I tended to struggle with 53 line 3 in particular for a while. Once I worked it out better, it made so much sense, and is really helpful for me to understand.

This AIO thread seems to capture this allure between lines 3 and 4 quite well, and really demonstrates what is going on here on lots of levels. Someone found their original account as well, which details how there has been a long going obsession between the OP and his coworker for some time, which helps to explain the situation in the anonymous thread. He seems to be trying to deal with it, but it seems like he is a bit more in over his head than he realizes, and hasn't yet figured out how to really contain the energies in a way that will prevent this work-place relationship from getting in the way of his relationship with his GF.

Essentially, line 3 is a yang line, in a position ideal for yang firmness. And the same for line 4 being a yin line, in a position ideal for yin flexibility.

However, they don't have matching partners, so they end up being attracted to each other. Third Yang won't magnetize toward Sixth Yang (they're both yang, and not otherwise inclined to connect). And the same for Fourth Yin and First Yin. And yet they have each other.

But Third Yin in particular is the top line of mountain, and has the role of keeping things still and stable. Which is why the third position is ideal for yang firmness. It can hold itself together and help to contain what is below and facilitate the exchange with the upper trigram.

The problem is that it, being attracted to Fourth Yin, struggles to remain true to the bigger picture. Third Yang exists with a role and a position, but it is not the central line of its trigram. Second Yin is. And Second Yin does have a Yang partner to connect with in the Fifth position.

So, when Third Yang stops maintaining the boundary between the two trigrams and engages with its attraction to Fourth Yin, the ability for Second Yin and Fifth Yang to connect is delayed, because their centers are being influenced.

Thus:

Nine Third: Wild geese gradually advancing to a level way, A husband goes to contest and does not come back, A wife becomes pregnant but does not give birth, misfortune; Advantageous Culmination resisting and repelling that which robs from.

A husband goes to contest and does not come back, because abandoning the group is shameful. A wife becomes pregnant but does not give birth, due to losing its way. Advantageous Culmination making use of governing and controlling that which robs from, on account of conforming to mutual safeguarding.

The affairs of the husband and wife are such that they struggle to recover from them. The child is aborted and the husband goes away and does not return home. There is advantage to be found in resisting and repelling that which tempts one to stray from what is proper.

Six Fourth: Wild geese gradually advance to the trees, in some cases attaining their perch, not having disaster, blame and regret.

In some cases attaining their perch, due to following the operation of flexibility.

(Mysterious.Center translation)

Here Fourth Yin is just following its own nature, and it is not wrong for it to settle upon a nice perch if one happens along. This perch is with Third Yang. These types of exchanges are not necessarily affairs, but simply the natural affinities we have with each other. This is why it is important for Third Yang to be the one that contains itself to what is proper, because given its position it will always be encountering things that may draw it from its proper role. That doesn't mean it can't engage with these things, it just needs to not abandon itself to them, or it may find that everything unravels.

And meanwhile Fourth Yin may be happy to find a perch, but knows that it is just temporary. In turning to support Fifth Yang, Fourth Yin begins to look ahead at how it can become part of something lasting, and helps Fifth Yang to connect with Second Yin in a more formal relationship.

Always amazing to me how the Yi is able to capture and encode such complex layers of the reality of change. Especially when it comes to relationship between multiple parts of a dynamic.

The question was "Will I ever find a true love and when will that be?"

does anyone have any good resources on how to learn "turtle style" I Ching?

i understand the basics -- that cracks in bone or shell (and most commonly turtle shells) were used and often expressed with fire (combining pyromancy with osteomancy/plastromancy).

i think it is easy enough to map broken and unbroken lines to cracks, but there is obviously a depth here of communication that goes beyond this simple binary: specifically, that there is some ordering of the cracks by orientation, length, and shape that also contributes to their meaning.

i want to emphasize i am NOT interested in divination. i'm trying to understand the Yijing as a language of objective patterns, so it is important that the reading methods i study focus on repeatability of results.

i am interested in "turtle style" with the same curiosity that Leibniz had toward FuXi. i am hoping that the rules to understanding what a turtle shell "says" can have visual pattern recognition matching implications, possibly to new algorithms that can make intuitive sense to people, be easily computed, and have idempotent results.

so? any good turtle guides?

