The classic Chinese oracle, now with the well known 3 coin divination method using the iPhone sensors available in the Apple iTunes Appstore
This iPhone app is suitable for the serious user that also wants to be able to cast manually. Trigam based lookup tables, and numbered index to all 64 Hexagram texts, with moving lines, and secondary hexagrams.
The study path to full Hexagrams connotations is explained and illustrated with unique tables of digrams, trigrams and even tetragrams with English meaning.
⚋ Yin ⚊ Yang 𝌀 Earth
Yin and Yang are represented by broken and solid lines: yang is solid and yin is broken. There is a neutral third form, earth. Divination with the I Ching uses the information contained in a snapshot, that you can toss three coins for. The idea is similar to a dynamic binary system, where a single bit can be 'on' or 'off' or 'changing'. The ancient taoistic school of thought has derived a interesting set of connotations from these forms, in six 'bits' it contains meaning beyond a simple yes and no, but to understand you need to follow along in the build-up of these connotations. These meanings allow you to contemplate life and find your course & destiny. If you follow along in this article you will better grasp a casting of the I Ching. The path to the full book of changes could be taken in steps, where one would first cast only once. All you need is one cast of three coins for a 'line'. Say head=yang and tail=yin, when two the same define yin & yang, three the same define earth. (Read up on using the I Ching or use a software tool if you don't know the procedure). You need a Unicode capable browser to appreciate this page.
The digrams
Two lines of Yin & Yang, or Earth, can be combined into a digram, and this creates the metaphysical base for a wider set of connotations. The digrams introduce the nuance that the tao provides.
⚌ Greater yang
⚎ Lesser yang
𝌂 Human earth
𝌅 Earth
𝌁 Heavenly earth
𝌃 Earthly heaven
𝌄 Earthly human
⚍ Lesser yin
⚏ Greater yin
The trigrams
When we investigate the combined forms of three lines combined into so called trigrams, we see that some are more yang and other are more yin depending on the number of broken and solid lines (e.g. ☰ is heavily yang, while ☷ is heavily yin), The relative positions and numbers of yin and yang lines within the trigrams determines the meaning of that trigram. As you can see from the meaning, these forms enter the physical realm, they present an extended set of primary elements.
☰ Heaven
☱ Lake
☲ Fire
☳ Thunder
☴ Wind
☵ Water
☶ Mountain
☷ Earth
The tetragrams
One step further with the number of lines, four lines present a very specifically defined set of forces. Practitioners of martial arts, Tai Chi for instance, would be able to exercise with this "Art of War", but it would present a great challenge to master all the forces in movement, Grasshopper.
𝌆 Centre
𝌇 Full circle
𝌈 Mired
𝌉 Barrier
𝌊 Keeping small
𝌋 Contrariety
𝌌 Ascent
𝌍 Opposition
𝌎 Branching out
𝌏 Distortion
𝌐 Divergence
𝌑 Youthfulness
𝌒 Increase
𝌓 Penetration
𝌔 Reach
𝌕 Contact
𝌖 Holding back
𝌗 Waiting
𝌘 Following
𝌙 Advance
𝌚 Release
𝌛 Resistance
𝌜 Ease
𝌝 Joy
𝌞 Contention
𝌟 Endeavour
𝌠 Duties
𝌡 Change
𝌢 Decisiveness
𝌣 Resolution
𝌤 Packing
𝌥 Legion
𝌦 Closeness
𝌧 Kinship
𝌨 Gathering
𝌩 Strength
𝌪 Purity
𝌫 Fullness
𝌬 Residence
𝌭 Law
𝌮 Response
𝌯 Going to meet
𝌰 Encounters
𝌱 Stove
𝌲 Greatness
𝌳 Enlargement
𝌴 Pattern
𝌵 Ritual
𝌶 Flight
𝌷 Vastness
𝌸 Constancy
𝌹 Measure
𝌺 Eternity
𝌻 Unity
𝌼 Diminishment
𝌽 Closed mouth
𝌾 Guardedness
𝌿 Gathering in
𝍀 Massing
𝍁 Accumulation
𝍂 Embellishment
𝍃 Doubt
𝍄 Watch
𝍅 Sinking
𝍆 Inner
𝍇 Departure
𝍈 Darkening
𝍉 Dimming
𝍊 Exhaustion
𝍋 Severance
𝍌 Stoppage
𝍍 Hardness
𝍎 Completion
𝍏 Closure
𝍐 Failure
𝍑 Aggravation
𝍒 Compliance
𝍓 On the verge
𝍔 Difficulties
𝍕 Labouring
𝍖 Fostering
The hexagrams of the I Ching
Two trigrams are combined into hexagrams allowing complex depictions of interrelations. The book of changes (I Ching) captures the 64 possible forms and all 4096 possible transitions. With these connotations you would have enough granularity to contemplate your course of action.
䷀ 1 Creative Heaven
䷁ 2 Receptive Earth
䷂ 3 Difficulty at the beginning
䷃ 4 Youthful folly
䷄ 5 Waiting
䷅ 6 Conflict
䷆ 7 the Army
䷇ 8 Holding together
䷈ 9 Small taming
䷉ 10 Treading
䷊ 11 Peace
䷋ 12 Standstill
䷌ 13 Fellowship
䷍ 14 Great possession
䷎ 15 Modesty
䷏ 16 Enthusiasm
䷐ 17 Following
䷑ 18 Work on the decayed
䷒ 19 Approach
䷓ 20 Contemplation
䷔ 21 Biting through
䷕ 22 Grace
䷖ 23 Splitting apart
䷗ 24 Return
䷘ 25 Innocence
䷙ 26 Great taming
䷚ 27 Mouth corners
䷛ 28 Great preponderance
䷜ 29 Abysmal water
䷝ 30 Clinging fire
䷞ 31 Influence
䷟ 32 Duration
䷠ 33 Retreat
䷡ 34 Great power
䷢ 35 Progress
䷣ 36 Darkening the light
䷤ 37 the Family
䷥ 38 Opposition
䷦ 39 Obstruction
䷧ 40 Deliverance
䷨ 41 Decrease
䷩ 42 Increase
䷪ 43 Breakthrough
䷫ 44 Coming to meet
䷬ 45 Gathering together
䷭ 46 Pushing upward
䷮ 47 Oppression
䷯ 48 the Well
䷰ 49 Revolution
䷱ 50 the Cauldron
䷲ 51 Arousing thunder
䷳ 52 the Keeping still mountain
䷴ 53 Development
䷵ 54 Marrying maiden
䷶ 55 Abundance
䷷ 56 the Wanderer
䷸ 57 Gentle wind
䷹ 58 the Joyous lake
䷺ 59 Dispersion
䷻ 60 Limitation
䷼ 61 Inner truth
䷽ 62 Small preponderance
䷾ 63 After completion
䷿ 64 Before completion