What is the I Ching used for?

The I Ching, or Book of Changes, is one of the oldest classics of Chinese wisdom. It offers a symbolic language for noticing patterns of change and making better-timed, better-aligned decisions.

Rather than predicting a fixed future, it reflects the dynamics of the present moment and how those dynamics may evolve if you act in certain ways.

How It’s Structured

64 hexagrams: each is six stacked lines.
Lines are either solid (yang) or broken (yin).
Trigrams: a hexagram = upper trigram (outer world) + lower trigram (inner base).
Each hexagram has a Judgment, an Image, and six line texts.
Changing (moving) lines can transform the situation into a related hexagram.

How People Consult the I Ching (Simple Method)

Formulate a sincere, specific question about a real situation and timeframe.
Use a casting method (e.g., three coins, yarrow stalks, or a trusted digital tool) to obtain six lines from bottom to top.
Identify the primary hexagram from the six lines.
Mark any changing lines. If there are changes, derive the relating (resulting) hexagram.
Read: the Judgment and Image of the primary, the specific changing line texts, then the relating hexagram for direction.

How to Read a Result

Primary Hexagram — the core pattern now; tone and constraints.
Changing Lines — where tension or leverage exists; what to do/avoid.
Relating Hexagram — where things are headed if you follow the counsel.

Tip: Prioritize the Judgment and your specific changing line text(s) before reading broad commentaries.

When It’s Most Useful

Timing decisions: “Proceed now or wait?”
Strategy: “Which approach aligns with the situation’s nature?”
Relationship, career, health, or finance choices that hinge on dynamics and timing.

Best-Practice Guidelines

Ask sincere, focused questions; avoid yes/no when possible—prefer “How can I…?”
Consult once per situation; apply advice; only revisit after conditions meaningfully change.
Read the text first; add commentary only to clarify, not to override.
Act ethically. Use the counsel to benefit all parties and the larger context.

Key Terms at a Glance

Hexagram (卦)	Six-line figure expressing a pattern of change.
Trigram (卦象)	Three-line figure (e.g., Heaven, Earth, Water, Fire) forming the top/bottom of a hexagram.
Judgment (卦辞)	Core guidance on stance, timing, constraints, and success conditions.
Image (彖/象)	Symbolic picture teaching conduct—“how” to embody the counsel.
Line Text (爻辞)	Advice at specific positions (1–6), often most actionable when those lines are changing.
Changing Line (动爻)	A line that flips (yin↔yang), indicating movement and producing a relating hexagram.

Disclaimer: This material is educational and reflective. It does not replace professional advice in medicine, law, finance, or mental health.

Idioma

Idioma

I Ching Oracle

Sit quietly and let your thoughts settle.Focus your intent — what do you truly seek to know?Cast the coins or choose the lines, one by one.

The hexagram that appears is not random;It is the mirror of your current path and destiny.

The 64 Hexagrams

Origin & Purpose