Long story short, my relationship with my partner has its ups and downs. I love her. She.. I still believe she does. The things is we started living together not so long ago, and since then had a lot of arguings and tears started from her side. I mean, of course she’s not lunatic and she’s the person unhappy in the relationship. I’ve asked I Ching if there’s a way I can heal the trauma she has that is causing her to start fights. Maybe not even trauma , maybe the general things that would make her happy again. I am also tired of this, but I just want happiness for the both of us. I Ching gave me a hexagram 55 with changing lines 1 and 2, changing to 32. What your possible interpretations could be on that, so to give me a food for thought

I am born in china and my parents gave my me the first name 震乾, which I always interpreted as to shake the heavens (I always thought it was a very bold name haha).

However, I only recently started discovering the I ching, and realized that my name is basically the hexagram 34 (Great Invigorating).

I just thought I would share and wonder if there are any wisdom I can gain from this.

Since last week on Friday, I been using yarrow sticks for readings along side the revised edition of Wu Wei's The Book of Answers.

In the book, Wu Wei keeps insisting on yarrow sticks being the hands down superior method because getting 9s and 6s are statistically far less likely than with coins (in which using the latter gives about an even amount or at least more frequent probability of getting either numbers). So he fullheartedly insist that getting less changing lines makes yarrow stalks give far more accurate readings.

The flipside is that its far more time consuming which I can confirm myself. First several readings took almost an hour each and even after I got the hang of the steps, 15 minutes was about the average time it took for met to cast readings just like Wu Wei states is to be expected in his book. But Wu Wei states this is actually better because it allows you to focus more on casting the reading thus sending energy out into the universe and receiving the energy in response back into the yarrow sticks thus the oracle is better able to send its true intended advice through the items. Esp if you add ritual steps like placing it above incense to get the magical energy and other magickal actions.

So I'm wondering is yarrow sticks really superior to coins? What does your experience show? So far I gotta say while coins were already accurate, yarrow sticks become very uncanny and creepy in how they get the specific circumstances of my questions so spot on! So I'm wondering what you other folks have seen from using both methods.

A couple of months ago I picked up the “I Ching: The Oracle” expecting yet another rote translation of the ancient text. But what I’ve found in Benebell Wen’s work is nothing short of revolutionary.

This isn’t just another book about The Book of Changes; it’s a portal. Wen doesn’t simply translate; she excavates, weaving history, culture, and mysticism into a world that invites readers to engage with the I Ching as a living, breathing force.

As someone who has flirted with Taoist philosophy and divination for years, I felt as though Wen had unlocked dimensions of the I Ching I didn’t even know existed. Here, the oracle isn’t a relic—it’s a compass for navigating the chaos of modern life.

What sets Wen apart is her unapologetically bold approach. She doesn’t just offer translations; she pulls you deep into the currents of Taoist mysticism, metaphysics, and shamanic traditions with the fervor of someone who lives this wisdom.

The annotations, the yarrow stalk divination techniques, the ritual applications—this isn’t just a book you read; it’s a book you work.

Whether you’re tossing coins for clarity or diving into Wen’s analysis of Taoist cosmology, you’ll feel like you’ve been handed an ancient tool kit to craft your own path through uncertainty. This is the I Ching for those who refuse to merely study the Tao—they’re ready to live it.

Curious as to whether anyone else has read or is reading it.

I've been experimenting with digitally simulating the traditional yarrow stalk divination process while offering both energy-based and Zhouyi interpretations. Would love to discuss this approach with the community.

The technical method:

- Simulates the traditional 50-stalk division process

- Uses cryptographically secure random number generation

- Maintains authentic probabilities for each line type

- Follows the classical three-round counting method

Two interpretation approaches:

1. Energy-based: Focusing purely on trigram interactions and yin/yang flows

2. Traditional: Incorporating Judgement, Image, and Line texts from the Zhouyi

Questions for the community:

- What are your thoughts on digital simulation of traditional methods?

- How do you feel about AI-assisted interpretation alongside traditional texts?

- Has anyone else experimented with dual interpretation systems?

