Three coins and six rounds to create a hexagram. Every round creates a line, from bottom to top.
Set aside the same coins for divination.
3 Heads - Changing Yang Line
3 Tails - Changing Yin Line
2 heads 1 tail - Unchanging Yang Line
2 tails 1 head - Unchanging Yin Line
If Locked Hexagram, no changing lines, read only the main text, it means you have all the factors into play of your question, and the situation at hand is stable.
If with any changing lines, read main explanation, read line explanation of changing hexagram, read main explanation of secondary hexagram with the changing line flipped.
When there is more than one moving line, particularly when the Yao Texts of the moving lines conflict with each other, it becomes too complicated to get a clear answer. To solve this problem, use the following method, also handed down by Master Yin.
If you want to know more about your present situation, you can get insight from the mutual gua, formed by the mutual interactions of the second, third, fourth, and fifth lines. The ancient sages considered these four lines to be the heart of any six-line gua. A mutual gua is formed by two trigrams. The second, third, and fourth lines of the original gua form the lower, or inner, mutual gua.
The third, fourth, and fifth lines form the upper, or outer, mutual gua. Put the lower mutual gua and the upper mutual gua together and a six-line mutual gua is obtained. When you have the six-line mutual gua, read the name, symbol, King Wen’s Decision, and Confucius’s Commentary. The hidden meaning of any gua lies in its mutual gua; it should not be ignored.
Summary:
Coin Patterns
Notes of Changing Lines
Read the appropriate texts
Read the Mutual Gua
Interpretation
First question:
What do I need to know right now?
2H 1T
2H 1T
2T 1H
2T 1H
2H 1T
2H 1T
No changing lines? I wonder if I did it right? I should use a bowl next time.
Results:
☴
☱
Hm let's see.
Upper Trigram: ☴ Wind
Bottom trigram: ☱ Lake
Hexagram Number: 61
Mutual Gua: Nourishing 27
Main Gua: Innermost Sincerity
Text:
Under Heaven, only the person possessing the most complete sincerity and trustworthiness is able to fully develop his true nature. If one is able to fully develop his true nature, he is able to fully develop the nature of other people. If one is able to fully develop the nature of other people, he is able to fully develop the nature of all creatures. In so doing, he is able to be involved in Heaven and Earth’s transformational and nourishing functions and become one with Heaven and Earth.
The Duke of Zhou says that, being sincere and trustworthy, one should be at ease and confident. It should be as natural as a mother crane calling affectionately to her young. One should persist in being sincere and trustworthy. First beating the drum and then stopping is not the proper attitude. Being sincere and trustworthy, one is able to link with others in union.
Innermost Sincerity.
The yieldings are within,
And the solids obtain the central places.
Joy and humility, with innermost sincerity and trustworthiness.
One is able to transform a country.
Pigs and fishes
Good fortune.
Innermost sincerity and trustworthiness turn pigs and fishes to blessings.
Favorable to cross great rivers.
The symbol looks like an empty boat.
Innermost sincerity and trustworthiness are favorable
With steadfastness and uprightness.
It responds to the principle of Heaven.
However, the nourishing in this gua is different—it has to do less with the act of eating and drinking, and more with the wisdom of nourishing oneself as well as other people. King Wen’s Decision on the Gua advises to be aware of how you nourish others and pay attention to what you eat and drink.
The host of the gua refers to the person who is trying to follow in the steps of the sages. The first three lines of the gua refer to nourishing oneself. Either misfortune results or nothing will be favorable. The next three lines have to do with nourishing one’s self as well as others. The results are beneficial.
Nourishing.
Steadfast and upright: good fortune.
When nourishing is right,
Good fortune comes.
Watching how you nourish others;
It is to watch what you provide nourishment for.
Paying attention to what is in your mouth.
It is to pay attention to how you nourish yourself.
Heaven and Earth nourish all beings.
The holy sages nourish the virtuous,
Innermost Sincerity huh, it seems like they're telling me that the only way I can reach Enlightenment is by becoming completely sincere. The mutual Gua of Nourishing tells me that I'm currently Nourishing my virtue and improving myself day by day, which is correct.
But what's interesting here is, my question is "what I need to know right now", so it's telling me that what I need to know right now is Innermost Sincerity, to be at ease and confident.
Ah that makes sense. Considering how apathetic I am, I'm indeed lacking in sincerity. My current self-esteem is quite low so it's also telling me to be at ease and confident.
But why? Why do I need to know about it? If I learned innermost sincerity, will I somehow reach enlightenment and gain magical powers? Probably not. It's probably just telling me the next step I should take, to be more relaxed and sincere.
Hmm I should ask chatGPT about this.
"In terms of practical advice, Innermost Sincerity may suggest that you need to be honest with yourself and others about your thoughts, feelings, and intentions. This hexagram encourages you to approach your situation with sincerity and authenticity, even if it requires courage and vulnerability."
Deym that hits the spot. Be honest with myself and others huh, AAAAAAAAAAAA. This is crazy, but I'll consider that. I can't get worried about this because the original meaning of my hexagram is to relax and be confident. Be confident about what? Probably everything.
