The I Ching, also known as the Book of Changes, is an ancient text of Chinese wisdom. It has been used for divination for almost 3000 years.
This website simulates the traditional three-coin method for asking the I Ching a question. To perform your own divination, follow these instructions:
Formulate a question about a situation or decision. Keep it open-ended and meaningful (not yes/no).
Toss the three coins six times. The website will automatically draw the corresponding lines according to the traditional procedure, starting from the bottom line and building upward. The values are assigned as follows:
Heads = 3
Tails = 2
The values of the three coins are added on each toss:
| Total | Line Type | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | ⚋ (broken, changing) | yin (old) |
| 7 | ⚊ (solid) | yang (young) |
| 8 | ⚋ (broken) | yin (young) |
| 9 | ⚊ (solid, changing) | yang (old) |
After tossing the coins six times, you have your first hexagram. It provides the main answer to your question.
Click the button “Read the oracle” below the hexagram to find out what the hexagram represents and to read the I Ching’s commentary.
The first hexagram describes your current situation or present dynamic.
If you wish to find out more about what to expect from the future, you can also interpret the second hexagram, which describes the direction things are heading or potential outcome.
The “changing” (“old”) lines of the first hexagram are key forces or lessons at play. They turn into their opposite (a solid line becomes broken, a broken line becomes solid). This gives you the second hexagram, which represents the outcome or future state.
Try now!If there are no changing lines, you only interpret the first hexagram.
If there are one or two changing lines, you can also read the specific line commentaries for just those lines.
Let’s say your coin toss results are:
Toss 1: 7 → ⚊
Toss 2: 8 → ⚋
Toss 3: 6 → ⚋ (changing)
Toss 4: 9 → ⚊ (changing)
Toss 5: 7 → ⚊
Toss 6: 8 → ⚋
Your first hexagram (remember that we proceed bottom-up):
Changing lines at line 3 and 4:
Line 3: 6 → ⚊
Line 4: 9 → ⚋
Your second hexagram becomes:
Hexagram 63 (After Completion)
Try now!