A plain-language definition for anyone researching i-ching, what it is, where it comes from, and how practitioners use it.
85 plain-language definitions · Cited sources · Persona-authored
By Luna Ravenwood · Updated August 3, 2026
Divination and Dreams Guide
What is i-ching?
The I-Ching, or Book of Changes, is an ancient Chinese divination text dating back over 3,000 years. Consultations use coins or yarrow stalks to generate one of 64 hexagrams, each carrying philosophical commentary on the questioner's situation.
The I-Ching is one of the oldest divination systems in continuous use. A consultation produces a hexagram, a six-line figure made of broken and unbroken lines, and the practitioner reads the assigned commentary from the text. The archetype suggests the I-Ching is less a fortune-teller than a wise advisor consulted at moments of decision.
The 64 hexagrams cover the full range of human situations: leadership, conflict, retreat, abundance, decay, completion. The Wilhelm-Baynes translation (German to English, with Carl Jung's introduction) remains the most cited modern version. In my practice, the I-Ching is best for questions where the situation needs a slow, contemplative response rather than a quick yes or no.
The I-Ching dates to at least the Western Zhou dynasty (1046-771 BCE), with possible earlier origins in oracle bone divination. Confucius and his disciples added the Ten Wings, philosophical commentaries, around 500 BCE. The Richard Wilhelm German translation (1924), translated into English by Cary Baynes in 1950 with a foreword by Carl Jung, brought the I-Ching to the modern Western world and remains the standard reference. The original text is public domain.
To consult the I-Ching, frame a clear question and toss three coins six times, each toss generates one line of the hexagram. The traditional yarrow stalk method is more elaborate but produces the same result. The I-Ching tool can perform the casting and lookup automatically.
Once you have the hexagram, read the assigned commentary and reflect on how it speaks to your question. Some hexagrams include changing lines, which generate a second hexagram describing how the situation is transforming. The archetype suggests sitting with the reading rather than rushing to conclusion, the I-Ching is famously patient.
These glossary terms are closely connected to i-ching:
The core text dates to at least 1000 BCE, over 3,000 years old. The commentaries (Ten Wings) added by Confucius and his disciples date to around 500 BCE.
Each hexagram is a six-line figure made of broken (yin) and unbroken (yang) lines. There are 2^6 = 64 possible combinations, each with a name, image, and traditional commentary.
No. The three-coin method (toss three coins six times) produces a valid hexagram and is much faster. Yarrow stalk consultation is the traditional method but is rarely used outside of dedicated practice.
Many practitioners find the I-Ching's wisdom transcends cultural boundaries, it speaks in archetypal patterns rather than specific theological language. Carl Jung saw it as a tool for accessing the collective unconscious.
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