Guide · I Ching
How the I Ching Works
By Destiny Kua · Updated
The I Ching (易經, Yì Jīng, the “Book of Changes”) is a Chinese classic more than two and a half thousand years old. It began as a divination manual and became one of the foundations of Chinese philosophy, influencing Confucian and Taoist thought, medicine, martial arts and feng shui. Its core idea is simple: everything is always changing, and understanding the pattern of change helps you act wisely.
1. Two kinds of line
Everything in the I Ching is built from two kinds of line: a solid line (⚊) for yang, which is active, firm and bright, and a broken line (⚋) for yin, which is receptive, yielding and dark. Neither is good or bad. They are partners, and each turns into the other over time, like day into night.
2. Eight trigrams
Stack three lines and you get eight possible combinations, the trigrams (八卦, bā guà). Each has a natural image, a quality and a family role. They are the same eight trigrams behind your Kua Number, which is why Destiny Kua links every hexagram to the matching Kua page.
| Trigram | Name | Image | Quality | Kua |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ☰ | 乾 Qián | Heaven | Strength, creativity | Kua 6 |
| ☷ | 坤 Kūn | Earth | Receptivity, support | Kua 2 |
| ☳ | 震 Zhèn | Thunder | Arousing, new beginnings | Kua 3 |
| ☴ | 巽 Xùn | Wind | Gentle influence | Kua 4 |
| ☵ | 坎 Kǎn | Water | Danger, depth, flow | Kua 1 |
| ☲ | 離 Lí | Fire | Clarity, brightness | Kua 9 |
| ☶ | 艮 Gèn | Mountain | Stillness, rest | Kua 8 |
| ☱ | 兌 Duì | Lake | Joy, exchange | Kua 7 |
3. Sixty-four hexagrams
Put one trigram on top of another and you get a hexagram of six lines. Eight times eight gives 64 hexagrams, each with a name, an image and a short traditional text. For example, Water above Fire makes hexagram 63, “After Completion”, while Fire above Water makes hexagram 64, “Before Completion”, the last hexagram in the book. The order most people use, from 1 to 64, is called the King Wen sequence.
4. Casting a hexagram with three coins
The oldest method uses 50 yarrow stalks and takes about twenty minutes. For roughly the last thousand years, most people have used three coins instead. For each line, toss three coins: heads count 3, tails count 2, and add them up.
- 6 (three tails): old yin, a broken line that is changing to solid. Chance: 1 in 8.
- 7: young yang, a solid line. Chance: 3 in 8.
- 8: young yin, a broken line. Chance: 3 in 8.
- 9 (three heads): old yang, a solid line that is changing to broken. Chance: 1 in 8.
Toss six times. The first result is the bottom line and the sixth is the top. The Destiny Kua caster does exactly this with secure random numbers.
5. Changing lines
A 6 or a 9 is a changing line. It is “old” and about to turn into its opposite. Changing lines matter in two ways. First, their line texts give specific advice for your situation. Second, if you flip them, you get a second hexagram that shows where things are heading. With no changing lines, the situation is stable; read the main hexagram as a whole.
6. Asking a good question
- Be specific about the situation, but open about the answer: "What should I understand about my new job?"
- Avoid yes/no questions. The I Ching describes situations and attitudes, not verdicts.
- Ask once and reflect. Re-casting until you like the answer defeats the purpose; the text itself warns against it (hexagram 4).
- Write your question and reading down, and look at them again in a week.
7. How to read your result
Start with the hexagram's image and overall meaning. Then read any changing lines. Finally, look at the second hexagram as the direction of travel. Ask yourself what fits and what doesn't. Many people find the I Ching most useful as a structured way to think from a new angle, rather than as fortune-telling.
The I Ching is a cultural and philosophical tradition, not a scientific method. Destiny Kua offers it for reflection and entertainment; it is not medical, financial or legal advice.