As for my mutual hexagram, chatGPT said:
"As a mutual hexagram with Innermost Sincerity, the Nourishing hexagram may suggest that your inner sincerity and authenticity can help you provide nourishment and support for yourself and others. This hexagram may encourage you to cultivate a sense of inner peace and stability that allows you to be a source of nourishment and support for those around you."
So by cultivating Sincerity, I can Nourish myself and others. Hmm interesting results, tho it feels like I somehow already knew what I should do without even needing to consult the I Ching.
Because I don't have any changing lines, it means the question is complete and ready to be answered; I can apply the results of this Divination to my life right here and now.
I think the I Ching is telling me that whatever I'm doing, I should keep it up, and try to be more relaxed, confident, and sincere about it. Only then will good fortune come to me.
All Trigrams Unicode Reference:
(There's actually hexagram unicode too but it doesn't work on mobile.)
☰ - Heaven
☷ - Earth
☱ - Lake
☴ - Wind
☲ - Water
☵ - Fire
☶ - Mountain
☳ - Thunder
What's the current status of my life right now?
2T, 1H 2T, 1H 2H, 1T 2H, 1T 2H, 1T 3T
Changing top Line! ☱ - Lake ☶ - Mountain
Hexagram 31! Mutual Influence!
In the system of the I Ching, Lake represents the youngest daughter, and Mountain represents the youngest son. Lake above, Mountain below symbolizes an attractive young man wooing a beautiful maiden. Since, as they are young and energetic, their mutual influence is powerful and sincere. This gua symbolizes newlyweds. The lower gua, Mountain, keeps still; the upper gua, Lake, is pleasant. Mutual love cannot be obtained with half-heartedness. It should be as stable as the mountain and as pure as the water in the lake. To the Chinese, mutual love between man and woman is the will of Heaven and Earth. Mutual love should not be actuated by selfish motives, otherwise the union will not be successful and long lasting. For this reason, King Wen arranged Mutual Influence and Long Lasting at the start of the Lower Canon, matching the arrangement of Qian and Kun, the creative force of Heaven and the responsive force of earth, at the beginning of the Upper Canon. One can see that King Wen’s sequence of the sixty-four gua is very well organized.
Mutual Influence. Prosperous and smooth. Favorable to be steadfast and upright. Take a maiden as a wife. Good fortune.
Lake on Mountain. An image of Mutual Influence. In correspondence with this, The superior person opens his heart and mind To accept people without prejudice.
Changing Line explanation The yielding line at the top is a yin element at a yin place at the end of the gua. At the same time, it is at the top of the upper gua, Lake, representing a mouth. Inside the mouth is the tongue. This line denotes that one at this place is fond of using sweet words and honeyed phrases. If one merely opens one’s mouth and makes empty promises, there is no way to achieve mutual influence.
Mutual gua explanation: Encountering This gua discusses the principle of encountering. In Chinese, meeting a person (or anything) unexpectedly is defined as encountering. When people encounter each other, either they are attracted, making adjustment for a harmonious relationship, or they reject each other, creating conflict between them.
Changed Line explanation: Retreat The structure shows that a sage confronts stillness and retreats. There are four solid lines and two yielding lines in this gua. The two yielding lines stand at the bottom. They are moving forward. This is a situation where inferior persons were multiplying and increasing in power. It is time for the wise to retreat. Retreat is not flight. To flee, to escape danger in any circumstance, is cowardly. But retreating can also be aimed at preserving one’s strength, waiting for the right time for future advance.
The results are cringe. It says that I'll probably encounter someone or have encountered someone, fall in love, then later retreat and break up? Wtf, something must have gone terribly wrong in my divination!
chatGPT explanation: When the top line is a changing line in Hexagram 31, it suggests that there may be some tension or conflict in your ability to attract or influence others. This changing line may represent a challenge or an area where growth is needed in order to fully realize the power of attraction.
One possible interpretation of the changing top line in Hexagram 31 is that you may be too forceful or aggressive in your attempts to influence others. This may create resistance or tension, and hinder your ability to achieve your goals. The changing line may be a sign that you need to adopt a more receptive and patient approach, and allow your influence to grow gradually over time.
So it doesn't exactly mean love, just relationships. And it seems something is going wrong in one of my relationships and I'll have to take action, otherwise I'll have to retreat. Lol as if I care.
What will happen if I entertained the senior citizen earlier who approached me?
2T, 1H 2H, 1T 2T, 1H 2H, 1T 2T, 1H 2H, 1T
☲ - Water ☵ - Fire
Hexagram 63! Already Fulfilled!
Even the little,
Being prosperous and smooth.
Favorable to be steadfast and upright. Beginning: good fortune.
End: disorder.
I guess something great will happen? If I did talked to the old man, it would be the perfect action. I think it means if I did talk to the old man, it would give good fortune at first, but would end up with disorder. Hmm i don't really understand.
Question from one of the audience: "Where is my life path leading me right now?"
2H, 1T 3H 2H, 1T 3T - Moving line 3T 2H, 1T
☶ ☰ Mountain over Heaven, Great Accumulation 26!
Favorable to be steadfast and upright.
