Random I Ching Divination
Here a full I Ching divination using the "coin method" is simulated. The "divination" section immediately below shows the divination itself, giving the hexagrams, the judgments, the images, and the moving lines. The "derivation" section below that shows the divination process in detail, from the results of the coin tosses through to the construction of the hexagrams and the identification of the moving lines.
To obtain a new divination, simply refresh this page. You can get more information about an individual hexagram by clicking on it or on its title.
(Note: the numbers in parentheses below the title of each hexagram refer to the page in the Wilhelm/Baynes 1968 Third Edition of I Ching or book of changes where additional commentary on the individual hexagram can be found.)
Divination
Ming I — Darkening of the Light
(139)
The Judgement
DARKENING OF THE LIGHT. In adversity
It furthers one to be persevering.
The Image
The light has sunk into the earth:
The image of DARKENING OF THE LIGHT.
Thus does the superior man live with the great mass:
He veils his light, yet still shines.
The Lines
Six in the fourth place means:
He penetrates the left side of the belly.
One gets at the very heart of the darkening of the light,
And leaves gate and courtyard.
Six at the top means:
Not light but darkness.
First he climbed up to heaven,
Then he plunged into the depths of the earth.
Changing to…
Li — The Clinging, Fire
(118)
The Judgement
THE CLINGING. Perseverance furthers.
It brings success.
Care of the cow brings good fortune.
The Image
That which is bright rises twice:
The image of FIRE.
Thus the great man, by perpetuating this brightness,
Illumines the four quarters of the world.
Derivation
To consult the oracle, we must use three coins (there is another method of consulting the oracle using yarrow stalks, but the coin method is simpler, and just as good). Traditionally Chinese coins are used, with a plain side and an inscribed side, but any coin will suffice provided you decide in advance which face will represent the plain side and which will represent the inscribed side. Throw the three coins, and determine which way up they landed. The inscribed side of the coin is worth 2, and the plain side is worth 3. Add together the three numbers, and this is the number of the first or bottom line of the hexagram. Repeat this process five times for the remaining lines.
Each line will total 6, 7, 8 or 9:
- 6 is an old yin, represented by a broken line;
- 7 is a young yang, represented by a single line;
- 8 is a young yin, represented by a broken line; and
- 9 is an old yang, represented by a single line.
The old yin and the old yang are known as moving lines, and each moving line in the hexagram affects the reading — a moving line will only occur if all three coins land the same side up. Furthermore, the movement in these lines gives rise to a new hexagram, whose meaning must be taken into account in the reading. To obtain this new hexagram, sixes in the original hexagram become sevens in the new hexagram, and nines in the original hexagram become eights in the new hexagram. The new hexagram will therefore not contain any moving lines. If the original hexagram has no moving lines, then a second hexagram is not employed. It is these movements which give the "Book of Changes" its name.
The table below shows our sample divination and the hexagrams thereby obtained:
| Coin 1 | Coin 2 | Coin 3 | Total | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Line 6 |  |
|
|
6 | 7 |
| Line 5 |  |
|
|
8 | 8 |
| Line 4 | |
|
|
6 | 7 |
| Line 3 | |
|
|
7 | 7 |
| Line 2 | |
|
|
8 | 8 |
| Line 1 | |
|
|
7 | 7 |
| Hexagrams | |
|
|||
| Ming I | Li | ||||
We have obtained the hexagram Ming I — "Darkening of the Light", so we interpret both the "judgment" and the "image" for this hexagram in our reading. In addition, there are two moving lines in this hexagram, namely:
- Six in the fourth place
- Six at the top
As well as the judgment and the image for Ming I we need to interpret the text attached to these moving lines in our reading also.
By changing the moving lines (i.e. changing a solid line to a broken line, and vice versa) we obtain a second hexagram, Li — "The Clinging, Fire". To complete our reading, we must interpret both the judgment and the image for this hexagram also.
