WHAT KIND OF QUESTIONS ARE THE I CHING GOOD FOR?
The I Ching is best-used for personal questions of a direct nature, phrased in the first-person. Should I invest in this stock or not invest in this stock? Should I buy this expensive item or not buy this expensive item? Should I stay here, or should I go and see if I can resolve the situation? Should I speak up on this issue, or remain silent? Should I move to a new dwelling place, or remain here? What will it mean for me if I take up this hobby? How will this event/change affect me? What can I do about that? How can I help? If I follow this plan of action I have devised, what will be the result? Firm, clear questions are best, but if you’re feeling indecisive and say to the I Ching, ‘My mind is in a fog about this issue, please give me some insight into the matter’ then rest-assured, you’ll still get an answer. The I Ching is like a wise elder who’s seen a lot of life and has an answer for everything. In that same vein, though…
Don’t test the I Ching’s patience! Ask no more than one or two questions in a single-sitting. Ask a third, and you’re pushing it. Some I Ching translations, when you ask a third question, will tell you—‘You are becoming impatient. I do not instruct the impatient.’
BUILDING THE HEXAGRAM
I Ching hexagrams are constructed from the bottom-up. Line 1 is the bottom line, continuing on to line 6 at the top. There are several different casting tools you can employ to derive a hexagram. I’ll cover those shortly, but the older tools– either 3 coins or 50 yarrow stalks, but I’ve also seen three dice employed–involve addition. With these older tools, each line will give you one of four sums: 6, 7, 8 or 9.
Let me give you an example:
These lines above form Hexagram 44; an encounter, an intrusion, a disturbing influence. You’ll note that line 3 had a circle in the middle of it. This circle indicates this solid line is going to be changing into a broken line soon, which will then change the situation. In this particular case, the changing line 3 indicates the individual is in a weakened condition, and may not be able to resist the intrusion. A changing line is indicated by an o or an x, and are marked thusly:
When you ‘flip over’ the third line in the example above, from a solid line to a broken line, what you’ll get is Hexagram 6; conflict, dissension, and the need to compromise, to meet your adversary half-way. So from beginning to end, this message indicates the inquirer will experience an intrusion they may not be strong enough to ward off, so they will have to compromise and find a happy medium with the intruder.
To make the process of hexagram-building easier for you, I have included a handy guide below to help you remember the rules:
You may occasionally throw an I Ching hexagram with no changing lines. That means things will remain static. A hexagram with no changing lines is a definitive answer. It could be telling you ‘Nothing’s going to change here until you face this.’ It may demand serious contemplation on your part.