Frequently Asked Questions and Application Tips

Yes, of course! Before consulting the I Ching oracle, please take a moment to pause and clearly contemplate the question or situation that is on your mind. It is important to focus on the matter itself, on what actually IS, rather than assumptions or potential solutions that you may have already come up with beforehand.

Next, determine the oracle’s response. There are different methods for divination, such as the yarrow stalks method. Alternatively, you can opt for a simpler and quicker approach using coins or by going online to www.no2do.com.

Here you will find detailed instructions:: Using the I Ching for Divination

You can find additional context regarding the calculation of the oracle number when using the oracle offered on the no2DO website by referring to the following resource: The calculation of the oracle number on no2DO.

When consulting the oracle and determining the hexagram, it is customary to then refer to the corresponding interpretation page in the Book of Changes and read the texts associated with the hexagram. However, these texts are very ancient, and their interpretation is not always very productive for us to use here and now.

For this reason, I have developed an interpretation model on no2DO.com that focuses on asking the right questions instead so that the person seeking advice can find his or her own answer.
Personally, I proceed as follows:

• I open the interpretation page of my hexagram, scroll to the section Changes and Impulses, and read text and highlighted question in the first box (lower trigram…).
• Then I close my eyes, give myself 40 seconds, and let the words and especially the question(s) resonate within me. Usually, images come to my mind as I am a visual person. I briefly sketch or jot down these images or words.
• Next, I move on to the next box, read the text and questions, close my eyes, wait for something to appear in my mind’s eye, and make notes. I repeat this process until I reach the last box (upper trigram…).
• Finally, I read through all my notes once again. Sometimes this results in a collage, as is the case with Hexagram 57.

More details on working with a hexagram here: Deciphering the Path of Transformations
Read here about the cultural basis from which I have developed my texts and questions on trigrams and hexagrams: An Alternative Interpretation of the I Ching

I assume that with this question, you are referring to the changing lines?

In some divination methods, instead of two (7 and 8), there are four different numerical values: 6, 7, 8, and 9. In these systems, the numbers 6 and 9 are considered changing lines, meaning they transform into their respective opposites: 6 (Yin) changes to 7 (Yang), and 9 (Yang) changes to 8 (Yin). As a result, the original hexagram transforms into another one of the total 64 hexagrams.

Personally, I disregard this variation or prefer divination methods that result in only two different numerical values, namely 7 for Yang and 8 for Yin.

Alternatively, if you actually want to consider the changing lines, I suggest the following approach:

• I determine two hexagrams: the original hexagram and a second hexagram that is formed by converting all the changing lines.
• I interpret the first (original) hexagram immediately, as described above (“How should I best proceed to interpret a hexagram of the I Ching?”).
• I allow a few weeks to pass and evaluate how I can integrate the results of this initial interpretation into my life.
• Then, at the earliest after one month, I interpret the second hexagram.
  (At this point, it might become clear why in my opinion one can actually disregard the phenomenon of the changing lines: Without a second hexagram, after a month, one can confidently ask the I Ching completely anew, taking into account the updated and current overall situation.)

In the following article, I discuss in detail the topic of changing lines in again: Changing Lines.

Personally, I believe it is up to each individual how they want to handle this. However, I found an interesting observation by C.G. Jung on the subject:

I am aware that countless answers could have been possible for my question. […] However, I have received this answer as the first and only one, and I know nothing about other answers. […] I would consider asking a second time as rude and disrespectful, and therefore, I do not do it. “The master says it once.” […] Furthermore, repeating the experiment [in terms of questioning again, KUS] would be impossible for the simple reason that the initial situation could no longer be recreated. Therefore, there is always only one initial and unique answer.

Clarke, C.G. Jung und der östliche Weg, 174, translation KUS.

