It's one of the oldest and most powerful oracles ever known. The I Ching, also known as the book
of changes. But how do you use it? There's no single universally accepted method and there's
no definitive path. At the heart of much Eastern philosophy is the idea that many different paths
can be valid. And with the I Ching there are many different approaches you can take. For some, the
book itself isn't used at all. Instead they focus on interpreting the hexagram symbols as lines of
yin and yang. Some approaches don't even need you to ask a question. You consult the oracle without
any predefined agenda and it tells you what you need to know in the moment. And so there's no
hard and fast rules to any of this, but that's also what makes it so flexible and so powerful.
The I Ching is a personal oracle. To use it is to cultivate a personal connection with it in a way
that resonates with you. And because all of this can be overwhelming for a beginner, in this video
i'll show you one of the ways I learned to use the I Ching. But I have to emphasize that this
is only a starting point. And the goal is for you to find your own way, that connects and resonates
with you. Before we get into the specifics of the I Ching reading, let's look at two
approaches that are often taken: the divination approach and the psychological approach.
What exactly is divination? The word comes from the latin "divinare" which means "to foresee,
to foretell, or to make prophecy." It's gaining insight into a question or a problem
by connecting with the divine. And historically, the I Ching has its roots in divination as early
as neolithic China, reaching a high point during the Qin dynasty between 221 BC to 206 BC. The
emperor Qin Shi Huang spent the last part of his life trying to find the secret to immortality, the
elixir of life. It was here that we see a dramatic rise in the use of the I Ching as an oracle for
divination. For receiving prophetic messages and accessing these hidden insights to take control
of one's fate, and with that knowledge came the potential to change it. One of the most popular
methods for doing this is with coins, which is still widely used today. Here's what you'll need:
The first thing you'll need is a good translation of the I Ching. The Richard Wilhelm translation
is probably the most recognized and influential version used in the west. And for good reason.
Wilhelm was a German sinologist who lived in China for 25 years and translated the text
with the help of Chinese sage and scholar Lao Nai Hsuan. Other notable translations include
Richard John Lynn's "the Classic of Changes" and Alfred Huang's "the Complete I Ching." You'll also
need three coins of the same size and the same denomination. They don't have to be Chinese coins,
just something that can give you a heads or tails result. Lastly, you'll need something
to write with and something to write on. The basic method is to toss the three coins for six rounds,
and for each round you record either a yin line or a yang line to make a hexagram starting from
the bottom and moving to the top. Yang lines are solid and yin lines are broken. Each coin toss
gives us four possible outcomes shown here. A coin toss with three heads which gives us
a changing yang line, three tails which gives us a changing yin line, two heads in one tail
which is an unchanging yang line, and two tails and one head which is an unchanging yin line. It
will always fall into one of these four outcomes. So you start by tossing the coins onto a surface,
you note the number of heads and tails, and then you mark it as the bottom line.
If it's a changing line then you make a note of that too. And then you repeat these same steps
for each of the six rounds, marking each new line above the one before it, building
the hexagram from the bottom upwards. Let's go through an example so you can see how it works.
Start by thinking of your question. Shake the coins in your hands and then toss them. This
is the first round. Let's say we get two tails and one heads, that's an unchanging yin line, which is
a broken line. Mark that as the first line on the bottom. For round two, we toss them again. This
time let's say we get two heads and one tails, that's an unchanging yang line, which is a solid
line. Mark that line just above the last one. Now we're at round three. Again toss the coins. Let's
say we get two heads and one tails. Again that's another unchanging yang line, another solid line.
Mark this line just above the last one. For round four, let's say we get two tails and one heads,
that's an unchanging yin line, a broken line. Again we mark that above the last line
for the fifth round. Let's say you get two heads and one tails. That's an unchanging yang line,
a solid line, and again we mark that one above the last line. And for the sixth and final round
let's say you get three heads, that's a changing yang line. Mark that above the last line and
make a note that it's a changing line, that'll be important in a moment. So this is our hexagram. We
look it up in our hexagram table which you should be able to find in your version of the I Ching
and we find that we have hexagram 57. So there are two possibilities at this point. If there
are no changing lines in your hexagram then we call this a "locked hexagram." Traditionally,
a locked hexagram means that all the factors involved in your question are already in play, and
so the answers given for your hexagram represents all the information that the oracle can give you
in this moment. But if your hexagram has any changing lines, then it means that not all the
factors involved in your question have come into play. Things are still changing, and other factors
are still coming into the picture. We call this a "changing hexagram." And in this case we make
a second hexagram by reversing the changing lines in the first one, and keeping all the other lines
the same. So in our example we have a changing hexagram and so we reverse the changing line
to make a second hexagram while keeping all the other lines the same when we look this up in our
table we find that this gives us hexagram 48. So we have 2 hexagrams: 57 and 48. How do we read
this using the book of changes? You'll find that the book has a main explanation for each hexagram
and it also has an explanation for six different lines. If you have a locked hexagram then you
read the main explanation only but if you have any changing lines then you also read the explanation
for the corresponding line. And lastly, you would also read the main explanation for the second
hexagram. In our example we have hexagram 57 so we would read the commentary section for hexagram 57
in the book of changes, and because there's a changing line on number six
we would also read the explanation for the sixth line. In our case, because it's also a changing
hexagram, we also read the main explanation for the second hexagram which is hexagram 48.