*This is a personal project born from my own I Ching journey and inspired by my father's interest. Not intended to replace traditional methods, just exploring different ways to engage with the oracle.*

tlczen.com

tlczen.com

https://preview.redd.it/g4r0wjlsg90e1.png?width=839&format=png&auto=webp&s=2c3aa67ae705db9b9edeace6f0293b827e516212

tlczen.com

https://preview.redd.it/eotrlpqwg90e1.png?width=848&format=png&auto=webp&s=f08ad57e2ebc9270901e179874e4eb96f47eec27

Interpreting the I Ching is a complex task. The simplest part is tossing the coins. To find the meaning of a hexagram, one must delve deeply into the inquiry and interpret the hexagram and any changing lines, which each carry specific implications that need to be synthesized into the resulting transformed hexagram.

This process can be challenging, especially when trying to understand the text in its original form, which often appears straightforward but is difficult to decode authentically.

Each hexagram has six potential changing lines, each with its distinct significance. For instance, in hexagram 21, changing line 1 mentions "feet in stocks; toes disappear," a phrase whose historical and cultural context may be obscure or irrelevant to modern readers.

To address these challenges, I've compiled all the original I Ching commentary into a database and developed a reading or consultation tool. This tool simplifies finding the appropriate hexagram and understanding the original commentary for the hexagram and its changing lines.

I am also training the TLC AI to offer interpretations that are caring, neutral, and as true to the original as possible, to provide users with coherent answers to their questions. This feature is being internally tested and when available, will be also sharing here.

The ritual / reading tool is not yet public, but if you are interested, members of this group can log in with the ID 1111 and password 2222. url is TLCZen.com.

Please share your feedback and suggestions. Thank you. 谢谢！

I got 13.2.3.5.6 to 54 when asking “why does a certain situation/relationship not feel right (despite there being a clear yet long term path to its success)?”

In my over analytical nature, I am reading two different books for the I Ching. Both have instances of “when this hex is received without lines…” or “receiving this hex unchanging…” and then providing an explanation of what it means.

If I am reading the SECOND hex, for example 54 in this session, does that count as receiving it with no lines or unchanging? Or does that only pertain to receiving it as the first hex?

I'm looking to expand my understanding of the I Ching and the story of King Wen behind it. Does anybody know of any interesting or engaging books about it?

Hi there,

Right now, I'm in a complicated situation in my life. I asked Yi how I'm doing to see if I'm on the right path, and I got 51.2.4.5.6> 61. I have experienced many ups and downs, but I try hard to stay on track. I often look inward to search for answers, believing that the true resonance comes from within.

However, life has been quite challenging lately, revealing many aspects of myself in the process. During my meditation, I find myself recalling difficult times from my childhood, moments that sometimes feel like they're more than I can handle.

I have a therapist who is also my master in Tai Chi and Qigong, and she has truly illuminated my path. Despite this support, I have been feeling overwhelmed these days. I would love to hear your thoughts. Thank you!

So last time I got 4 to 64 and you guys helped me interpret it. But that time, I did it on a website cafe au soul.

So today I casted physical coins with my hands and got 27 changing into 42.

The question was basically the same. How can I find a way to stay longer in this city I'm living in now? Can I find a way in 2 months? Tell me if I can manifest it?

I'm a total beginner at this, so thank you, folks a lot for helping out

In our discussions of I Ching, one element that we sometime neglect is the best way to ask question.

What do you all think? Would you add or change anything for below scenarios?

For example, we might ask: Which color shall I dress for the prom party?

This is not the best question format

Questions to the I Ching for this particular scenario shall include at least:

1. the desired outcome, for this question, it would be terms like confidence, attracting positive attention.

2. any specific concerns one may have about the event. Will my date like it?

So a good question format would be

Which color will help me make a great impression on my date and ensure he/she likes my choice at the prom?

*****

For a relationship situation, a good I Ching question often includes below aspects:

Background: Briefly explain the situation.

Example: “My cousin hasn’t talked to me since the recent vote result. We don’t agree on some things.”

Current Feelings and Concerns: Share any feelings or worries.

Example: “I feel sad and don’t want to lose our friendship.”