The I Ching, also known as Yijing or the Book of Changes, is an ancient Chinese oracle and divination book. Its historical roots can be traced back to the Shang Dynasty (approximately 1600-1000 B.C.) when oracle bones were used for inquiries on topics such as weather, harvest, military campaigns, hunting luck, ancestral matters, and more.
Read more…

The I Ching is based on the Daoist concept of change, which it represents through its 64 hexagrams. During an oracle consultation, one of these 64 hexagrams is determined as the answer to the question posed and then interpreted with the help of the associated interpretive texts.

You can find no2DO‘s contemporary interpretations of the 64 hexagrams here: Hexagrams

In the I Ching, there are eight different trigrams. Each of these eight trigrams consists of three horizontal lines, represented either by a solid line (Yang) or a broken line (Yin).

When two trigrams are stacked on top of each other, they form a hexagram, a symbol with six horizontal Yin or Yang lines. In total, there are 64 possible combinations of two out of the eight trigrams.

In my opinion, each interpretation of a hexagram is unique – because it is, after all, the answer to a unique question of a unique individual.

On the other hand, the I Ching provides a framework that allows us to structurally comprehend the answer of the oracle – a single hexagram. This means that the answer is not fundamentally arbitrary. The I Ching is a systematized combinatorial system, meaning on the basis of certain rules the general structure or tendency of the answer can be deduced. At the same time, however, there is still enough room to adapt this rather general answer and interpret it so it aligns with the individual situation of the inquirer.

I have been using pictograms for several years now to symbolize the meaning and energy of the trigrams, which are described in detail in the I Ching Course. They are my artistic addition to the interpretation model of no2DO and not part of the Book of Changes. The aim of the pictograms is for users to recognize at a glance which energies come together in a hexagram without having to memorize or look up the names of the trigrams.

The choice of symbols – such as an archer, a sprouting seedling, a phoenix, a gardener, a girl feeding pigeons, a bird rider, a meditator and someone crossing an abyss – was based on my artistic intuition. Every user is free to find their own suitable visualizations for the trigram energies.

Read more: The Images Stem from the Ideas: Pictograms

Yes, there is indeed an almost overwhelming number of translations and, especially, versions of the I Ching. On the other hand, the I Ching also exists as textus receptus, i.e. as one of the canonical texts of China unchanged for thousands of years.

The existence of canonical texts and the difficulties that arise from this fact, particularly when working with the I Ching for personal development, are further explained and discussed in detail here: China’s rulers…

It depends on what exactly you want to understand.

If you want to use the I Ching as a tool for personal self-development, you don’t necessarily need to be an expert in Chinese culture. Just start, ask a question, and follow the guidance of the I Ching…

However, if you want to go deeper into the original texts of the I Ching, such as the Textus Receptus or the alternative versions found in Mawangdui and Shuanggudui, a profound knowledge of Chinese culture would be helpful. In this case, I recommend starting with the books by Hertzer and Vogelsang as introductory reading material.

The I Ching belongs to the so-called stone classics, which were first established in the Han period (ca. 200 BC to 200 AD). hese canonical texts served a specific purpose: They were intended to put an end to the wildly proliferating diversity of traditions, intellectual currents and discourses and to unite the multi-ethnic state into a single empire.
Read more…

To my knowledge, there are no scientific studies that strictly examine the effectiveness of the I Ching.

Scientific research on the I Ching primarily focuses on its historical, cultural, and philosophical significance, as well as the analysis of its texts and symbols. An example of this is Hertzer‘s two-volume dissertation.

Most of the following recommendations are in German language. If there is an English version, I will indicate it.

Regarding the significance of the preserved texts (Textus Receptus), I personally found Hertzer‘s dissertation highly informative, as well as Vogelsang‘s work on the history of China. Through these readings, I gained an understanding of the challenges posed by the canonical texts and the complexity of translating the original Chinese texts into a European language.

As an introduction to acupuncture I found the book by Connelly (English original version available) very helpful, on the subject of Daoism I like the classic by Watts (English original version available) and also the book by Möller (various books in English by this author available).

In terms of personal development, I value the scientifically grounded works of Rogers (English original version available), while Bordt very accessibly illuminates the practical implementation of this path.