Art of Questioning
Art of Questioning is the practice of asking the right question to the I Ching. Open-ended questions like 'What do I need to be aware of?' are preferred over 'What should I do?'
Related Terms
Yarrow Stalk Method
The traditional I Ching consultation method using 50 yarrow stalks. A slower and more meditative process with different changing line probabilities.
Judgment Text
The text containing the main interpretation of each hexagram. These short paragraphs attributed to King Wen summarize the situation's general meaning and advice.
Coin Method
The method of forming hexagrams by tossing three coins. Each toss's heads/tails combination determines a line. A complete hexagram is formed in 6 tosses.
Image Text
The text describing the nature image derived from each hexagram's two trigrams. Advises how the superior person (junzi) should behave in this situation.
Line Text
The texts containing individual interpretations of each of the six lines in a hexagram. Only the changing lines' texts are read, providing specific guidance.
Fu Xi
The mythological Chinese emperor who according to legend discovered the trigrams. Believed to have created the eight basic trigrams by observing patterns in nature.