I Ching reading
Write your question and toss three coins six times. The Book of Changes will describe where you stand and where things are heading.
Ask an open question about one thing. Writing it is optional, and it is never sent anywhere.
Your recent readings
Hold your question in mind and take three deep breaths.
Press and hold the button to shake the coins in your hands. Release to throw. Or shake your phone.
Each toss gives one line. The hexagram is built from the bottom up.
What is the I Ching?
The I Ching (Yijing, 易經) is one of the oldest books in China, and its name means Book of Changes. Its core text was compiled about three thousand years ago, in the Western Zhou period, as a manual for divination. Over the following centuries the commentaries of the Confucian tradition turned it into a book of wisdom.
Its foundation is simple: everything changes, and change has an order. That order is expressed with solid (yang) and broken (yin) lines. Six lines stacked together form a hexagram. There are 64 hexagrams, and each one describes a situation in life. Read the full I Ching guide.
How to do a reading
- Think of your question. Choose something that truly occupies you and phrase it as an open question.
- Toss three coins six times. The inscribed side counts as 3, the plain side as 2. The three coins add up to 6, 7, 8 or 9, which gives one line.
- Read the hexagram. The first toss is the bottom line; the hexagram is built upward. Start with the judgment and the image.
- Look at the changing lines. Sixes and nines are changing lines. Their text is the heart of the answer, and the second hexagram they create shows where things are heading.
Line values
| Line | Total | Line | Meaning | Probability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | Old yin | Broken, changing | 1/8 | |
| 7 | Young yang | Solid, stable | 3/8 | |
| 8 | Young yin | Broken, stable | 3/8 | |
| 9 | Old yang | Solid, changing | 1/8 |
The 64 hexagrams
Every hexagram has its own page: judgment, image, general meaning, love and work, and the meaning of each of the six lines.
Frequently asked questions
What is an I Ching reading?
The I Ching is a Chinese book roughly three thousand years old; its name means Book of Changes. In a reading you hold a question in mind and toss three coins six times. Each toss gives a line, and the six lines together form one of 64 hexagrams. The book uses that hexagram to describe your situation and how to act in it.
Is the I Ching reading free?
Yes. Readings on this site are completely free. You do not need an account or an email address.
How should I phrase my question?
Keep it clear and about one thing. Instead of yes or no, ask open questions such as "What path opens if I take this job?" or "What should I pay attention to in this relationship?" Do not repeat the same question right away because you disliked the answer.
What is a changing line?
Lines that come out as 6 or 9 are changing lines. They are the moving, most alive points of the situation, so read their text first. When the changing lines flip, a second hexagram appears, which shows where the situation is heading.
Is an online coin toss as valid as a real one?
For every coin the site uses the browser's cryptographic random number generator, so the result is truly random and not decided in advance. The tradition says what matters is a sincere question and your attention at the moment of casting. If you have three coins at hand, you can use them too.
Are my questions stored?
No. Questions and readings are never sent to a server. Your recent readings are kept only in your own browser, and you can delete them with one click.
Does the I Ching predict the future?
The I Ching does not foretell a fixed future. It shows the shape and tendency of the present situation and tells you where things go depending on how you act. That is why the decision always stays with you.