A WORKED EXAMPLE
What do changing lines mean in an I Ching reading?
In the three-coin method, totals of 6 and 9 mark changing lines. Flip those lines from yin to yang or yang to yin to find the relating figure. Keep the original cast record so you can see exactly what changed.
Start with the four possible totals
- 6: changing yin — broken now, solid in the relating figure.
- 7: stable yang — solid in both figures.
- 8: stable yin — broken in both figures.
- 9: changing yang — solid now, broken in the relating figure.
Number the lines from the bottom upward. “Line 1” is the bottom line, even when the figure is drawn from the top of the page.
Example: Hexagram 11, with line 6 changing
Suppose your six totals, in the order you cast them, are 7, 7, 7, 8, 8, 6. The bottom three lines are solid (Heaven), and the top three are broken (Earth). This is Hexagram 11, Peace.
The final total is 6, so the top line changes from broken to solid. The upper trigram becomes Mountain while the lower remains Heaven. The relating figure is Hexagram 26, The Taming Power of the Great.
As a modern reflection, you might ask: where can communication improve, and what skill or resource deserves patient development? This is an example of using both themes together, not a prediction of events.
Watch your own six lines form ↗Which text should I read?
Start by identifying the primary figure, the actual changing line positions and the relating figure. Then consult a reliable edition that includes the line texts. Readers differ on how to weigh multiple changing lines; there is no single rule followed by every tradition.
CastQigua currently shows a transparent coin record, figure themes and original modern reflection prompts. These prompts are not translations of the classical line texts. A highlighted line identifies a change in the figure; it does not, by itself, prove a specific event will occur.
What if no lines change?
With only totals of 7 and 8, the pattern stays the same. There is no distinct relating figure to display. Reflect on the primary figure rather than inventing a change.
Make it useful
Write down the figure, the changing positions and one practical question you want to explore. Choose a small action, then revisit your notes later. Judge important decisions using evidence and appropriate advice as well.
Compare the classical Peace text at the Chinese Text Project. Continue with the three-coin method or how to ask a clear question.