What is I Ching?
I Ching (我清) is the most ancient form of Chinese divination. Divination is an attempt to communicate with spirits and the unseen facets of the universe. It's a traditional practice which dates back thousands of years. It was recorded in text form around 1000BC, but existed long before that. In English, I Ching is sometimes called "the Book of Changes".
Yarrow sticks are used in traditional I Ching (image: Uncle Fester)
It is based on the concept of cleromancy, which considers supernatural influence as the decider of a variety of seemingly random numbers cast by probability, for example rolling a dice. During a traditional I Ching reading, yarrow sticks were used, but nowadays coins are much more common. The method assumes that the pattern in which these coins fall reflects the nature of the asker's inquiry or, in simpler terms, is the universe's answer to their posed question. Philosopher Carl Jung called this synchronicity. This means 'random' events and coincidences have meaningful substance and are therefore worthy of attention.
Despite its roots in Ancient China, I Ching has been a highly influential and popular practice across much of the East, and indeed the globe. It has played a significant role in the way the Western world has begun to understand the East. It has been relevant to religion, business, psychoanalysis, art and literature.
