The I Ching is actually an ancient divination text consisting of 64 chapters, based on 64 hexagrams that represent ‘answers’ to life. Hexagrams are determined using cleromancy, a process of producing random numbers in a limited order using a specified method. Two methods exist. The oldest method involves the use of 50 yarrow stems and is quite complex. The most common and simpler method is to use three heads and tails coins. By following the casting rules you will arrive at a hexagram that will be used to answer your question.
Choose the book
For this review process, I look at three important factors: the knowledge and wisdom of the author, the readability and transmission of the knowledge, and the usefulness of the book. There are many books on the I Ching; the book for this review is intended for beginners, advanced students, and professional spiritual advisors.
The book – I Ching: a new interpretation for the modern age
The ISBN 13 number for this book is 978-0553354249 and it can be purchased new in hardback on Amazon for $35.00 USD. You can find used copies of the trade paperback edition (cover above) on Amazon starting at $6.95 USD and on Alibris for $1.45 USD at the time this article was written.
Published in 1974, this book “eliminates the obscure and dated references of previous translations to provide an accurate and accessible version of the ancient Chinese classic for the contemporary seeker.” Further: “For anyone who wants to better understand themselves and the world around them, this new translation of the I Ching is a practical and remarkably effective path to enlightenment” (back cover).
The book is well edited, with a useful table of contents at the beginning of the book and clear, concise text on each hexagram. Because the work promotes new interpretations, there are no endnotes, footnotes, or bibliography. Much of the content appears in what can be described as a “cookbook” format, explaining each hexagram in three to five pages.
The book contains seven short sections before covering all 64 hexagrams. There is an introduction, explanation of the method of throwing the yarrow, the method of throwing coins, what moving lines are in a hexagram, forms of interpretation, the meaning of the trigrams and a hexagram diagram.
Recommendation
This book provides really clear explanations and examples for the hexagrams and is an excellent reference work. The interpretations stand the test of time and the book does not feel dated in any way, a testament to Sam Reilfer’s thoughtful writing and work.
Layout of a hexagram explanation – Kh-Yen: modesty (15)
Each hexagram number is listed at the top of the page before the beginning of the explanation. A hexagram is actually made up of two trigrams and each trigram represents a specific concept, limited to eight meanings. The trigrams are heaven, earth, thunder, deep/water, mountain, wind/wood, fire/sun and swamp/mist. Kh-Yen is mountain below, earth above.
Mountain / Source: Wikipedia
Soil / Source: Wikipedia
Hexagram 15 / Source: Wikipedia
On each page below the hexagram is the Oracle, in which Reifler says:
The mountain disappears behind the horizon.
The modest man is naturally successful.
Balance your impulses for objective judgment. (p. 72)
After the Oracle’s lines, Reifler provides three sections of interpretation under the headings Artha, Kama, and Moksha. Artha “deals with the questioner’s relationship to other people, to authorities and to ‘things’ in his or her practical life.” Kama is concerned with love relationships, both sexual, familial and with close friends.” And the Moksha section “indicates the correct spiritual path for the questioner at this time and may also reveal blocks and inconsistencies in his current philosophical position” (p. 18).
After the interpretation sections, Reifler provides explanations for each of the six lines, describing the deeper meaning of the entire hexagram. So let’s look at hexagram 15 as the answer to this question: “I have a new job; Should I take it?” After performing the yarrow method or tossing the coins, your answer is hexagram 15. You consult the book and get this answer.
Artha: “You have to be modest in your behavior. When you step back to observe what you are doing, when you talk about what you do, when you think about what you do, you are observing, talking, thinking – but not doing” (pp. 73 -74). Take the job or stop thinking and talking about the job.
Kama: “You feel like you understand your relationship with Friend and try to manage it according to your understanding. As soon as lovers speak of love, they limit their love by implying the possibility that they do not love” (p. 74). Be careful about your assumptions about the person you would hire or work for.
Moksha: “If you consider yourself enlightened, others will consider you enlightened; you’re both wrong. If you do not consider yourself enlightened, you will not be considered enlightened by others; you’re both wrong. And in both cases you are aware of the anomaly” (p. 74). You can’t assume any outcome, so taking the job is a risk.
When casting the lines, a line is continued or broken. The lines can be stationary or ‘moving’. The coin method makes it easy. You throw 3 coins. Three from the same side (head or tail) means the line is moving (broken or solid). If a line is moving, you want to read the line interpretation for that line. If all lines are stationary, the message is that there is no movement in your question and the outcome is blocked or very simple.
Let’s say that line 2, the dashed line that is second from the bottom, is a moving line. You would read the explanation, which says: ‘Modest, clear. Very promising, if you stay the course. You have been entrusted with responsibilities because you [are modest]” (p. 75). The answer is favorable for taking the job.
Knowing the reviewer
I have an academic background; my PhD is in English (1996) and my concentration was in rhetoric and composition. Astrologically speaking, I am an Aries Sun with Mercury, my point of communication, also in Aries. These two facts about my background and astrological identity are the two most important “lenses” for the way I choose and interpret books. I want them to be well written, researched, and presented (my academic lens), and I want them to be useful, direct, and concise (my Aries Mercury lens).