Desired Outcome or Intention: Explain what you hope will happen.

Example: “I want to get along with her and be friends again.”

Openness to Advice or Guidance: Show that you’re open to learning what might help.

Example: “What can I do to make things better?”

So, a good relatioinship question would be:

My cousin hasn’t talked to me since the recent vote result came out. We don’t agree on some things, and I feel sad because I don’t want to lose our friendship. I want us to get along again. What can I do to make things better?

I asked the Sage, "Please explain to me how you are able to suggest and advise on matters concerning individuals' life?" And I received Hexagram 63.3.5 to 24.

1. Please explain this to me, as per your understanding, I do have a bit of understanding of it but because I am fairly new to this I would very much welcome 'deeper' interpretations.

2. Also, I would request you to ask the same question to the Sage and post the answer(s) you have received, I also understand, the answers offered are, as per, the individuals' 'understanding/current situation' but please if we could do so for each other, not only it would help me but I am sure it would help all of us to understand the Yi Ching a bit more. (Not that much hasn't already been done to 'understand/decode')

But the reasons for me doing so are because I have realised that at times when a 'particular thing/knowledge about a person of their past/present' IS NOT in 'my consciousness', I got more 'positive' hexagrams but once I got to know of something of them, through them (in a personal meeting) which IS NOT in 'alignment' with me and my values, I started getting very 'negative' hexagrams. So, what if I didn't cast after that 'particular thing/knowledge and continued on the basis of my initial casting?

PS. I also understand that for the Sage/Yi Ching, there isn't anything 'positive' or 'negative', afterall it is also called the 'book of changes' but I am just trying to understand 'If/How our own consciousness/Knowlege in our 'this lifetime's coniounuess' determines the casting.

Disclaimer: I am in no way trying to 'question' the Sage/Yi Ching because I have known the advices/suggestions come true even when I have not acted 'rightly' on them in the 'present situation' (but it was as per my understanding/interpretation). All I want is a deeper understanding of how it works, just so, I am able to get deeper/more 'acting in alignment' with the advices.

Also I know that I may not have been able to express myself very clearly with this query but I am sure some of you would understand even better than myself!

Thank you and I love you!

Hi, I hope that you can, with your experience and insight, help me see what I am missing from this hex 1 (7,7,7,9,7,9) result.

The question was how is my health? It may be a bit ambiguous, but I tried that of keeping an open mind and not asking yes or no questions. The background and reason is because I have been dealing with some troubling bad health for a while now, that I haven't been able to keep up with. it was caused by many mistakes and abuses in work and lack of planning, but it was all work. The isuee is that the other day I just injured myself again,by excesses and probably not respecting my place, which was only supervision, lifting heavy things that I wasn't maybe too ready for. The thing is also, that I am not entirely sure something really bad has happen, I haven't been able to diagnosed anything, since I havent really arrived for that, I just keep going, but the worry now has been eating me from the inside, and I don't want it anymore. I need answers.

I just discovered iChing, so there is much to learn yet for me.

I thank you in advance, I used the coin consultation method, and for the bit I have read about how to, from the results 7,7,7,9,7,9... Itseems... Hex 1 changes to Hex 1, right? How can that same hex? That I will ultimately maybe create my own health? That seems clear, but should I worry?

Thank you again.

Hi there, I got this hexagram when asking about whether a chronic health issue would go away and am not sure how to interpret the answer.

Can anyone provide an interpretation? I’m unsure of whether abundance means I’ve reached the top of my health and it’ll go down from here, or whether I’m on the health path better.

Either way I’m a tired out mum who’s trying her best to get better health… and would love some guidance on this iching.

Thank you so much!

I’m humbly asking for any insights about receiving 51 Chen with the first line a changing line, then 16 Yu (again with the first line changing) regarding Donald Trump’s upcoming presidency. I’m especially concerned about 51, since I think it relates to shocking and frightening events. 15 is more benign about enthusiasm, but I wonder how it relates to Chen, here. I don’t consider myself anything near an expert, so I’m wondering what any of you think about the two hexagrams. Thank you very much in advance.

