How to Read the I Ching: A Beginner's Guide to Casting and Interpreting Hexagrams

What Is the I Ching?

The I Ching (易经, Yijing), or Book of Changes, is the oldest of the Chinese classics. Its origins are shrouded in legend: the trigrams that form the basis of the hexagrams are said to have been discovered by the mythical sage Fu Xi (c. 2800 BCE), and the hexagram texts were traditionally attributed to King Wen of the Zhou dynasty (c. 1100 BCE) and his son the Duke of Zhou. Confucius himself is said to have studied the I Ching so obsessively that the leather thongs binding his copy wore out three times.

The text as we know it today has two layers: the core Zhouyi (Zhou Changes), consisting of the hexagram judgments and line texts, and the Ten Wings — a set of commentaries traditionally attributed to Confucius but likely composed by later scholars over several centuries. The Wilhelm translation, first published in German in 1924 and translated into English by Cary F. Baynes in 1950, remains the most widely used version in the West and the one cited throughout this guide.

The Book of Changes does not think; it does not plan; it is still and without movement. Yet it responds to every stimulus and penetrates all situations.

— Xici Zhuan (The Great Treatise), I Ching, translated by Richard Wilhelm

Understanding Hexagram Structure

Every I Ching reading begins with a hexagram (gua, 卦) — a figure composed of six stacked lines. Each line is either yang (solid, unbroken, represented by a straight line) or yin (broken, open, represented by a line with a gap in the middle).

The six lines are read from the bottom up. The bottom three lines form the lower trigram, and the top three lines form the upper trigram. There are eight possible trigrams, each with a name and symbolic meaning:

The combination of upper and lower trigrams produces one of 64 possible hexagrams. For example, Hexagram 1 (Qian) consists of Heaven above Heaven — pure creative energy. Hexagram 2 (Kun) consists of Earth above Earth — pure receptivity. Each hexagram has a name, a Judgment (the overall meaning), and individual line texts for each of the six positions.

Method 1: The Coin Method (Simplest for Beginners)

The coin method is the most accessible way to cast an I Ching reading. You will need three identical coins. Chinese coins with a square hole in the center are traditional, but any three coins will work.

Step 1: Frame your question. Sit quietly with your coins. Hold them in your cupped hands and focus on your question. The I Ching works best with sincere, open-ended questions rather than yes/no questions. Ask "What should I understand about this situation?" rather than "Will I get the job?"

Step 2: Assign values. Decide which side of the coin is heads (yang) and which is tails (yin). Heads = 3, Tails = 2. Be consistent throughout the casting.

Step 3: Toss the coins. Toss all three coins together. Add the values:

• Three heads (3+3+3 = 9) — Old yang (changing yang line) — drawn as a solid line with a mark
• Two heads, one tail (3+3+2 = 8) — Young yin (stable yin line) — drawn as a broken line
• One head, two tails (3+2+2 = 7) — Young yang (stable yang line) — drawn as a solid line
• Three tails (2+2+2 = 6) — Old yin (changing yin line) — drawn as a broken line with a mark

Step 4: Record from bottom to top. The first toss gives you Line 1 (the bottom line). Record it. Toss again for Line 2, and so on, until you have six lines. The bottom three form the lower trigram; the top three form the upper trigram.

The superior person uses the I Ching as a mirror. It does not tell you what will happen; it shows you what is already present in the situation.

— Traditional I Ching teaching

Method 2: The Yarrow Stalk Method (Traditional)

The yarrow stalk method is the original method described in the I Ching. It is slower and more meditative, taking about 10-15 minutes for a single casting. You will need 50 yarrow stalks (dried yarrow stems), though chopsticks or sticks of any material can be substituted.

The process: Set one stalk aside (representing the undivided Tao). Divide the remaining 49 stalks into two random piles. Remove one stalk from the right pile and place it between your left ring and pinky fingers. Count the left pile in groups of four, removing stalks until 1-4 remain. Place those between your left middle and ring fingers. Repeat with the right pile, placing the remainder between your left index and middle fingers. The number of stalks between your fingers will be either 5 or 9. This gives you the first line of the first trigram.

The process is repeated three times to form one line, and six times to form the complete hexagram. The probabilities differ from the coin method: with yarrow stalks, the chance of a changing line is lower (1 in 4 for yarrow vs 1 in 4 for coins — but the distribution of old yin and old yang differs).

Understanding Changing Lines

Changing lines are the heart of an I Ching reading. When you cast a 6 (old yin) or a 9 (old yang), that line is in a state of transformation — yin is about to become yang, or yang about to become yin. This produces a second hexagram, the "future" or "resultant" hexagram, which shows where the situation is heading.

How to interpret changing lines:

• The primary hexagram represents the present situation
• The changing lines offer the most specific guidance — read the text for each changing line position
• The secondary hexagram (produced by transforming the changing lines) shows the future state or the outcome if you follow the guidance
• If no lines change, the situation is stable and the hexagram judgment alone is the guidance

For example, if you cast Hexagram 1 (Qian, the Creative) with a changing line at position 4, you would read the Judgment of Hexagram 1, the line text for line 4 ("A leap into the abyss. No blame."), and then the secondary hexagram that results from changing line 4 from yang to yin.

Change is the only constant. The I Ching does not predict the future; it reveals the patterns of change that are already in motion.

— Richard Wilhelm, Introduction to the I Ching

How to Interpret a Reading

Once you have your hexagram and identified any changing lines, follow these steps to interpret the reading:

1. Read the Judgment. The Judgment (also called the Decision or Tuan) is the hexagram's overall statement. It describes the essential nature of the situation. The Wilhelm translation of Hexagram 1, the Creative, begins: "The Creative works sublime success, furthering through perseverance."

2. Read the Image. The Image (also called the Great Symbol or Xiang) describes how the hexagram reflects natural phenomena. It usually ends with a practical recommendation: "Thus the superior person does something..."

3. Read the changing lines. If you have changing lines, these are the most specific part of the reading. They describe the dynamics at that particular level of the situation. Line 1 (bottom) represents the beginning; Line 6 (top) represents the completion or the transcendence of the situation.

4. Consider the secondary hexagram. If you have changing lines, transform them to produce the secondary hexagram and read its Judgment. This shows the direction of change.

5. Reflect, don't force. The I Ching is not a fortune-telling device. It is a mirror for your own wisdom. If the text seems obscure, sit with it. Let images and associations arise naturally. The best readings are those that speak to you over time, revealing new meanings as your situation unfolds.

Those who are good at reading the I Ching do not consult it; they understand how change moves through all things.

— Xici Zhuan (The Great Treatise), I Ching

Related Guides

Sources and Further Reading

• Wilhelm, Richard, trans. The I Ching, or Book of Changes. Translated into English by Cary F. Baynes. Princeton University Press, 1950 (3rd edition 1967).
• Confucius (attributed). The Ten Wings (Yizhuan). In Wilhelm, above.
• Lynn, Richard John, trans. The Classic of Changes: A New Translation of the I Ching as Interpreted by Wang Bi. Columbia University Press, 1994.
• Legge, James, trans. The I Ching. Dover Publications, 1963 (reprint of 1899 edition).
• Cleary, Thomas, trans. The Taoist I Ching. Shambhala, 1986.
• Karcher, Stephen. How to Use the I Ching. Element Books, 1997.
• Hook, Diana ffarington. The I Ching and Mankind. Routledge, 1975.

FAQ