Skip to main content

Free guide

The I Ching, for when you feel stuck

The I Ching, or Book of Changes, is a 3,000-year-old Chinese book about change and timing. You ask a question, toss three coins six times, and get one of 64 hexagrams to reflect on. This guide shows you how.

Ask the I Ching free →Free. No sign-up.
Misty mountain peaks rising above clouds in China

When you can't see the pattern yet

You're going round in circles on a decision. The I Ching won't calculate your future for you. What it offers is a different angle on your question: when to push, when to wait, and what you might be missing.

For a lot of people, that fresh angle is exactly what gets them moving again.

How the I Ching works

64 hexagrams

Each hexagram is a six-line figure that describes a kind of situation, from Standstill to Revolution.

Yin and yang lines

Every line is solid (yang) or broken (yin). Long before computers, it was a kind of binary code for life.
  • Heaven
  • Earth
  • Fire
  • Water

How to ask

  1. 1

    Write an open question

    Try "What do I need to understand about this?" rather than a yes or no.

  2. 2

    Toss three coins, six times

    Each toss gives you one line. Build the hexagram from the bottom up.

  3. 3

    Read slowly

    Read your hexagram first, then any changing lines. Sit with what feels true before you act.

Questions you might have

What is the I Ching?

The I Ching (Book of Changes) is a 3,000-year-old Chinese divination system and philosophical text. It uses 64 hexagrams, six-line figures made of solid (yang) and broken (yin) lines, to offer wisdom and guidance for navigating life's changes and decisions.

How do I consult the I Ching?

The traditional method uses yarrow stalks, but coins are more common today. Focus on a question, then toss three coins six times. Each toss creates one line of the hexagram (3 heads = solid yang, 3 tails = broken yin, mixed = based on majority). The resulting hexagram provides your reading.

What are changing lines in I Ching?

Changing lines occur when all three coins show the same face (all heads or all tails). These lines are read specially and then transform into their opposite, creating a second hexagram that shows how the situation may evolve.

The coins answer one question. Your year asks many.

The I Ching is all about timing. Your Year Ahead reading brings that idea to your calendar: the months to push, the months to wait, and the days likely to feel most like yours.