Frequently Asked Questions

The I Ching (易經), also known as the Book of Changes, is one of the oldest texts in the world, dating back over 3,000 years to ancient China. It is both a system and a philosophical guide that uses 64 hexagrams — six-line symbols composed of broken (yin) and solid (yang) lines — to reflect the patterns of change in life.

Each hexagram represents a unique situation or energy, and the changing lines within a reading point to transformation and future possibilities. The I Ching has influenced Chinese philosophy, science, medicine, and culture, and continues to be consulted worldwide for guidance and self-reflection.

To consult the I Ching on Sixty Four Doors:

1. Center yourself — Take a moment to quiet your mind and focus on your question or situation
2. Choose a method — Select either Classic Coin (free) or Yarrow Stalk (premium) casting
3. Formulate your question — Enter your question clearly and sincerely
4. Cast the hexagram — The system will generate your hexagram using authentic probability distributions
5. Receive your reading — Our AI interprets the hexagram in context of your question

The quality of your reading often reflects the quality of your question. Approach the oracle with sincerity and openness.

The I Ching responds best to open-ended questions about situations, relationships, decisions, or your inner state. Good questions often begin with:

• "What do I need to understand about..."
• "What is the nature of..."
• "How should I approach..."
• "What will help me..."

Avoid yes/no questions — The I Ching offers wisdom about the nature of situations rather than simple predictions.

Be specific but not limiting — "What do I need to understand about my career transition?" is better than "Will I get the job?"

Yes, but the I Ching will typically reveal your relationship to that person or situation, not their private thoughts or actions. The oracle speaks to you about your own path.

Questions like "What do I need to understand about my relationship with X?" work better than "What is X thinking about me?"

A hexagram is a figure composed of six horizontal lines, stacked from bottom to top. Each line is either solid (yang ━━━) or broken (yin ━ ━). The 64 possible combinations form the complete system of the I Ching.

Each hexagram has a name, number, and associated imagery that captures a particular quality of existence — like "The Creative," "The Receptive," "Conflict," or "Grace."

The hexagram is also divided into two trigrams (three-line figures): the lower trigram represents the inner situation, and the upper trigram represents the outer situation or how things manifest.

Changing lines are the key to understanding transformation in your reading. When you cast a hexagram, some lines may be "old" or "changing":

• Old Yang (9) — A solid line that is changing into a broken line
• Old Yin (6) — A broken line that is changing into a solid line

These changing lines point to where movement and transformation are occurring. They transform your primary hexagram into a related hexagram, showing you the direction of change.

If you receive no changing lines, the situation is stable — the hexagram speaks to the current moment without indicating immediate transformation.

When your reading contains changing lines, the changed lines transform your primary hexagram into a "related" or "future" hexagram. This second hexagram shows:

• The direction the situation is moving
• The potential outcome if current energies continue
• What the situation may evolve into

Think of the primary hexagram as "where you are" and the related hexagram as "where things are heading."

Trigrams are three-line figures that form the building blocks of hexagrams. There are eight trigrams, each representing fundamental forces of nature:

• ☰ Qian (Heaven) — Creative force, strength, father
• ☷ Kun (Earth) — Receptive force, devotion, mother
• ☳ Zhen (Thunder) — Arousing, movement, eldest son
• ☵ Kan (Water) — The Abysmal, danger, middle son
• ☶ Gen (Mountain) — Keeping Still, meditation, youngest son
• ☴ Xun (Wind) — The Gentle, penetration, eldest daughter
• ☲ Li (Fire) — The Clinging, clarity, middle daughter
• ☱ Dui (Lake) — The Joyous, openness, youngest daughter

In a hexagram, the lower trigram (lines 1-3) represents the inner realm, while the upper trigram (lines 4-6) represents the outer realm.

The Classic Coin method is the most common way to consult the I Ching today. Three coins are cast six times to build a hexagram from bottom to top.

Each coin has a value: heads = 3, tails = 2. The sum of three coins determines the line:

• 6 (2+2+2) — Old Yin (changing broken line)
• 7 (2+2+3) — Young Yang (stable solid line)
• 8 (2+3+3) — Young Yin (stable broken line)
• 9 (3+3+3) — Old Yang (changing solid line)

This method gives equal probability (25%) to each outcome.

The Yarrow Stalk method is the original, traditional method described in the I Ching itself. It uses 49 yarrow stalks that are divided and counted through a complex ritual to determine each line.

