Traditional Information about the I Ching (The Book of Changes)

The I Ching has survived for thousands of years – through wars and upheavals of all types – Derived from observing the cycles of the natural world, the I Ching counsels a harmonious, balanced approach to life, and having respect for the influences that act on us…

It’s most basic part is derived from the most easily recognisable cycle – that of day and night, dark and light, yin and yang – and the balance of opposites.

A method to write down the wisdom of the cycles was devised, with the basis being either a solid line:
—
to represent day or light etc – or a broken line:
– –
to represent night or dark etc.

The constant cycle of movement or Change is also represented by recognising the balance that occurs when total light or darkness is encountered, giving a 3rd aspect.
Thus ‘all day’ is written:
-x-
and read as a broken line as it flickers to darkness –
and ‘all night’ is written:
-o-
and read as a solid line as it flickers to day.

Creation is two forces working together – thus, another line is added, to give 4 possible basic combinations – As all things grow, so the lines are read from the bottom up, as a reading grows.  These four new symbols represent the slightly more subtle cycles of life and are generally presented as…
—  – –  – –  —
—  – –  —  – –
Summer/Noon/South – Winter/Midnight/North – Spring/Sunrise/East – Autumn/Sunset/West

To give depth and refinement to a reading yet another line is added – giving 8 new possible combinations and symbols – these have many characteristics assigned to them to represent the natural world – colours, animal totems, and body parts are a few  – in general they are described using images from the natural “forces” of nature – the “story of creation” reads:

– –   – –   – –   – –   —   —   —   —   
– –   – –   —   —   – –   – –   —   —
– –   —   – –   —   – –   —   – –   —
Earth – Thunder – Water – Lake – Mountain – Fire – Wind – Heaven

These are called the basic “Trigrams” and are often arranged in a circle or octagon to represent opposite forces….

These 8 basic Trigrams – when combined – give the 64 Hexagrams of the I Ching – representing the influences of combined forces and the effect they have upon us.  They are written down with the first trigram at the bottom and the second on top…  So a reading such as
—
—
– –
– –
– –
– –
would be read as earth under wind – hexagram number 20 – “Contemplation”