deepest things -, to act according to my beliefs.
Mountain : Quiet the body to quiet the mind, meditate, return to axis, know when to act and when not to. Inside it usually appears when there is anxiety or a lot of mental load, it asks to slow down, meditate, calm the thoughts, feel the body, in order to have clarity before acting. On the outside it asks to literally stop, not to move forward in that situation until it is time, these are times to take stock, close cycles and organize thoughts before continuing to move forward.
Lago : Enjoyment, joy and inner peace that come from knowing who I am. It is a very dual symbol, which can also indicate a childish or capricious position that denies reality. Identifying which of the two it is will depend on the question and the hexagram itself. Inside it indicates the closing of a stage of growth, the incorporation of learning, the deep awareness after a great search and asks for connection with enjoyment and joy. On the outside it asks to have fun, socialize, enjoy, it is the celebration of the work done, the counting of my harvests.
It is important in the interpretation to respect that both trigrams occur at the same time. Many times, especially when the trigrams are very different from each other, we tend to interpret that one occurs first and another occurs later.
For example, in the case of hexagram 16, I can think: first I center myself and prepare to receive like the earth and when I achieve that, I go out to act like the thunder. This interpretation is not correct, since both trigrams work at the same time. I have to act like thunder on the outside while remaining firm and receptive internally like the earth.
I hope you try this technique and find it as beautiful and satisfying as I do.
Laura
I am a mentor of natural contemplation and oriental mindset for inner peace. My studies and life experience led me to combine science and spirituality to achieve a systemic and symbolic vision of the world. My current purpose is to share ways of thinking and tools that are different from Eurocentric ones to achieve being in presence, with peace of mind and respecting our own pace. Nature has all the answers if we know the language in which it speaks to us.
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