This method produces different probabilities than coins:

• Old Yin (6) — 6.25% chance (rare)
• Young Yang (7) — 31.25% chance
• Young Yin (8) — 43.75% chance (most common)
• Old Yang (9) — 18.75% chance

The yarrow method favors stability (yin) and makes changing lines rarer and more significant. Many practitioners consider it more nuanced and authentic.

Both methods are valid and have been used for centuries. Choose based on your preference:

Classic Coin is best if you want:

• Quick consultations
• More changing lines and dynamic readings
• A straightforward approach

Yarrow Stalk is best if you want:

• Traditional, authentic probability distribution
• Rarer, more meaningful changing lines
• A deeper, more meditative experience

Free accounts can access both methods (5 advanced readings/month). Premium members have unlimited access.

Premium members can access specialized reading types that cross-reference the I Ching with other classical Chinese and wisdom texts:

• Finance & Career — Integrated with Sun Tzu's Art of War (孫子兵法) for strategic insight
• Relationships — Woven with the Book of Songs (詩經) for emotional and poetic wisdom
• Health & Vitality — Connected to the Huangdi Neijing (黃帝內經) for body-mind balance
• Zen & Awakening — Paired with Mumonkan koans (無門關) for direct insight
• Dream Oracle — Jungian dream interpretation meets I Ching symbolism

These specialized readings draw from 2,500+ years of wisdom literature to illuminate your question from multiple perspectives.

The Dream Oracle combines I Ching wisdom with Jungian depth psychology. When you describe a dream, the oracle casts a hexagram and interprets it through the lens of:

• Archetypal symbolism (Shadow, Anima/Animus, Self)
• The collective unconscious
• Individuation and personal growth

Carl Jung himself used the I Ching extensively and wrote the foreword to the Wilhelm/Baynes translation. This reading type honors that lineage.

Visit our pricing page to subscribe. Premium is $6.99/month or $59/year and includes:

• Unlimited readings across all methods
• Saved reading history with personal notes
• All specialized reading types (Career, Relationships, Health, Zen, Dream Oracle)

You can also create a free account to try 5 advanced readings per month before committing.

The I Ching does not predict a fixed, inevitable future. Instead, it reveals the tendencies present in the current situation — the direction things are naturally moving.

Think of it like a weather forecast: it shows the conditions and likely patterns, but your choices still matter. The I Ching illuminates what is, what is changing, and how you might wisely respond.

As the text itself says: "The future is not something fixed; it emerges from the seeds planted in the present moment."

Our AI has been trained on the Wilhelm/Baynes translation, classical commentaries, and thousands of years of I Ching scholarship. When you receive a reading, the AI:

1. Analyzes your specific hexagram, changing lines, and related hexagram
2. Considers your question and reading type
3. Synthesizes traditional interpretations with contextual wisdom
4. Delivers a personalized reading in clear, contemplative language

The AI serves as a bridge between ancient wisdom and your modern question — making the I Ching's insights accessible while honoring its depth.

The I Ching has guided emperors, sages, and seekers for three millennia. We take it seriously as a tool for reflection and insight.

That said, our readings are intended for personal reflection and should not replace professional advice for medical, legal, financial, or mental health matters. Use the I Ching as one voice among many in your decision-making — a contemplative mirror, not an absolute authority.

The I Ching contains 64 hexagrams — 64 unique doorways into understanding life's situations. Each hexagram is like a door that opens onto a particular landscape of meaning.

When you consult the oracle, you're not receiving a prediction — you're opening a door. What you find on the other side depends on how deeply you're willing to look.

Without an account: You can use Instant Oracle and Classic Coin (up to 5 readings per day).

Free account: Access all reading methods including the advanced types (Yarrow, Dream Oracle, etc.) — 5 advanced readings per month.

Premium ($6.99/mo): Unlimited readings plus saved history with personal notes.

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• Encrypted — Questions and interpretations are encrypted with AES-256-GCM
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See our Privacy Policy for complete details.

Anonymous visitors: 5 readings per day (Instant Oracle and Classic Coin only).

Free accounts: 5 advanced readings per month across all methods. The simple methods (Instant Oracle, Classic Coin) remain unlimited.

Premium members: Unlimited readings across all methods, plus saved history with personal notes.

These limits encourage thoughtful, intentional use of the oracle — and help us manage AI costs.