The 64 Hexagrams of the I Ching
The Sixty-Four Hexagrams 六十四卦
Hexagram 1 — Qián, The Creative 乾
Hexagram Transformations 卦變
Building Hexagrams — Qián Trigram 乾卦組合
What is I Ching?
What Is the I Ching? 易經
The I Ching (易經, "Book of Changes") is one of the oldest texts in the world — roughly 3,000 years old. It began as a divination manual in ancient China and evolved into a philosophical classic that influenced Confucianism, Taoism, and Chinese culture at every level.
At its core are 64 hexagrams, six-line figures that each represent a distinct situation or archetype of change. Together they map every phase of transformation — beginnings, growth, conflict, resolution, decline, renewal.
The Question
A reading starts with a question. Not yes-or-no — the I Ching doesn't predict the future in that way. Instead, frame an open-ended question about a situation you're facing:
"What do I need to understand about this career decision?" or "How should I approach this conflict?"
The clearer and more sincere the question, the more useful the reading.
Casting the Coins 擲錢
Three coins are tossed six times. Each toss produces one line of the hexagram. For each coin: heads = 3, tails = 2. Add the three coins together:
| Sum | Value | Line | Changing? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | Old Yin | Yes → becomes Yang | |
| 7 | Young Yang | No (stable) | |
| 8 | Young Yin | No (stable) | |
| 9 | Old Yang | Yes → becomes Yin |
Building the Hexagram
Lines stack from bottom to top: your first toss is the bottom line, your sixth toss is the top. Six lines form a hexagram.
Each hexagram is also made of two trigrams (three-line units) — a lower trigram (lines 1–3) and an upper trigram (lines 4–6).
Reading Your Hexagram
Each hexagram comes with traditional texts:
- The Judgment — the overall meaning and counsel
- The Image — guidance drawn from the natural imagery of the trigrams
- Line texts — specific advice for individual lines
Changing lines (sums of 6 or 9) carry extra weight. They indicate where the situation is actively shifting. When you flip the changing lines, you get a second hexagram — the relating hexagram — which shows where things are heading.
The Deeper Structure 八卦
The 64 hexagrams emerge from combinations of 8 trigrams, each representing a fundamental force of nature:
Every hexagram is a pairing of two trigrams — 8 × 8 = 64. The interplay between upper and lower trigram gives each hexagram its character.
Explore all 64 combinations in the .