I Ching Symbols

I Ching Symbols   Available on Amazon

The I Ching is comprised of 64 situations, all derived from the combination of 2 lines, yang (whole) and yin (open).

There are 4 combinations of the 2 lines. When the yin and yang lines are combined in sets of 3 they form the 8 trigrams (See chart below.) Each trigram is named for a force in nature and has other attributes associated with it. When the trigrams are combined in sets of 2 each they form the 64 possible combinations that form the hexagrams

The 8 images of nature that the I Ching is based on are: Heaven, Thunder, Water, Mountain, Earth, Wind/Wood, Fire and Lake. The images illustrating each of the trigrams on the following pages are from my work on interpreting the I Ching called, I Ching Meditations. I include them here to give a face to the 8 symbols of nature depicted for notation in the I Ching.


The origins of the I Ching pre-date literacy. We can not begin to imagine today what it was like to live in an environment that did not include the Internet, telephone, electricity you name it — and be solely dependant upon nature. The people of prehistorical China had to have respect for and awe of nature that in many ways has been lost to our consciousness today. The ancient Chinese did not see themselves as separate from the environment in which they lived.

Who Needs I Ching Prescriptions?

Who Needs I Ching Prescriptions? 

I Ching Prescriptions Available on Amazon

• I Ching geeks — those of you who already are consulting the I Ching, are familiar with more than one interpretation and enjoy reading other perspectives on the subject.

• The person who is somewhat interested, is not a skeptic, likes to have an I Ching reading done for them but so far has not been motivated to delve more deeply into I Ching philosophy.

• The person who is a skeptic concerning the I Ching and has turned it down as a possibility to take seriously.

• The person who has no idea of what the I Ching is and could benefit by its wisdom.
• I will address this last group first.

What is the I Ching?
As of this writing there are close to 2,000 books related to the I Ching listed on Amazon. The subject is vast and complex. This book has a somewhat different perspective on how to use the wisdom of the I Ching, so for the benefit of readers who need some background on the I Ching to help understand what the I Ching Prescriptions are I will give a brief overview here of the subject. If you want to learn more about the I Ching then you will enjoy investigating the history of the I Ching and/or other perspectives on the subject.

I Ching means, "Book of Changes." The Book of Changes has only one law that remains constant: The only thing that never changes is change itself.

I Ching is a philosophy, not a religion, although there are many who consult it religiously. This philosophy dates back to the origins of Chinese civilization, evolving over centuries of time as Chinese writing and culture developed. This philosophy is based on the premise that everything in the universe arises out of two forces, yang and yin, the Chinese words for masculine and feminine energy.

I Ching philosophy says that if you follow the way of nature you will find the right way and right time for action in your own life. I Ching can be viewed as a part of nature herself as the human psyche reflects back, as a collective, where it stands within the whole. By consulting the I Ching we can recognize ourselves as part of nature and that the universe and we are one organism.

I Ching is the original computer
Because the archetypes in the I Ching were programmed over centuries by the input of many human psyches, the evolution of I Ching philosophy, The Book of Changes, is a collective response to the human condition and part of the collective unconscious. The I Ching might be experienced as a psychic computer, revealing itself to us through thousands of years of time.

The traditional way of consulting I Ching is as a tool for divination which requires interactivity based on the concept of synchronicity, a term coined by Carl Jung. The power of the I Ching is only activated through the interaction of the human mind.

The Book of Changes is not meant to be read from cover to cover in linear fashion the way Western texts are written. While the I Ching is used for divination, it is not meant to be a fortune-telling device, but guidance for the best possible behavior in a given situation. One brings a question to seek counsel from the book much the way one might seek help from a therapist, priest or any such wisdom figure.

While The Book of Changes incorporates an inter-play of symbols derived from the elements of nature it contains layers of symbols, one within the other where symbols are used to describe other symbols. Because the nature of a symbol always points to something beyond itself, the meaning can never be pinned down but is always open to each new reader. It is no wonder then that many people find this book of wisdom obscure.

Hexagram 1 • The Creative • Heaven over Heaven

                                              Hexagram 1 • The Creative • Heaven over Heaven

                                                                   Available on Amazon

 

Living The Creative, I experience the unfolding of time. I am aware of the order in the universe, knowing that creation is change, transformation and continual movement. I bring my potential into being. I am successful and know that what I am doing comes from beyond myself through my Self. A doubled heaven is strength and power and duration. I know that after each creation a new one will follow.

Trigrams and Symbolic Associations

                                  Trigrams and Symbolic Associations  Available on Amazon


The 8 images of nature that the I Ching is based on are: Heaven, Thunder, Water, Mountain, Earth, Wind/Wood, Fire and Lake.

The origins of the I Ching pre-date literacy. We can not begin to imagine today what it was like to live in an enviornment that did not include the Internet, telephone, electricity-you name it-and be solely dependant upon nature. The people of prehistoric China had to have respect for and awe of nature that in many ways has been lost to our consciousness today. The ancient Chinese did not see themselves as separate from the enviornment in which they live.

Trigrams

                   

         

Trigrams Available on Amazon

In one of the layers of symbols the I Ching projects attributes of personality and character onto the images of nature. These symbols also denote members of the archetypal family, body parts, direction and color association.

The I Ching is comprised of 64 situations, all derived from the combination of 2 lines, yang (whole)----and yin (opened)

--There are 4 combinations of the 2 lines. When the yin and yang lines are combined in sets of 3 they form the 8 trigrams. Each trigram is named for a force in nature and has other attributes associated with it. When the trigrams are combined in sets of 2 they from the 64 possible combinations that form the hexagrams.

The Power of the I Ching

The Power of the I Ching    Available on Amazon

The power of the I Ching is only activated through the interaction of the human mind. The archetypes in the I Ching were programmed over many centuries by the continual input and evolution of many human psyches. Therefore the I Ching reflects a collective response to the human condition as a part of nature. By consulting the I Ching as a tool of synchronicity we recognize ourselves as part of nature and that the universe and we are one organism.

I Ching Symbols

I Ching is the quintessential symbol book of all time, containing layers of symbols, one within the other. Symbols are used to describe other symbols. It is no wonder that people find this book of wisdom obscure. Because the nature of a symbol always points to something beyond itself, the meanings can never be pinned down but are always open to each new reader.

I Ching Meditations

                I Ching Meditations  Available on Amazon

I Ching Meditations, Volume 1 contains Illustrations and poetic interpretations for the first 16 hexagrams of the I Ching. All the illustrations are full-page color with a total of 120 images plus several more diagrams. 

The I Ching is a philosophy dating back to the origins of Chinese civilization that evolved along with Chinese writing and culture. This philosophy of right living is based on the premise that everything in the universe arises out of two forces, Yang and Yin, the Chinese words for creative and receptive energy or masculine and feminine forces. The concept is that if you follow the way of nature you will find the right way and right time for action or non-action in one's own life.