I Ching 101: How to Cast the I Ching Coins?

In this sixth episode in the I Ching 101 series, we walk through how to cast the I Ching coins or how to use your own coins to do so. This simple process will support you to ask the I Ching your own questions and work out what hexagrams and changing lines to reference.
I Ching Resources, Links and Giveaways: linktr.ee/ichingcafe

[@lisaloveslenormand6357]

Thank you so much for this great explanation. You blew away the clouds and now I can see the I Ching much more clearly! 🎉

[@IChingCafe]

Yahooooo music to my ears, thank you! 😊

[@alexwelts2553]

I thought this was how to make your own coins, something I've been trying to do for several years 😂

[@blissbrain]

Thank you, This was such a great summary of the method of casting, and I needed a review!!! You explained it so well, and I want to replay and follow along a few times until I get the hang of it, and get familiar with the 2 for female and 3 for male, summing etc... Thanks again!!

[@IChingCafe]

Thank you soooo much for sharing that! And you tapped into something I forgot to mention in the episode that you can use it as a casting companion when you work with you coins. Happy casting! 😀

[@kellieliang]

Super easy to understand.

[@IChingCafe]

Thank you so much! 😊

[@CarolBlaneyPhD]

You did a superb presentation on using the I Ching, perfect! Thank you so very much.

[@IChingCafe]

Thank you so much Carol! My goal is to make this wonderful tool as accessible and practical as possible. 😀

[@fernandamccormack]

Thank you! Great explanation!

[@IChingCafe]

Thank you sooo much for sharing that! 😀

[@SagittarianArrows]

Thank you for a simple useable method. Watched from Sydney

[@IChingCafe]

Hello to you and our friends in Australia! Thank you so much for being here! 😃

[@kmjohnss]

you do such an amazing job with these videos

[@IChingCafe]

Thank you sooo much! 🙏

[@diurnalreign]

Excellent video. Following you

[@IChingCafe]

Thank you so much!! 🙏

[@azurite6452]

Thank you so much - I really appreciate this!

[@IChingCafe]

Lovely! Thank you too! 😃

[@taigo078]

Excellent interpretation 💟

[@IChingCafe]

Thank you so much!!

[@thegiggam2520]

My only method is counting the yarrow sticks - it takes much more time and is a kind of meditation - and quite an exciting process, as the hexagramm develops slowly. For me, casting coins is too fast and feels like consuming a quick meal - whereas counting yarrow sticks allows me to feel a little bit like Siddharta in Herman Hess book... But of course, the work lies in interpretation (thanks for the link russellcottrell) and I'm very happy I found you on Socials. So thank you, Belinda, for all the I Ching basics, the weekly and monthly divinations for us and for the tutorial about all the hexagrams.

[@IChingCafe]

This is just wonderful - that the process is so meditative and creates a meaningful ritual, sounds beautiful! Thank you for being here with us and working with this powerful tool so diligently. That makes all the difference! 🙏

[@AmberJan.]

Great explanation, thank you so much! I think I got it now! 😊

[@IChingCafe]

YAY! 😃 Thanks so much for sharing that. 🙏

[@jambovero]

Excellent tutorial,bravo

[@IChingCafe]

Thank you so much! 😃

[@user-kk5fm5ro8z]

Thank you, i just started learning and this was of grest help

[@IChingCafe]

That is just wonderful. Great to have you here. Happy learning as we all learn together! 🙏

[@zena5159]

Thank you! such clear and watchable videos. De-mystifying the mystical:)

[@IChingCafe]

Fantastic! Thank you so much for sharing that as that is my goal with this channel! 😀🙏

[@princiabeli]

tks, for your explanation. I liked the perspective of human design. Very insightful! Congratulations💯💫🌻

[@IChingCafe]

Thank you so much! 😃

[@finitamale]

❤

[@skeingamepodcast5993]

I do the yarrow stalks and it's a slower process, but very meditative. I also have iching oracle cards and coins too.

[@IChingCafe]

That is awesome! We had another follower comment they also found it highly meditative, so that is indeed wonderful. Thank you.😊

[@stefanantal9629]

what do you do if you cast 6 times and dont get any changing lines ? i guess- just read the hexagram , no lines and no new hex ?

[@inventorpaul]

I worked out a system of using binary 0 and 1 to replace the 2 and 3. Adding the numbers: 6 becomes 0, 7 becomes 1, 8 becomes 2, and 9 becomes 3, with 0 and 3 becoming the new transition numbers. It seems simpler, and works.

