I Ching Consultation

The "I Ching," translated to English as the "Book of Changes," is a Taoist text that also bears the honor of having been one of the few books to have survived from the beginnings of Chinese History.  The first people to have used this knowledge were shamans, magicians, priests and fortune tellers somewhere between the years 1000 and 500 B.C.  Later, it came to be used in Japan as well, after the establishment of trade between the countries.

This book consists of 64 hexagrams, also known as chapters, that contain a type of change.  Each hexagram is also a figure composed of six lines.  These six lines are further broken down into two trigrams.  Each line is either whole ___ (Yang / Yo), or _ _broken (Yin / In).  Contemplation of a hexagram places one in a position to view their life and their path from a different perspective.

In the old days and using ancient techniques, the diviner would cast chips of tortise shell or deer bone that had been cracked by fire, and by the pattern of the lines would recite one of the hexagrams for the questioner.  This later changed to tossing three coins when it became possible to create these, and now a simplifed method using six coins is coming into common use.  I use the method using six coins, as it requires only one toss as opposed to two.  An interesting study of the forces of Yin and Yang can be undertaken just pondering the progression of the method, which in this day also often uses the consultation of the book instead of relying solely on the memory.

The method using six coins consists of 5 coins of the same size or denomination, and one of a different size or denomination.  The line/coin that is different from the rest is termed the "active" or "moving" line and holds special significance.

After tossing the coins to obtain the hexagram, I consult two versions of the book that I have in my possession.  The first, a rather large and in-depth tome, is "The Complete I Ching: The Definitive Translation" by Taoist Master Alfred Huang.  The second, a less in-depth but more readily accessible symbolically than the old, is "The I Ching Made Easy: Be Your Own Psychic Advisor Using the World's Oldest Oracle" by Roderic and Amy Sorrell.  Both are good reads for anyone interested in contemplating the knowledge themselves at their own pace.

When consulting the I Ching, it is best not to phrase your question as yes or no, but to wish to view the correct path to follow.

Dragon Tarot Reading

The other method of readings that I will use here is the Tarot.  The deck that I use is the "Celtic Dragon Tarot" deck by DJ Conway and Lisa Hunt.  When requesting a reading via this method, please choose a number of shuffles and a number of cuts.