Introduction and Background
Welcome to my thoughts, observations, and approaches to the I Ching (pronounced 'ee-ching') -- the Book of Changes. In these sections I'll describe a bit about the Oracle itself, and how I approach it with my questions. I've only been studying it for over a year now, and I am by no means an expert on the topic! I'm merely a curious student of life who happens to know how to make Web pages!
In "Me, Myself, and I Ching" we examine the most important aspects of the Book of Changes (also referred to as the Oracle), including a way of relating to it, formulating the question, creating the resulting hexagram, and connecting with the cosmos!
Thank you very much for spending time with me!
What is the I Ching?
The I Ching (The Book of Changes, pronounced 'ee-ching') is one of the most important books in all of humankind. Dating back over 3,000 years to ancient China, it embodies an incredible wealth of knowledge, insight, and adventure. It offers advice, lends guidance, reveals insight, and presents Chinese history and commentary.
Often referred to as the Oracle, the Book of Changes is most frequently used to guide us with our life's problems. When we ask it a clear, concise question, its wisdom and advice regularly proves invaluable.
The fundamental principle in using the Book of Changes is that everything happens for a reason (i.e., nothing happens by "chance"). This is a most difficult "leap" for us Western thinkers. I happened to discover this more or less independently, and was introduced to the I Ching at exactly the right time!
Carl Jung, who coined the phrase "synchronicity," was a strong believer in the I Ching. If nothing happens by chance, then coincidences -- those bizarre, random occurrences which often leave us puzzled and/or amazed -- also happen for a reason. As we think of someone they call on the telephone, or opportunities develop at exactly the right time -- the most important part of synchronicity is to realize that these events are happening, to celebrate in their magic, and to recognize when fate is leading us in a particular direction.
Consulting the Oracle (the process of divination) is both very personal and very cosmic. While meditating or concentrating on aspects of a particular question, we cast three coins (or any other method of divination) to receive the Oracle's wisdom. The belief that the coins do not land randomly, but instead land the way they do because they are supposed to, is the "gist" of the whole thing (at least to me!).
I do not believe that some divine power or supreme being controls my life or guides how the coins land (heads or tails). I am tapping into my own higher consciousness, linking into the worlds of synchronicity, and I myself am guiding how the coins land. I do believe in spirit guides and guardian angels, and they may be assisting here and there, but I have control over my destiny and my life -- the I Ching offers advice and wisdom based on my actions.
Why develop this Web site?
I seem to love finding projects that take a lot of time, that's for sure! This Web site is a vehicle for me to clarify my own thoughts in my own mind -- and hopefully present them in a format usable by others in the process!
This project is titled "Me, Myself, and I Ching" because, well, it's a rather funny play on words, and because the focus here is my ramblings and slightly coherent thoughts on this highly spiritual topic. Also, since consulting the Book of Changes is a personal experience (at least for me it is!), each of us becomes in touch with our own selves -- thus the "Me, Myself, and I Ching" represents you as well!
To reiterate, I am not an expert on the Oracle, and I have no training from those far more skilled than myself. I am not a professional diviner, and am only now becoming comfortable with performing readings for others. The thoughts and advice I present here should only be used as "food for thought" -- if some of the content presented in this site makes sense to you, that's fantastic!
I began this project on Friday, August 16, 1996. This came about from my recent posts to The Celestine Prophecy mailing list, and out of the love and encouragement I received in return! I have only recently been TCP-aware, and while not much in those books was actually new to me (I'd studied hyperstring theory, auras, archetypes, synchronicity, and other topics for years), I am very excited about the books! I view them as wonderful tools of discussion, for now we have a popular "common ground" to talk with others about these amazing topics.
I will be continually updating and revising these pages as I discover more about myself and the Book of Changes. I'm sure I'll have a lot more to say about these topics in the weeks and months to come! So I thank you for your return visits, and for sharing your personal thoughts and stories about the Oracle with me! Please feel free to Contact Me with comments, observations, or whatever you have on your mind!
What does this site contain?
I've organized my thoughts (yeah, right!) about the Book of Changes into some more or less major categories. Each of these documents is roughly interchangeable, meaning you can jump around between the documents. But the order in which they make the most sense to me is:
- Approaching the Oracle
This section presents how I view the Oracle as an entity. We discuss thoughts of respect, honor, and reverence -- not fear or intimidation, but good ol' honest caring. I also mention recent developments in computer software and online readings.
- Formulating the Question
Here we review the process of coming up with and phrasing the question. This is an important concept, one which helps shape the future by determining how the coins land. The proper phrasing of the question makes all the difference.
- Casting the Coins
I focus on the coin method of divination because it is the most popular and easy methods of connecting with the Oracle. While briefly mentioning other forms (the Yarrow Stalk method and the Method of the 16), we see how to use coins to create hexagrams -- the ultimate representation of Oracle wisdom.
- Interpreting the Hexagrams
As stated above, many outstanding translations of the ancient Chinese text exist; this page discusses how I use these guides. The hexagrams comprise two trigrams, and we see how the commentary, image, and moving lines answer our question and offer the advice we seek.
- References -- Books and Links
This final section presents links to other I Ching resources on the World Wide Web, online reading systems (think of a question, click a button, get a reading!), and computer software on the topic. Also, I document a list of "recommended readings" -- books and resources that I've found most enlightening in my ongoing quest.
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