I'm watching the animated series No Doubt In Us on Netflix which takes place in some dynasty thousands of centuries ago (which I'd guess based on the lack of gunpowder the author opted to use the Han, Jin, or Tang dynasties as the backdrop). In one scene the court astrologer has some device and he bends it over, with the the I Ching coins coming out which he uses for a readings into the future. For the next several episodes they show ever time before he gives advice to the Emperor, that he puts the coins in the device, shakes it, and then drops them out onto a table. Going on to read the results and then proceeding to advise the Emperor what to do next.

Whats the device he's using called? And are readings with coins more accurate if you use this device?

I have really appreciated the in put I've received from this community on prior questions so I'm asking again for some sage advice on how best to proceed in an extremely volatile situation I'm in.

So, I'm in a really sticky situation regarding my tenant in my rental home (where we have found mold) and my mother (co-owner of the house), who has her own ideas on how to proceed. The tenant is really upset and concerned and has threatened legal action. My mother isn't understanding the legal ramifications and really holds all of the power on this situation. I am stuck in the middle trying my best to navigate this situation and find a solution that will be beneficial to all and give everyone peace.

I asked the question "how do I best manage this mold situation with my tenant"? and I got 29 (pitfalls, the Absymal) > 30 (the clinging, luminosity). I seems I am charged with confronting this dangerous situation and not shying away. But because the tenant and my mother are at odds with what each of them want, I'm going to have to make one party upset.

Any insight is greatly appreciated.

I don't know where to post this question but is there something as "Bazi discrimination" where a practitioner or specialist takes a look at your birth chart and decides "hmm I don't want to help this person anymore" without any verbal interaction with the said person. Like, if there's some elements they noticed and think you're a bad person? I dunno sigh.

Would like to meet someone in my area who is studied and confident enough in the iching to throw for me. Any connections would be helpful. Stay blessed 😌🙏

Hi, can someone help with the interpretation? I am new to this so i'm not very sure if I'm reading this correctly. The question I asked the Yi was about a general overview/reading about my relationship with someone.

i've had an on again off again type of relationship with someone who was hurting me, and recently lashed out at them due to all the pent up frustration. I apologised but they're still really upset and I'm beginning to think of perhaps being done with them for good. I haven't spoken to them since, and thus have turned to the Yi regarding the general consensus of this relationship.

The hexagrams I recieved was hex 3 (changing line 3) to hex 63. Hex 3 to me is about difficulty at the start of our relationship (true enough) and cl 3 is about letting go or else things won't end well? Hex 63 is that we're just over and never going to talk again?

Please offer your thoughts, thanks!

Edit: I also asked the Yi after the reading if anything can be done to remedy the situation (us possibly not talking again just in case), and was given Hex 22 unchanging. Any insights on this will be deeply appreciated as well.

Hi! I am new to reading the I Ching. I asked it whether I should break contact with an ex-lover, and got the above placements. How should I interpret this? I am thinking wait 3 days? Struggling with the mother and father bits. Would greatly appreciate anybody's insights!

Line-6

Legge: The sixth line, dynamic, shows its subject as a great fruit which has not been eaten. The superior man finds the people again as a chariot carrying him. The inferior men by their course overthrow their own dwellings.

Wilhelm/Baynes: There is a large fruit still uneaten. The superior man receives a carriage. The house of the inferior man is split apart.

Blofeld: The ripe fruit remains uneaten. [Few care to accept advice or help, although the Superior Man will gladly give it them.] The Superior Man will acquire a carriage, whereas the mean man will lose his own house. [This line presages great good fortune for the truly virtuous; for, in the end, their virtue is widely recognized and men rally to their support. On the other hand, those who hitherto have managed to obtain good fortune through dishonest methods pursued at a time when virtue as under an eclipse will lose everything they have.]

Liu: A large fruit not eaten. The superior man acquires a carriage. The inferior man's house falls apart.

Ritsema/Karcher: The ripe fruit not taken in. A chun tzu acquiring a cart. Small People Stripping the hut.

Shaughnessy: The stone fruit is not eaten: the gentleman obtains a chariot the little man flays a gourd.

Cleary (1): A hard fruit is not eaten. The superior person gets a vehicle. The inferior person is stripped of a house.

