How to Read the I Ching

While you can read the I Ching from cover to cover like you would any other book,
it works best when used as an oracle for divination and guidance, which is a form
of bibliomancy. To do this, you toss coins to determine which section you should
read based on the casting of the coins.
Formulate a question.
To determine which section to read, with your question in mind, toss three coins
six times.
For each toss, the heads/tails pattern determines whether to draw a yin, yang, or
changing line, which create the lines of each trigram. The trigrams are the same
used for the five elements found in Feng Shui. You will end up with two trigrams at
the end of your six coin tosses.
I Ching translations contain a look-up table at the front and back of the book to
determine a pattern of yin and yang responses that become hexagrams, or sets of six
yin and yang lines. Consult the lookup table and locate your first trigram in the
vertical column and your second trigram in the horizontal column. Find the hexagram
where they intersect, which will give you a section number.
Turn to that section and read the text, which will symbolically answer the question
you have using ancient wisdom.
Casting the I Ching
To understand the role of I Ching Hexagram, you must first understand the I Ching
and how it's used. The divination has historically been cast by either tossing
three coins or 49 yarrow (reed) sticks. For example, if you choose to use the coin
method:
You will toss three coins six times.
Take the three coins and toss them.
Each toss is recorded to reflect the number of times the coins land either as heads
or tails.
These are used to create a Hexagram. This is six lines stacked on top of each
other.
Creating a Hexagram
The hexagram is used to record each coin or yarrow toss. The results are written as
either solid or broken lines. These are determined by the number of heads and tails
per toss. You can interpret and then record the coin toss by using the following
guidelines:
3 tails (yin): Draw a line broken in the center and place an X in the space between
the broken line.
3 heads (yang): Draw a solid line with a circle (zero) in the center of the solid
line.
2 heads and 1 tail (yin): Draw a line broken in the center.
1 head and 2 tails (yang): Draw a solid line.
A few quick steps can help you create the hexagram for your coin toss. As you
record the coins, you will form the hexagram and then use the I Ching to interpret
its meaning.
When you record each coin toss, it's very important that you record the first toss
to form the base of your hexagram and build upward. That means your first coin toss
will be THE bottom line of the completed hexagram.
Place the second coin toss recording on top of the first one. This may be a solid
bar or a broken bar depending on the coin toss.
You will stack the next bar onto the second one according to the coin toss results.
Continue stacking the coin toss bar on top of the previous one until you have a
total of six lines stacked on top of each other.
You have created a hexagram.
The hexagram can also be divided into two trigrams for more in-depth interpretation
by a feng shui practitioner. The bottom three bars create the first trigram and the
top three bars form the upper trigram.
When you toss the coins and you end up with either three tails or three heads,
these are considered changing coins. That means you will not only read the meaning
for the hexagram they are part of that represent the present circumstances, but
you'll also read for a future meaning. To distinguish them from the other two
combinations of 2 heads and 1 tail, and 2 tails and 1 head, the X and O are
inserted to remind you that line needs to be changed so you can do a future
reading.
To create the future hexagram, you will create a hexagram by changing the three
heads and/or three coins. To accomplish this change is simple.
Change the 3 tails' broken line to a solid line. Leave out the X. This represents
the future.
Change the 3 heads' solid line to a broken line. Leave out the circle (zero). This
represents the future.
Interpreting the Meaning of Each Line
Just as with any form of divination, I Ching has set guidelines for interpretation.
To fully understand the hexagram, it helps to know what area of your life each of
the six lines represent.
Line one (bottom line): The crux of your question that reveals the basic concern or
issue.
Line two: Reveals what is changing about your situation or circumstances and
whether your basic question or problem can be supported.
Line three: Things that can affect your circumstances, such as personal weaknesses
and strengths as well as the challenges you must face to obtain the outcome you
desire.
Line four: Other people's influence over your circumstances and how the first three
lines combine to influence this line's position.
Line five: Unforeseen events or circumstances that can change your situation or
reveals what is controlling your situation.
Line six (top line): If the situation isn't balanced and has too much yin or yang
energy and how you can rectify your circumstances or situation.
Hexagram Meanings
The I Ching, also known as the Book of Changes, has 64 interpretations of the I
Ching. Some other ancient texts are said to have 128 or even 356 possible
interpretations. The one most used is the I Ching that gives 64 short stories that
are often very difficult to understand in their original context. Fortunately, the
metaphoric nature of these essays has been translated into modern language and
understanding.
Feng Shui and Hexagrams
It's easy to understand how a feng shui practitioner can employ the use of this
ancient divination tool to assist in especially difficult analysis of homes with
hidden energy issues. This is typically easy to recognize when traditional and
standard remedies don't seem to have an effect on the sha chi (negative energy) in
a home or business.
I Ching Hexagrams Reveal Issues
Under such circumstances, the I Ching hexagrams assist the feng shui practitioner
in finding the underlying issue. Often the issue(s) revealed is hidden and is
blocking chi energy from flowing freely throughout your home or business.
Yin and Yang of Hexagrams
As with all things feng shui, I Ching is governed by the same principles of chi
energy, which is composed of yin (female) and yang (male) energies. Together, the
yin and yang energies create a balanced whole. By using I Ching, a feng shui
practitioner can help you find ways to restore a balance between yin and yang
energies in your home or office. This is similar to the way I Ching is used to
create personal and inner restoration. The coins have an assigned yin or yang
energy value.
Heads = yang
Tails = yin