Article Surfing Archive

I Ching is an ancient Chinese method of divination. The toss of three coins creates hexagrams that use the ancient "Book of Changes" to interpret. Those tossing the coin ask a question and record the results of six coin tosses.

If the coin lands with two heads and one tail, the toss is a yin toss and recorded with a broken line. If there are two tails and one head, it is a yang, record it as a straight, unbroken line. The result of three heads or three tails gives a moving yin or moving yang and the results are recorded two ways. The first records all as their symbol, for instance three heads is a moving yang and recorded as a yang. The second hexagram records it as the alternate symbol, or a yin, in this case.

The tosses result in the creation of only two hexagrams maximum, regardless of the number of moving yin or yang. The first that shows that actual symbol, yin or yang, when a moving symbol exists and the second shows the hexagram with the moving symbol opposite. The diviner records the tosses from the bottom to the top and the result is an image created by the six lines. The interpretation then comes from the book of changes.

I Ching's roots date back before the earliest recorded history and some believe began with the "Changes of Chou" or "Chou I" that predicted future events for the Chou. The collection of interpretations found book form during 425 and 221 BC and was spared destruction by the conquering king because of its value to predict events.

The belief is that nothing is chance; there are significant signs in inconsequential events and a cyclic effect to the universe. You must know where you are today to know where you go in the future. Many use I Ching today not because of the philosophy but because it poses an uncanny accuracy to predict the future.

The creation of the hexagrams leads the practitioner to a phrase or vague interpretation in the "Book of Changes". The practitioner then must allow their mind to absorb the information that the phrase holds and will allow it to wander and make the connections. It, like many forms of divination uses a relaxed mental state for the best results.

The information received to some may be from a spiritual place, to others it may tap into the unknown forces that connect the past, present and future found in quantum physics and to a third the belief is that the mind already knows the answers from either the subconscious or psychic energies. This allows the reader to bring together the pieces.

Regardless of why the I Ching works, many swear that it does indeed work and use it as an aid for guidance and a way to develop their path for increasing happiness, hope and prosperity. It survived thousands of years of turmoil and inspection and remains a popular tool for divination into the future.