With the many challenges that we all face, it is great to have some assistance to see what sometimes we cannot see because we are so blinded by our own expectations.
We live in a world where things are changing rapidly, right before our eyes. What was modern today is passe tomorrow. The technological advances that have been made just over the past 50 years are phenomenal. But one thing that remains constant is our journey towards wholeness and understanding who we are in this time/space continuum. The I Ching book of Changes never gets old or outdated. It can be applied to modern times as well as being Ancient, it seems humanity may change shoes but the path of the Tao remains the same.
Another great thing about the I Ching is that it is incorruptible. Unless you are able to determine what is the best reading for each situation you may find yourself in, it really doesn't work to try to make a certain reading happen!
I.E., when my children were young, I taught them how to use the Oracle. One day, one of my sons wanted to go outside, so I told him to toss the coins and see what he got for an answer. My reason was twofold. One, I wanted him to get more practice in using the Oracle and understanding how it works, and Two, I didn't want to have to say once again the big "N" word, lol, I mean "NO"! So he does the reading and thinking he knows what are the so-called good readings and the so-called bad ones, he made up the reading Hexagram #42 into Hexagram #50. What he didn't realize is the changing lines impact on the reading just as the Hexagram itself does. And while Hexagram #42 is called increase, it did not necessarily mean he should go outside. Not understanding that #42 is about Love seeking no thing in return, he could not understand how such a so-called favorable hexagram did not mean he could go outside!!
Below is a booklist of some of the books I've studied and found quite helpful. I use a variety of references so that I can get the best understanding out of the reading. Over time, I became less and less dependent on the books, and more on my intuition but initially, the books are great references. What I like about them is that they each have their own perspective on the Hexagrams... You can use them for various reasons in various circumstances.
The book I strongly suggest for anyone starting out is the I Ching Workbook by R.L. Wing. It has a good combination of the modern and traditional. It has a very good section on how to use the oracle. There is a chart of the Hexagrams and in the back there are a few pages for writing and documenting the readings you get. I have only one problem with this book is the binding of it. So I suggest you get a binder with three holes in it, and take the book out of it's original binder, 3-hole punch it and place it in the binder. Otherwise the book will eventually fall apart and the pages will fall out. Content is great, binding sucks, lol. You can pick a copy of this book up from Amazon.com.
Thirty years ago, there were few books to chose from. Now you can find the I Ching in your neighborhood library and actually do readings online at this website.. www.tarot.com. There are a host of websites that discuss the I Ching along with a host of Youtube Videos on them. Here is my list for your perusal. So, instead of having all them choices go with the one that calls you to it. It probably is the best book for you to get. I strongly suggest that you keep a journal of all your readings for posterity's sake. When you look back over them years from now, you will see the choices you made and how you managed the situations that came up. And basically, did you follow the advice?? Or did you assume something else was being told to you? Did you ignore it or take the readings seriously?
BOOKLIST FOR STUDYING THE I CHING
| TITLE |
| Connecting Lines: by Robert R. Leichtman, Carl Japiskse |
| A New Interpretation of the I Ching for Understanding Personal Relationships |
| Ruling Lines |
| A New Interpretation of the I Ching for Decision Making |
| Healing lines: |
| A new interpretation of the I ching for healing inquiries |
The I Ching Workbook by R.L. Wing |
| The 5,000-year-old Chinese book of wisdom, presented in a unique workbook format designed to help truth |
seekers find new meaning and
enlightenment in its ancient lore. |
The I Ching: Or Book of Changes by Richard Wilhelm, Cary Baynes  |
| The I Ching, or Book of Changes, a common source for both Confucianist and Taoist philosophy, is one of |
| the first efforts of the human mind to place itself within the universe. It has exerted a living influence in China |
| for 3,000 years, and interest in it has been rapidly spreading in the West. |
I Ching: A New Interpretation for Modern Times by Sam Reifler |
| Explains what the sixty-four hexagrams of the I Ching reveal about an individual's personality and future |
| I Ching is a practical and remarkably effective pathway to enlightenment. |
| The I ching on love: a reinterpretation of the I ching for …by Guy Damian-Knight |
| Explains how to interpret the hexigrams of the I Ching in relationship to questions of patience, leadership, |
| sincerity, modesty, aesthetics, innocence, depression, friendship, and truth |
The Kwan Yin Book of Changes by Diane Stein |
| "Kwan Yin", the Chinese Goddess of Mercy & Knowledge, is evoked in this adaptation of the ancient |
| divinatory system. This book returns the I Ching to Women's use and is a simple-to-use tool of great power. |
A guide to the I ching by Carol K. Anthony |
| The philosophy of the I ching by Carol K. Anthony |
| Very good resource for determining why certain hexagrams are presented in a reading |
The Book of Changes and the Unchanging Truth by Hua-Ching Ni |
| This masterful translation by Hua-Ching Ni is popular throughout the world. |
The Toa of the I Ching Way to Divination by Tsung Hwa Jou |
| "It's my intention that this book will encourage students to pursue a course of sel-development and to study |
| life, and nature, as it was the pursuit of these things that led to the creation of the I Ching in the first place." |
I-Ching: the hexagrams revealed by Gary G. Melyan, Wen-Kuang Chu |
| Introduces the non-specialist to the workings of the I-Ching giving twenty categories of each hexagram and |
| describes how with six tosses of a coin you can answer any question. |
The Astrology of the I Ching by Wen-Kuang Chu  |
| Discusses the teachings of the ancient Chinese book, the I Ching, and explains how to use the I Ching to make |
| predictions |
And here's a fun one!
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