Yi Jing describes itself to me as a cauldron, that is, as a ritual vessel containing cooked food claiming: "I contain spiritual nourishment." - Carl Gustav Jung

This website is about I Ching symbols, readings, explanations, interpretation, divination and hexagrams, a basic guide to I Ching, Yi Jing, or the Book of Changes. The I Ching, Yi Jing or the Book of Changes is an ancient Chinese text that greatly influenced Eastern philosophy throughout history. Possibly the oldest book in the world, it is a philosophical system whose roots lie in the concept of Ying and Yang. Used for divination and wisdom, its eloquent writings offer practical guidance and a timeless understanding of human existence.

At the center of the I Ching are the 64 hexagrams, each with its own symbolic meaning. Within the hexagrams are the trigrams, composed of a pair of 3 parallel lines stacked on top of each other. These six broken or unbroken lines combined, form one of 64 possible hexagrams. Moreover, there is a concept of changing, which signifies an old line in the process of change or movement. Not only does this create an altogether new hexagram, but each of these changing lines have unique meanings, which bring the total of answers derived from the I Ching to an astounding 4,096.

The I Ching is not a means of Fortune Telling, but like the Runes, it may be seen as a practical guide to life. Although written thousands of years ago, its straightforward wisdom is relevant today as it was in ancient China, reflecting the same issues and experiences humanity has been faced with throughout history. Ching translates into Book, and I means Change or Changes, yet at the same time the I also signifies constancy. By this, it reveals the natural laws of the universe and the conundrum present in that within the constant change and interaction of life, the laws remain unchanged and eternal. It is believed that by understanding these fundamental concepts in our daily lives, we are in sync with the universe, enabling us to act with wisdom, allowing the path of our destiny to unfold.

Carl Jung, the father of analytical psychology, was fascinated with the I Ching and studied it for more than 30 years, seeing it as a way to explore the unconscious mind. In his Foreword, he puts forth an excellent analysis on how the I Ching actually works and sites significant links between physical and spiritual reality. In his principle of Synchronicity, he attempts to explain the uncanny accuracy of the I Ching, in that there is interdependence at work between the moment of casting, the psychic state of the observer and the collective unconscious. In other words, everything is connected to each other, beyond the confines of time and space. Jung worked closely with Richard Wilhelm, who began translating the text from Chinese to German in 1913, noting the I Ching as a wise and culturally significant piece of literature as quoted from Jung Foreword to the I Ching:

"Like a part of nature, it waits until it is discovered. It offers neither facts nor power, but for lovers of self-knowledge, of wisdom -- if there be such -- it seems to be the right book. To one person its spirit appears as clear as day; to another, shadowy as twilight; to a third, dark as night. He who is not pleased by it does not have to use it, and he who is against it is not obliged to find it true. Let it go forth into the world for the benefit of those who can discern its meaning".