The I Ching, the "Book of Changes", is one of the oldest texts of the Chinese tradition and one of the most studied in the world. It is at once a manual of divination, a philosophical work and a profound reflection on change. Its central idea is simple and dizzying: everything changes, but change follows recognisable patterns. Those who learn to see them can find their way better in the flow of events.
A layered book
The I Ching was not written at a single moment by a single author. Its oldest core consists of six-line figures, the hexagrams, accompanied by brief judgements. In later centuries philosophical commentaries were added, traditionally called the "Ten Wings", which tradition attributes to Confucius, although modern scholars regard them as the work of several authors and different periods.
The text became one of the fundamental classics of Chinese culture, studied by philosophers, men of letters and officials. In the West it became known mainly through modern translations, among them Richard Wilhelm's German translation, which was widely read in the twentieth century.
The lines: yin and yang
At the base of everything there are two kinds of line:
- the solid line (—), associated with yang: the active, luminous, creative principle;
- the broken line (- -), associated with yin: the receptive, dark, welcoming principle.
Yin and yang are not good and evil but two complementary polarities that alternate and turn into each other. Day becomes night, night becomes day.
The eight trigrams
Combining three lines gives eight possible figures, the trigrams. Each is associated with a natural image and a quality.
| Trigram | Name | Image | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☰ | Qian | Heaven | Creativity, strength |
| ☷ | Kun | Earth | Receptivity, devotion |
| ☳ | Zhen | Thunder | Movement, arousal |
| ☵ | Kan | Water | Danger, depth |
| ☶ | Gen | Mountain | Stillness, rest |
| ☴ | Xun | Wind, wood | Penetration, gentleness |
| ☲ | Li | Fire | Clarity, clinging |
| ☱ | Dui | Lake | Joy, openness |
The sixty-four hexagrams
Placing two trigrams one above the other produces a hexagram, a six-line figure. The possible combinations are eight times eight, that is, sixty-four. Each hexagram has a name and describes a typical situation: difficult beginnings, waiting, conflict, peace, stagnation, increase, contemplation.
The lines are read from the bottom up. The first line at the bottom represents the beginning of a situation, the sixth at the top its climax or its overcoming.
Changing lines
One of the most refined ideas of the I Ching is that of changing lines. During a consultation, some lines may turn out to be "old", that is, at the peak of their strength and ready to turn into their opposite. An old yang becomes yin, an old yin becomes yang.
When there are changing lines, two hexagrams result: the first describes the present situation, the second the direction in which it is transforming. It is an elegant way of representing change in progress.
The three-coin method
This is the most widespread method today, because it is simple and quick.
- Take three identical coins and assign values: by convention, "heads" is worth 3 and "tails" is worth 2.
- Toss the three coins and add up the values: the result will be 6, 7, 8 or 9.
- Draw the corresponding line: 7 is young yang, 8 is young yin, 9 is old yang (changing), 6 is old yin (changing).
- Repeat six times, building the hexagram from the bottom up.
- Consult the text of the hexagram and of any changing lines.
The yarrow-stalk method
The oldest traditional method uses fifty yarrow stalks, one of which is set aside at the start. The others are divided and counted in a rather long sequence of operations that requires time and concentration. An interesting aspect is that the probabilities of the results differ from those of the coins: with the stalks, a changing yin line is rarer than a changing yang line. Many practitioners value this method precisely for its slowness, which encourages a meditative attitude.
An example consultation
Someone asks how to behave in a project that seems not to be moving forward. The coins form a hexagram that speaks of waiting and patience, with a changing line that turns it into a hexagram linked to gradual progress. The reading suggests that the moment calls for preparation rather than action, but that the situation is already moving towards development.
Consulting the I Ching with respect
Those who approach the I Ching soon discover that the text often answers enigmatically. The judgements are to be meditated upon, not hastily deciphered. Many practitioners advise recording every consultation and rereading it after some time. The Studio Esoterico Cornelio considers this book one of the highest examples of divination understood as a dialogue with change, not as the prediction of a fixed destiny.
In short
- The I Ching is a layered text of the Chinese tradition, between divination and philosophy.
- Solid and broken lines represent yang and yin, complementary polarities.
- Eight trigrams combined in pairs form sixty-four hexagrams.
- Changing lines indicate transformation and generate a second hexagram.
- It is consulted with three coins or with yarrow stalks, a slower and more meditative method.
