I Ching (Book of Changes) - Do you use it for meditation, divination, or magic?

[KjEno186]

If you read the I Ching, do you have a preferred translation? What method(s) of casting a hexagram do you use? Have you tried using it for divination or other occult practices?

 

[Xenophon]

I use the Legge translation. I roll three dice and use 2/3 odd numbers for a strong line; 2/3 even numbers for a weak line. I use it for meditation/divination. By which I mean I use it to get a feel for which way the wind is blowing re: my question. The I Ching is a bit more nuanced than some other methods of divination I use. Though it can also prove pretty cryptic.

One note. I live in China. Locally, the tome is called "Yi Jing" ("ee-jing"). I Ching is the old Wade-Giles spelling which (for English speakers) can be misleading.

 

[Roma]

I use the Blofeld translation.

Many years ago it told me to sell shares "he loses all his followers" and shortly after those shares fell close to zero

I used to use the I Ching a lot, then not for 10 years. The I Ching expressed regret at my ceasing.

When I use coins I shake them until I feel the urge to throw them. That seems to work well.

These days I am more likely to speak directly to the male-female pair of intelligences that are the I Ching

 

[KjEno186]

I have the Wilhelm/Baynes translation with a forward by Jung.

As I understand things, there is a certain probability to casting lines with yarrow stalks that cannot be directly duplicated using 3 coins. So I use a set of 16 painted coins similar to what Don Webb suggested in How to Become a Modern Magus:

"For this month, you will need to find a book on the I Ching; a hand mirror you will use for scrying and feeding the Ka; a small black silk bag; and 16 beads, colored as follows: 5 yellow, 7 black, 3 red, and 1 blue."

The only issue I have is that paint on the coins tends to chip a little bit at a time. Colored glass beads or marbles would be preferable, but I haven't gotten around to finding just the right ones yet. The method for casting the hexagrams is described here:

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Take a glass bead from the bag (or bowl) without looking at it, mark down the kind of line it represents, and put it back in the bag (or bowl). Repeat 5 more times. Hexagrams start with the bottom line (1) and finish with the top line (6). Look up the trigrams & hexagrams. Then make a new hexagram if any of the lines in the first one were "moving" and change Moving Yin to Yang & Moving Yang to Yin. Look up the new trigrams and hexagrams, if any, and use the results for meditation upon your query.

--x-- (6) Moving Yin has the least probability of occurring at 1/16 (one blue bead, if following Webb's instructions),
--o-- (9) Moving Yang has a low probability of occurring at 3/16 (three red beads),
----- (7) Yang at Rest has a medium probability of occurring at 5/16 (five yellow beads), and
-- -- (8) Yin at Rest has the highest probability of occurring at 7/16 (seven black beads).

 

[Xenophon]

I have the Wilhelm/Baynes translation with a forward by Jung.

As I understand things, there is a certain probability to casting lines with yarrow stalks that cannot be directly duplicated using 3 coins. So I use a set of 16 painted coins similar to what Don Webb suggested in How to Become a Modern Magus:

"For this month, you will need to find a book on the I Ching; a hand mirror you will use for scrying and feeding the Ka; a small black silk bag; and 16 beads, colored as follows: 5 yellow, 7 black, 3 red, and 1 blue."

The only issue I have is that paint on the coins tends to chip a little bit at a time. Colored glass beads or marbles would be preferable, but I haven't gotten around to finding just the right ones yet. The method for casting the hexagrams is described here:

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

Take a glass bead from the bag (or bowl) without looking at it, mark down the kind of line it represents, and put it back in the bag (or bowl). Repeat 5 more times. Hexagrams start with the bottom line (1) and finish with the top line (6). Look up the trigrams & hexagrams. Then make a new hexagram if any of the lines in the first one were "moving" and change Moving Yin to Yang & Moving Yang to Yin. Look up the new trigrams and hexagrams, if any, and use the results for meditation upon your query.

--x-- (6) Moving Yin has the least probability of occurring at 1/16 (one blue bead, if following Webb's instructions),
--o-- (9) Moving Yang has a low probability of occurring at 3/16 (three red beads),
----- (7) Yang at Rest has a medium probability of occurring at 5/16 (five yellow beads), and
-- -- (8) Yin at Rest has the highest probability of occurring at 7/16 (seven black beads).

The bead method sounds better than mine. It's rare to find dice that do not show a preference for certain numbers. (Simple physics regarding material and weight. Nothing so very arcane.) My 3-dice method is probably skewed slightly.

 

[Konsciencia]

I heard about the I Ching and saw some books on it. But, I never dive deep into it. Sounds interesting.

 

[stratamaster78]

I just recently started using the I Ching and absolutely love it.

I was intimidated by it in the past for some reason.

I use the ‘3 coins’ Toss method and have been alternating between 4 books trying to decide which I like best.

I Ching The Book of Change - John Blofeld

The I Ching or Book of Changes - Baynes and Wilhem

The Complete I Ching 10th Ann Ed - Alfred Huang

I Ching, The Oracle - Benebell Wen

But it just might replace the Tarot for me wrt doing Divinations prior to beginning new Rituals or Practices.

It’s just so accurate and I mean specifically accurate. Amazingly accurate.

I would use it inside of ritual for spirit communication when for whatever reason auditory/mental communication is not happening but I’m not proficient or fast enough with it yet for that.

Oh and I might also try using a 3 Dice Toss method vs coins and see what might result from that just as an experiment.

But man I really REALLY like the I Ching.

