Seeing the Signs
The I-Ching
Way back in 1985, I found a small paperback at a used book sale – perhaps I spent a whole quarter on it. It was I-Ching: The Book of Change, translated and edited by John Blofeld and I remember being really excited to get this book. This was before I even had a Tarot deck or knew much about numerology or anything, really. It was one of the first books of its kind I ever owned.
It was originally published in Britain in 1965 and it was very scholarly in tone and attitude. In 1985, I wasn’t scholarly in any sense of the word, and I skipped over the first several chapters to Chapter Four, “The Method of divination” , and Chapter Five, “A Guide to Interpretation”. I can honestly tell you that I really had no idea what I was doing. There were several pages to how you throw the sticks (or coins, but Blofeld “is not greatly in favour” of using coins, because it doesn’t give you enough time to get into the “proper state of mind”) but I could never figure out what he was talking about. So I devised my own way of doing it. I used three pennies out of my collection of wheat pennies. I decided that heads were a solid line and tails were a broken line. I threw the pennies carefully, building my hexagrams from the bottom up. Then I checked them against the chart (see below) and then looked up the numbers of the hexagram. Using this method, you can check both the upper Trigram and the lower Trigram, as well as the entire Hexagram, to get a more in-depth reading.
Chart of trigrams & hexagrams, pg. 65
Many years later, I did find out that I was tossing the coins quite incorrectly. In Positive Magic: Occult Self-Help, by Marion Weinstein, she has a short chapter about the I-Ching, its history and how to read the oracle. She also tells us how to throw the coins. It takes a bit more time than I was accustomed to devote to the process! But I suppose if you are taking the time to consult an oracle about some problem in your life, a few more minutes shouldn’t be an issue! This is how Ms. Weinstein says to notate the coins:
2 tails, 1 head = 7 ???
2 heads, 2 tail = 8 ? ?
3 tails = 6 ? ?
3 heads = 9 ???
Using this format of tossing coins, you repeat this six times until you have your hexagram, all the while concentrating on the question or the problem that you wish the Oracle to address. Once you have your hexagram, you can consult your guide, whether it’s Blofeld or some other guide.
Since 1985, I have read other I-Ching oracles. In the early nineties, I read Diane Stein’s The Kwan Yin Book of Changes, which I borrowed from the library. I understand that this book is now out of print but Ms. Stein has updated it and changed the title of the book to A Woman’s I-Ching, published in 1997. Since I haven’t read this book and it has been over twenty years since I read her other book, I don’t feel competent on commenting, but I do remember that, like all of Diane Stein’s books, it was beautiful and poetic.
Barbara G. Walker also wrote a feminist I-Ching, called I-Ching of the Goddess, published in 2001. I regret to say that I haven’t read it nor have I even seen it at the library but it is on my ever-growing list of books to buy (when I get the money!). Barbara G. Walker is one of my favorite pagan authors. I love her knitting books too!
Of course, this being the internet age, there are online I-Ching resources. If you go to http://www.ichingonline.net/index.php, there is a box in which you write your question, and then you press a button six times to toss your dice and build your hexagram. Then you press another button for the reading of the hexagram. There is also http://www.facade.com/iching/ , and you can choose whether to toss coins or yarrow sticks. You can also check out readings of celebrities!
The I-Ching is ancient but it doesn’t have to be out of date. Reach into your pocket or your change purse and pull out a few pennies and give them a toss! Find some of these books at your local library or favorite book store and learn how to use this fabulous oracle. You will be hooked forever, like I was. Namaste!
References
Blofeld, John. I-Ching: The Book of Change. New York: E.P. Dutton & Co., Inc., 1968.
Weinstein, Marion. Positive Magic: Occult Self-Help. New York: Earth Magic Productions, Inc., 1994