The I Ching is an ancient Chinese oracle that provides an Oriental philosophical perspective to give insight on situations and problems. "I" means change. "Ching" means book. Therefore I Ching means 'The Book Of Changes'.

The I Ching is both a book and a method of divination that represents one of the first efforts of humans to grasp their relationship to nature and society. It is a book of wisdom that illustrates correct and balanced action in a multitude of situations. It is a chart of changes. The basis of the I Ching philosophy is that nothing is static and that our task is to adjust to the ebbs and flows of change.

The I Ching has evolved over the centuries and is a mix of Taoist and Confucian philosophy. It is possibly the oldest book in existence. Its origins date back about 5000 years to the time of the ruler Fu Hsi. Fu Hsi was said to have found the eight trigrams that form the sixty-four hexagrams on the shell of a tortoise. Fu Hsi is credited as being the first person to give some order to what was, at that time, an uncivilized culture

The meanings evolved from then on but the book was used mostly for predicting natural events until King Wen wrote the first expositions on the sixty-four hexagrams about 3000 years ago. He wrote them while in prison from a vision on the prison wall. These were the first comments that included social and political connotations. Many renowned Chinese philosophers such as Lao Tzu and Confucius have influenced the I Ching through the centuries. Confucius was particularly dedicated to the study and application of the ideas in the I Ching.

There are sixty-four different hexagrams, and each hexagram has six changing lines, any one of which may or may not apply for any particular reading. One method for casting the oracle is to use three Chinese coins for the throws. Each throw creates one line of the hexagram. One side of the coin represents a two and the other a three. These numbers are added to determine the result of the throw. Changing lines are created if there are any three-of-a-kind throws (a total of six or nine). The secondary reading can be thought of as changing from the primary reading and is only created if there are changing lines in the primary reading.

I Ching Instructions

Contemplate a question or situation. Throw three coins to create a single line line. Heads or Yang is given a count of 3 and Tails or Yin is given a count of 2. Each time you throw three coins, you count the numeric value of the coins together. There are four possible number combinations that make up the four lines. These would appear as follows:

 (Yin + Yin + Yin or 2+2+2 = 6)  -  a broken changing line               _______       _______  *

 (Yang+Yang+Yin or 3+3+2 = 8) a broken non-changing line           _______       _______

 (Yang+Yang+Yang or 3+3+3 = 9) x a straight changing line           __________________  *

 (Yin+Yin+Yang or 2+2+3 = 7) a straight non-changing line             __________________

Throw the coins six times and write the value, starting with the bottom line and working to the top. When there are changing lines, you are directed to read a second hexagram as well. The young or non-changing lines stay the same and the changing line will change into the opposite to create a second hexagram.

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