 

[Diluculo_DelFuego]

I use it as a combination of meditation and divination.
I toss six coins onto a flat small surface and divide the lower coins from the upper coins, resulting in a vertical line.
For heads they are unbroken lines, while tails are broken lines.
I then look at the trigrams individually and hexagram as a whole, like a Tarot card of the Day.

 

[Roma]

I had to move out of my accommodation but every time I asked the I Ching about looking for a new place it told me to wait.

After about 6 weeks it told me: Twin Flames

And a couple of hours later I found 2 places that were suitable, one 8 weeks from completion.

So I bought the townhouse under construction. The patio looks down into a stream and up to over hanging trees. It is great.

 

[Diluculo_DelFuego]

If you read the I Ching, do you have a preferred translation? What method(s) of casting a hexagram do you use? Have you tried using it for divination or other occult practices?

I use 777 by Crowley and the method I stated above.

 

[Xenophon]

Here's a question. On the road, I don't always have dice. Anyone try using an online random number generator? Set paramaters 1-64 for the hexagram. 1-6 for the line. Aesthetically I do not like it. Still, I can't think of any good reason not to use the expedient.

 

[KjEno186]

You know, you don't NEED "moving" Yin/Yang to produce (a chance for) a second Hexagram, so in a pinch just go with the basic coin toss for a quick single Hexagram. Yin/Yang is always 50/50, it's just that the probabilities for a "moving" line are lower. It's not ideal, but it's actually better than an inaccurate (or perhaps forced) second Hexagram.

Post automatically merged: Oct 28, 2023

On second thought, I can see that a single Hexagram would also be "forced" in this instance. All I can say is try it out and see if the results are better or worse.

 

[Roma]

On the road, I don't always have dice.

As I recall, originally I used sticks - the traditional format for the I Ching. Matchsticks work fine.

 

[Xenophon]

As I recall, originally I used sticks - the traditional format for the I Ching. Matchsticks work fine.

I have used toothpicks. But if I'm not packing dice, toothpicks aren't likely either. And, what with online payment for everything, coins are scarcer than _________ (insert sumpin' witty here, I'm tired.)

 

[Ziran]

Here's a question. On the road, I don't always have dice. Anyone try using an online random number generator? Set paramaters 1-64 for the hexagram. 1-6 for the line. Aesthetically I do not like it. Still, I can't think of any good reason not to use the expedient.

Well. They're not truly random. Whether or not that matters would depend on how one views the underlying mechanism of the method for attaining foreknowledge. If it is a "spirit" that desires or is compelled to share the information, then it would probably be very important to avoid any "material world" interference with their subtle manipulations of the medium. On the other hand if it is deterministic of a specific sequence of events on a specific timeline in a multi-verse, then, it doesn't matter at all.

Then there's secret option #3, that the human mind is involved in creating / altering reality in a literal manner such that the foreknowledge is actually seeding / incepting / and ammending the sequence of events with the assistance of the magic inherent in the human who is casting the lots.

 

[Xenophon]

Well. They're not truly random. Whether or not that matters would depend on how one views the underlying mechanism of the method for attaining foreknowledge. If it is a "spirit" that desires or is compelled to share the information, then it would probably be very important to avoid any "material world" interference with their subtle manipulations of the medium. On the other hand if it is deterministic of a specific sequence of events on a specific timeline in a multi-verse, then, it doesn't matter at all.

Then there's secret option #3, that the human mind is involved in creating / altering reality in a literal manner such that the foreknowledge is actually seeding / incepting / and ammending the sequence of events with the assistance of the magic inherent in the human who is casting the lots.

It's a little hard to write "an online not truly random whether or not that matters would depend on how one views the underlying mechanism of the method for attaining foreknowledge if it is a "spirit" that desires or is compelled to share the information, then it would probably be very important to avoid any "material world" interference with their subtle manipulations of the medium on the other hand if it is deterministic of a specific sequence of events on a specific timeline in a multi-verse, then, it doesn't matter at all"- number generator, isn't it? So just humor me ok. I call the number generator what the site's owners call it. You got a problem with that, take it up with them, ok?

 

[Ziran]

It's a little hard to write "an online not truly random whether or not that matters would depend on how one views the underlying mechanism of the method for attaining foreknowledge if it is a "spirit" that desires or is compelled to share the information, then it would probably be very important to avoid any "material world" interference with their subtle manipulations of the medium on the other hand if it is deterministic of a specific sequence of events on a specific timeline in a multi-verse, then, it doesn't matter at all"- number generator, isn't it? So just humor me ok. I call the number generator what the site's owners call it. You got a problem with that, take it up with them, ok?

It's not a criticism of you or what you wrote. You asked about using a random number generator for divination. That's a good question. Answering it involves establishing right away, it's not actually random.

 

[Diluculo_DelFuego]

Reality also involves certain groups such as the CIA, which used the Monroe Institute (I think), a group think tank, to produce magic in it's group called the The Hemi Sync Gateway Process. Basically binaural beats, breath control and meditation to alter reality.

 

[Xenophon]

It's not a criticism of you or what you wrote. You asked about using a random number generator for divination. That's a good question. Answering it involves establishing right away, it's not actually random.

Establishing what is already known? Sure kid, knock yourself out.

 

[Diluculo_DelFuego]

Getting back to IChing by hand, I've wanted to try the sticks method. Free chopsticks from a takeout restaurant could be used, but I recommend ten trips to the store over a week, taking up a total of 32 chopstick pairs.