Cleary (2): … The leader gets a vehicle. The petty person, etc.

Wu: The grand fruit is not picked for eating. The jun zi gains a carriage. The little men tear down their shelters. [This is the lone yang line in the hexagram, like a big fruit not yet picked. Translation: the only remaining yang not stripped off by the yin. Here is the jun zi [chun tzu, superior man] who has the support of the people. Despite temporary setbacks, goodness prevails in the end.]

COMMENTARY

Confucius/Legge: The superior man finds himself in a carriage: he is carried along by the people. The inferior men have over-thrown their own dwellings, which can never again be of use to them. Wilhelm/Baynes: He is carried by the people. "The house of the inferior man is split apart": he ends up as useless. Blofeld: The carriage symbolizes the support of the people. The mean wretch who loses his house is ultimately found useless for anything. Ritsema/ Karcher: Commoners: the place to carry indeed. Completing, not permitting availing-of indeed. Cleary (2): The leader (is) carried by the people. The small person is after all unsuitable for employment. Wu: Because the people support him. Because they have destroyed their own usefulness.

Legge: The dynamic sixth line, notwithstanding the attempts against him, survives and acquires fresh vigor. The people again cherish their sovereign, and the plotters have wrought to their own destruction.

NOTES AND PARAPHRASES

Siu: The evil finally brings about its own demise, and good times return.

The man acquires fresh vigor, and the sovereign is strengthened by public support.

Wing: The forces of Deterioration have ended. The power will return to persons of worthwhile vision, who will again win the support of others. Inferior persons are destroyed by their own evil, for without power, negativity is self-consuming.

Editor: Fruit: Generally, the results of any action, either good or bad: An accrual of Karma. "By their fruits ye shall know them." (The context here being favorable.) Chariot: A vehicle, means of progress, way of going. It can symbolize the psyche as the vehicle of evolution. Here, the superior man (or Self) has a "new way of going." People:"(Symbolic of) the lower mental and emotional qualities; the natural undeveloped instincts and activities which are to be disciplined and used as a means to the end of the manifestation of the Self." [Gaskell --Dictionary of Scriptures and Myths]. Dwelling:in the symbolism of this line, the dwellings of the inferior men are the focal points of autonomous, unregenerate forces within the psyche: desires, appetites, etc. But now these foci are overthrown, so the inferior forces no longer "have a home." Generally speaking, this line tells us that the time of disintegration has passed or will soon change for the better. As Legge points out in his commentary on the hexagram: "The situation is not hopeless -- winter is followed by spring, night by day, and the waning moon soon grows full again. So will it be in the course of human affairs."

Happy is the virtuous man, for he will feed on the fruit of his deeds; Woe to the wicked, evil is on him, he will be treated as his actions deserve. Isaiah 3: 10-11

A. The consequences of past actions have yet to manifest themselves, or you have yet to assimilate an insight concerning a natural separation of positive and negative elements within the situation. However, a reorganization and new synthesis of forces is imaged and stability is being re-established.

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Original intention for adding the colors was to just make it more obvious which 2 trigrams compose every Gua. After printing it out I found that colors make finding a specific Gua extremely fast compared to most tables found online. Printable pdf can be found here. Enjoy!

Hi. Can somebody explain this to me? I asked about how to find a way to live long term in the city I'm temporarily staying in. Will I be able to find a job or study opportunity?

With the U.S. election this week, I turned this morning to the I Ching for some clarity.

What did the universe hand me?

Hexagram 23, Po—Splitting Apart.

For me, this was cosmic reminder that when everything’s falling apart, it’s not always my job to glue it back together.

Sometimes, the best thing you can do is sit back, grab some popcorn, and embrace the art of stillness.

Hexagram 23 doesn’t sugarcoat it. It’s about decay, disintegration, and everything that feels like a total dumpster fire.

But here’s the kicker: instead of diving headfirst into the chaos, trying to be the hero, Po says, “Chill out.”

Thoughts? Perspectives?

"I would like you to be my I Ching oracle now. Cast 6 imaginary sticks, find the corresponding hexagram, give me the full text, and provide an interpretation of it. My question to the I Ching is: [...write your question here...]"