Consulting the I Ching Using the Coin Method

The I Ching or Book of Changes is the world's oldest oracle; an ancient guide that draws on oriental philosophy for divinatory purposes.

Older than the bible, the I Ching is one of the oldest books in the world. Ancient diviners and sages have used, developed and expanded the I Ching over many historical periods that through their wisdom and experience it offers possible choices a person may be faced with depending on what they are going through at a certain point in time.

The Sixty Four Hexagrams of the I Ching

Its 64 Hexagams incorporate all the changes humans and the world go through. The I Ching's view of the world is that it is a natural, harmonizing system in which the process of change never ceases. No event is without meaning and all events have a connection.

Each Hexagram contains a pattern of six broken (yin) or unbroken (yang) lines. These can be translated in a divinatory way by throwing coins or yarrow sticks. The coin method is the easiest and quickest to use as it involves only three coins.

When consulting the I Ching, it is best to think of a question for the oracle to answer. This should concern something of real importance to do with the course of your life. You will also need a book or articles that translate the different Hexagrams of the I Ching and finally, a means of casting your hexagram, such as in using the coin method or the yarrow sticks.

Coin Method for the I Ching

You will need

*3 coins
*pen and paper

*copy of an I Ching book or diagrams of and translations of each Hexagram

*an attitude of grateful acceptance

For this method, the 'heads' side of the coin should be interpreted as the 'yang' side and the 'tails' side of the coin is the 'yin' side. The idea is to build up the Hexagram from the bottom (1st) line to the top (6th) line.

Shake the coins in your hand then throw them onto a flat surface. Note and record which side of the coins are uppermost. There are four possible combinations in which the coins can land. Each of these possible combinations must be assigned a yin or yang line value as below.

*heads-head-heads (forming a solid or yang line)

*tails-tails-tails (forming a broken or yin line)

*heads-tails-tails (forming a solid, yang line)

*tails-heads-heads (forming a broken yin line)

The coins must be thrown six times and each line built up one on top of the other until the Hexagram is formed. Next check the Hexagram against a chart to determine which Hexagram is to be translated.

The casting of coins enables a person to tap into the fundamental forces of their life and to 'tune into' the life forces of the universe. If the message relayed by the I-ching is unclear, meditate, sleep on it and request the universe for a greater understanding. Eventually the meaning will become more clear.