Is an I Ching reading accurate, and is it bad to cast often?

In what sense is the I Ching “accurate”?

The I Ching is an ancient book of 64 hexagrams, each an image of a situation and of how to meet it. Casting lets chance pick one of those images, which you then set beside your own situation. In the predictive sense — knowing in advance how an exam, a relationship or an investment will turn out — there is no basis for calling a hexagram accurate. In the reflective sense, a hexagram is “right” when it helps you see a side you have been ignoring: haste, fear, someone you should consult, something that needs more facts before you act. So a good hexagram is not one that tells you what you want to hear, but one that makes you think more clearly.

How casting works on Inti Soul

Inti Soul's casting tool follows the three-coin method exactly: each toss of three coins counts heads as 3 and tails as 2; a total of 6, 7, 8 or 9 gives one line, cast six times from the bottom line up. Every probability is known in advance and public.

• Line 6 (old yin) and line 9 (old yang) each have a probability of 1/8 and are changing lines; lines 7 and 8 each have 3/8 and are stable.
• About 18% of casts have no changing line at all; the rest have at least one and produce a resulting hexagram.
• The hexagram is looked up in the Zhou Yi order of the 64 hexagrams from the lower and upper trigrams.
• Every cast is tied to a seed: the same seed always gives the same hexagram, so you can reopen an earlier cast instead of casting again.

Is it bad to cast the I Ching often?

Casting many hexagrams for many different questions is fine. What to avoid is casting again and again for the same question until a hexagram you like appears. The I Ching itself says so in the judgement of the Youthful Folly hexagram: «Sơ phệ cáo, tái tam độc, độc tắc bất cáo» — the first consultation is answered; asking two or three times is importunity, and importunity gets no answer. In today's terms: every recast is a way of brushing aside what the previous hexagram raised. If you feel like recasting, reopen the earlier cast with its seed and ask yourself why you do not yet want to hear it.

Is consulting the I Ching harmful, and should you do it?

Casting a hexagram does no harm in itself. Harm comes when the hexagram replaces your own thinking: casting before every small decision, worrying over a “bad” hexagram, or using a cast to avoid a conversation that needs to happen. Consult it if you want one more angle on an open question and are ready to take responsibility for the choice that follows. Stop if you notice you are casting for reassurance several times a day, or if a hexagram leaves you afraid rather than clearer.

What to ask so the hexagram helps

A good question is open and about the part you control. A few ways to rephrase:

• Instead of “Will this work out?”, ask “How should I look at this so I do my part well?”.
• Instead of “Does this person love me?”, ask “What do I need to understand about this relationship?”.
• Instead of “Should I quit my job?”, ask “What am I overlooking as I weigh quitting?”.
• Do not use a hexagram to guess numbers or find lost objects: that asks it to do something it cannot do.

When not to rely on a hexagram

For decisions about health, legal matters or large sums of money, or when you or someone close to you is in danger, ask a qualified person first. A hexagram can help you sort your thoughts afterwards, but it cannot replace a doctor, a lawyer, a financial adviser or emergency help.

Frequently asked questions