[@IChingCafe]

That is fantastic - well done!

[@ahmetumutergen9927]

Great video, but I did not understand the changing line and the elements, and also what to do with the chapters that arose. Is it in previous videos?

[@IChingCafe]

Thank you so much for being here! I do recommend watching the I Ching 101 series from the beginning. I also have a video in there on the changing lines. The tutorial playlist will also give a practical sense on how to use them. Maybe check that out and pop through any questions you have at that point. 🙏

[@emoryjoan6305]

❤Thank You for your instructions! What do think of the Divination itching Cards? Thank You-a Beginner at 73❣️

[@IChingCafe]

Oh wow that is just fantastic! The I Ching cards are a great tool to start with and build a feeling of the hexagrams. Mathematically, they are not as good to give a precise hexagram as your chance of pulling one hexagram is 1 in 64 where as the accuracy improves with coins and then even more so with the yarrow stick method. That being said, it is a great way of engaging with the hexagrams! 🥳😃

[@emoryjoan6305]

Thank You so Much 🌀 One more question if you don’t mind? I went for a IV liquid therapy & the attendant (after seeing I was reading Living Untethered) apparently went and did two hexagrams for me and showed me them at the end of my appointment. I now realize it shouldn’t work that way but these 2 hexagrams sure got my attention, as best as I can understand them. One book I couldn’t understand but I sure felt it working inside me❣️ Anyway have you done a reading on 43 & 44❓ If so I would love to hear your voice on this‼️ Thank You so Very Much ~ 🙏

[@MrRxac]

Thank you for your enlightenment. So we must use only 3 coins and a 6-toss method in I Ching ritual. The Chinese coins of mine have 4 glyphs on the head side, but more than 2 glyphs on the other. Is it still useful pretending that it has 2 glyphs ?

[@IChingCafe]

Thank you so much for your great question! Some I Ching coins are even blank on the yin side. I would suggest go with what you have and decide which side is yin. It does not matter if there are 3 glyphs, as long as you have a system that makes sense to you. Enjoy! 😃

[@phoenixoliviacopy2727]

Do you have to use coins or could you get the same result from using an I-Ching app that does the tosses for you and gives you the output reading after.

[@IChingCafe]

Thank you so much for the great question. Here is a video on app versus book that may help: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gaC9lWmobrOei5I The answer is...it depends...on how you approach using the app. And I do both. Best wishes!

[@eenoch4676]

what happens if you have 3 or more changing lines?

[@IChingCafe]

That's a great question. There are so many different ways of thinking about it. Check out this link to give you a summary. Will add to my list of topics for future episodes. Thanks! www.russellcottrell.com/virtualyarrowstalks/rules.htm

[@MrFoolingyu]

You get 2 hexagrams to be read in conjunction. The 1st is the original one cast, without making any changes. The second is the result after changing ALL the change lines in the original. Furthermore, deeper insights may be gleaned by examining each individual change line that is usually shown in the commentary.

[@D-777i]

Why do some people have a solid Yang line for an even number and others have a broken Yin line for the same? Which is correct? I'm confused.

[@IChingCafe]

THAT is a great question! I was also very surprised finding the same thing when I did research for this episode, and really scratched my head trying to understand why. There seem to be a couple of online resources with that story and then copies of those sites' materials in other places, yet I have never found such a reference in printed materials.

[@D-777i]

@@IChingCafe Thanks so much for replying. So far the best advice I've been able to find is that whichever way you go, stick with it! I'm going with a solid Yang line for an odd number and broken for Yin.

[@IChingCafe]

@@D-777i Awesome! 😀

[@hotfyraraber]

Can you use any type coins

[@IChingCafe]

Yes you can! Just make sure they are the same domination. Heads is male/yang (3) and tails is female/yin (2). Good luck!

[@towardsthelight4919]

I am so confused I have watched a couple of different videos and some videos are saying the ones with the four squiggly lines are yin and the one with the two lines are Yang though You say it’s the opposite? After watching four of five different videos on KZbin and it’s evenly split some people are using 4 line’s is Yang and some of them are using is Yin I have now no idea what I’m doing not your fault just wondering why this is?