Eat not at home.
Good fortune.
Favorable to cross great rivers.
"This gua displays the truth of great accumulation, but also the truth of holding back. When one proceeds in a situation of truthfulness, one is certain to accumulate great strength and wealth and to further his achievements vigorously. When one possesses wealth as well as strength and knows not how to hold back, he tends to take reckless actions without care or thought. Thus, during the period of great accumulation one should remain calm and watchful, keeping still at the time when one should keep still. If it is necessary, stop taking action."
It is not the appropriate time to demonstrate creative power, but to accumulate it. Accumulation of energy is preparing for release. Accumulation of knowledge is preparing for dissemination. Accumulation of wealth is preparing for benefiting society. Great accumulation is for great achievements. If the accumulation is abundant, it will be inexhaustible.
Changing Line: Great Harvest 14
It is always best to prevent trouble before it happens. In so doing, the result is supreme good fortune.
In other words, it warns one not to become proud after success. This gua takes the role of connecting link between the preceding gua and the following gua—Seeking Harmony and Humbleness, respectively. “One loses by pride and gains by modesty” is a classic aphorism of Chinese culture. This gua reminds people that one loses by being prideful; the next says that one gains by being humble.
Sublimely prosperous and smooth.
Interpretation from an audience
3H 2H 2H 3T - Changing Line 3H 2T
☵ - Water ☰ - Heaven
Needing 5, Water above Heaven
☵
☰
When one needs something and cannot acquire it immediately, waiting is necessary. In this way, the meaning of needing extends to waiting. It is really the need for waiting. When strength is obstructed, then patience is demanded. If one has faith and remains steadfast, one’s future will be bright.
In this situation, waiting is absolutely demanded, yet it does not mean giving up. Wait for the proper time to accomplish the things one has planned. During the period of waiting, it is necessary to cultivate self-confidence, steadfastness, and uprightness and to be cautious in every step; then the outcome will bring good fortune. The commentary advises, “Following the principle of yielding, accommodate the situation.” In so doing, one will climb out of the ditch.
Mutual Gua
Diversity 38
The superior person seeks common ground on major issues
While reserving differences on minor ones.
Diversity, on the other hand, shows a centrifugal force diversifying the family. Diversity is unavoidable. The key is in seeking harmony out of diversity.
Eliminating 43 It can be interpreted as either to set apart good from evil or to set apart resolution from hesitation. A resolution to eliminate evil Without hesitation.
Q: Is it High 35+, is it Low 30-, or is it None?
2T, 1H 3H 3T 2H, 1T 2T, 1H 2H, 1T
2H 3T 2H 2H 2T 2T
Q: Should I bet all and everything next round and decide whether high or low using I Ching? How lucky would that be?
3T 2H 2T 3T 2T 2T
Earth over Water, 7
Okay, so you say that's lucky, i should do that. I trust you.
Now, tell me is it High 35+, is it Low 30-, or is it None?
Wait, restart Now, tell me is it High 35+, is it Low 30-, or is it None?
3T 2H 2H 2H 2H 3T
Lake over Wind, Low
Holy shit? It really worked? Hmm must be a coincidence! Let's try it three times again.
There's no such thing as luck. All there is are the Laws of the Universe, the Principles of Nature. The 64 Hexagrams are the icons of change corresponding to the flow of universe. With I Ching, please show me the flow of the universe pertaining to...
is it High 35+, is it Low 30-, or is it None?
2T 2T 2H 2H 2T 2T
Thunder over Mountain, 62
Wow WTF not only it's correct, but its hexagram is perfectly proportional to the number turned out!
Again. is it High 35+, is it Low 30-, or is it None?
2H 2H 2T 2T 2T 2T
Earth over Lake, 19, Low... It worked again
Hmm if my divinations are correct 12 times in a row, I'll trust it with my entire life.
Alright, let's do this again.
Please tell me the flow of the universe, is it High 35+, is it Low 30-, or is it None?
2H 2T 2H 2T 3T 2H
Mountain over Fire, 22 Low
I will pick High next round. Will I be lucky or not? 2T 2H 2T 2H 3H 3T
Hmm this doesn't seem to be working anymore. Please, tell me, next round, will I be lucky or not?
3H 2T 3H 2H 2T 2H Worked
Please, tell me, next round, will I be lucky or not? 2T 2T 2H 3H 2T 2H Not Work, i got lucky
is it High 35+, is it Low 30-, or is it None? 3H 2T 2T 3T 3H 2H Worked
is it High 35+, is it Low 30-, or is it None? 3T 3H 2T 2H 2T 2T Not work
Why is it not working consistently? What did I do wrong?
2H 2H 3T 2T 2T 2T
This is not working, too inconsistent. Maybe I just got lucky earlier.
Dammit, what should I do?
2T 3T 2H 2T 2H 2H
Developing gradually, proceeding humbly So basically, i should chill down and be patient
Hmm everything seems positive so far. Nothing seems wrong. I can continue this. But this may be all an illusion, i may be already defeated and I didn't see it coming. Betting is dangerous because it aggravates a person's desire to be special and clouds their mind with winnings to the point where they don't even know they had already lost.