Now it's just a matter of reading and understanding what the oracle is telling you.
Sometimes the answer is clear and immediate, but other times it's not so obvious. I find
that it's useful to reflect on your answers. The I Ching often speaks in symbols and metaphors,
and it can take time to really process what it means. But remember there's no definitive set
of rules the whole point is to build your own personal connection to the I Ching,
and this is just a starting point. The path will be different for everyone
and each person will take away different understandings and gain insights in their
own way. Trust that whatever question you have the I Ching will give you a meaningful answer.
The first time I consulted the I Ching, I was amazed by how relevant and wise the oracle was
to my situation. Give it a try and see what you find.
The second approach to the I Ching is a more psychological one. Pioneered by the swiss
psychologist Carl Jung, he saw the I Ching as a way to access the symbols and archetypes of the
collective unconscious, which we looked at in this video. We can think of the hexagrams as a
rich symbolic language, each one expressing a unique state of change that's universal.
We find it in nature and in every culture in the world. Today contemporary psychoanalysts like
Ursula Brasch have continued this work and will often use the I Ching to help their patients.
According to Ursula, in the world of psychology "everything is psyche." When we have a problem
in our lives it's not always the problem itself that's stopping us. It's often the thoughts and
feelings we have around the problem that creates and amplifies our suffering. If we can change
the way we think about a problem, then we can take steps to solve it. And it can often lead
to new breakthroughs. Of course we already do this when we seek advice from a friend or counsellor,
and the I Ching is like a wise counsellor you can trust to give meaningful answers, if you're
courageous and vulnerable enough to ask. And it can connect you with the wisdom you already have
within yourself. From a psychological perspective it's not all that important which method you use
to access a hexagram in the I Ching. You could even just open the book to a random page and
find a hexagram on that page. What is important is the process of thinking through your question
and then giving yourself space to process the answers that the oracle gives you.
Here are some guidelines you might find useful for thinking about your question. First recognize
that there are no right or wrong questions. You can ask anything you like, but what's important
is to approach the oracle with sincerity. Ask something that's genuinely important to you,
and let all your thoughts, hopes, and fears come to the surface as you form your question.
Second if you're going to ask a question, try to express it as clearly as you can.
Of course you don't have to ask a question. Some people consult the I Ching without any questions
at all, and that's a valid approach. But from a psychological point of view, looking at your
question helps clarify your intent; it can help you figure out what you're really asking and why
you're asking it. And a good question can cut to the heart of the matter in a powerful way in
the words of Charles Kettering: "a problem well stated is half-solved." And in much the same way,
you could say that a question well stated is half-answered. Thirdly, whenever possible ask
questions that empower you to take control of your life. You are a divine being with free
will and self-determination. Instead of handing over your power to forces outside your control,
think about how you can focus on the things that are within your ability to change. If
you're having trouble coming up with a question, here are some examples of things you might ask:
how can i move forward with a job or with a relationship in my life? What if I tried a
new direction? How can I best approach a certain problem in my life? The I Ching isn't necessarily
about predicting the future. In many cases when we're worried about something that might happen,
what we're really looking for is a sense of what to do with ourselves right now, in the present
moment. And along the same lines, one of the most powerful things you can ask is: "what do I
need to know right now?" Just opening yourself up to whatever the universe has to tell you,
without any agenda, and without any preconceptions can also be a powerful way to move forward with
the issues you're dealing with. Whether you prefer a divination approach or a psychological approach
these are just a few ideas to get you started. The real exploration begins
when you build an authentic and personal connection with the oracle, and use it in
a way that speaks to you. I've included links to some other I Ching resources in the description,
so go ahead and check that out. And if you try an I Ching reading for yourself,
i'd love it if you shared your results in the comments. And if you have a different
way of using the I Ching please share that in the comments too, that would be amazing!
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As always thanks so much for watching, take care of yourselves, and i'll see you in the next video.