[@IChingCafe]

Such a great question because, yes, both approaches are out there and I also found it very confusing. My I Ching teacher was of the view that you choose which side yin/yang is on the coin and then forever stick with that. For me, the 'full' side of the coin makes sense for yang versus yin, but I think work with what works for you. I hope that helps! 😉

[@MrFoolingyu]

There is another way of determining the line thrown called the "minority method" which accords with 2 glyph side being designated as YANG. Also, if you use yarrow sticks, and say you had 5 sticks +2 sticks + 2 sticks after a round, MORE is tails and less is heads. (Or yin +yang + yang) (or 2+ 3 + 3 = 8) That number, 8, = a broken or YIN line (ie the Minority of coins) "More is tails " can be seen to relate the coins to the yarrow sticks as follows: In the example above, 5 is tails. To denote this, place a coin with the side which depicts the 4 glyphs (MORE ) beneath the 5 sticks = TAILS The other two stick piles of 4 each will be represented by the double glyph coin sides. (HEADS). Then TAILS + HEADS + HEADS = 2 +3 +3 (Values assigned to heads and tails) = 8 9 yang (old) 8 yin 7 yang 6 yin (old) Just remember, MORE IS TAILS!

[@kevinshari8262]

Which would u read

[@IChingCafe]

Hi Kevin, do you mean which book to read or which lines?

[@prajnabala]

The yin is the coin with 4 figures; the yang is the coin with two.

[@IChingCafe]

Thank you! This specific issue is one of great debate across the community. I always suggest that if you are used to that way or it makes sense to you that way then keep going.

[@sidsouvey5543]

I mean no disrespect, but your method makes no sense, and contradicts another method I've seen. Let me explain: according to you, heads is yang and tails is yen, so if we get heads - heads - heads, that equals yang, and tails - tails - tails is yen: this part makes perfect sense! Now we go again and get heads - heads - tails. That's 2 heads and 1 tails, so logically that should indicate yang (heads - heads - tails = yang - yang - yen).according to Chinese authors I've seen, that should be a yang for thar line... but you say no let's add 2 for each tail and 3 for each heads (why???), equalling 8 which you say should be yen. Why? That makes no sense. 2 yang and a yin should favor yang, not yin. Who decided to add numbers to add up and who decided that even equals yin, and why did they decide that????

[@IChingCafe]

Hi Sid, your comments and questions are most welcome. What I have aimed to do is bring to the fore the most commonly used approach as I have encountered, both through my training and my teacher's training with her teacher, plus what I have found in my own research (including the method most commonly used in I Ching apps). And some see the yang side of the coin at 2 points and yin side 3, and there are many other variants. I can't speak to those as they have not been my experience. What might help is that the heads or yang is the yang 'side' of the coin which gives a number to add to other 2 castings to form the line, that is either yang or yin. I have had questions before on why if the majority of coins cast are yang does that not make the line yang? It seems the majority view is not what the I Ching is trying to convey. If you look at the trigrams for example, the 3 male 'son' trigrams are made of 1 yang line and 2 yin lines, not a majority. Same for yin. As to who came up with the counting system for coins, I have absolutely no idea but I am sure someone out there does and I would definitely like to know that too. I also saw many years ago (but could not explain it adequately) the mathematical basis behind the coins system as a mirror of the yarrow sticks approach, although logically to me the yarrow sticks method would be statistically more specific and nuanced (in a good way). I hope that helps!

[@sidsouvey5543]

@IChingCafe thanks for your response! Since asking my question, I've attempted some research on the matter... I found no less than 5 ways to interpret just the 3 coin method! One person suggested that with yang-yang-yin, the yin is a "young yin", so is preferred. The I ching book which I favor, "The Complete I Ching" by Daoist Master Alfred Huang is the opposite of yours... he makes yin=heads and yang=tails. I don't have yarrow sticks or bamboo sticks or cards or gemstones, etc. so I favor coins. The 8 coin method I have issues with due to the changing line structure.So, how to interpret 3 coins? The odds of a particular result are the same regardless, and I think the important thing is to pick one and stick with it. To me the Dao would know the method I'm using and direct the coin flips accordingly as long as I'm sincere and consistent, and meditate properly before and while making my flips (I flip my coins as it produces more "random" results than shake-and-toss). In the end, since I'm using Master Huang's book, I have decided to use his method. As a padawan learner, I want to listen to one voice, at least for now. I also like that his method is not the most popular... perhaps he gave it great thought and chose the path least traveled. Thanks again for your videos and your response!

[@Jes1FromFL]

More/Male, Fewer/Female

[@IChingCafe]

That is brilliant! Great way to remember. 😆

[@TranscendingAscension]

❤