Practicing the I Ching as a Part of Your Everyday Life
Not too long after I had the blinding insight of my first I Ching reading, I realized that I was turning to the oracle pretty often. At first, I'd scribble the questions and answers on whatever paper I had at hand, and ended up with lots of little notes I didn't want to throw away. I found that I wanted to have a place to keep all my I Ching work, so that I could see it all at the same time, and not lose it, and write down my thoughts and insights. I also found myself making little rituals around it, that help me hold it in a way that is powerful for me. This page is about how you might set up your own regular I Ching spiritual practice in your life.
Get a Notebook
This is basic. Get yourself a notebook to keep all your I Ching work in. I use a standard black and white composition notebook for this. Make sure to put your name and contact info somewhere on it - it would be sad to lose something like this. More on exactly what I write in my notebook a little later on this page.Get Yourself some Coins
If you have gotten to this point, you will probably want to get some special coins that you use for your I Ching practice. I get mine at a local store that sells imports and things like that. I like to pick them out myself, to feel how they feel in my hand, and pick out three that look the same. This is the ideal for I Ching coins - they should all have a clear "heads" (more marked) and "tails" side, and be as similar as possible. I did see that you can buy Chinese coins on Amazon, too, if you can't find them locally. Or you can just use three quarters or other coins that seem right to you. Some people have multiple sets of coins that they use at different times. I mainly just use one set.I keep my coins in a little bowl on my windowsill. Another nice idea would be to get a little silk bag or something like that to keep them in. It's important to me to make my practice a conscious ritual, and to feel like I am respecting the tradition that the I Ching came from, and that's why I choose the traditional Chinese coins.
Get at least One I Ching Book to Use
How I Practice
I'm going to write down how I practice, and hopefully that will help you think about how you want to do yours. You can borrow my way, or make up your own. Make it feel right for you, that's what's important!
I keep my notes about each question I ask the oracle in a particular format that I've developed over time. All my notes are hand written, and I devote a double open page in my notebook for each question and answer. Here's my format:
I like handwriting everything because I feel like it makes me slow down and think consciously about the words as I write them. I think this helps my practice to be effective for me, and I feel like it's respectful to the oracle to do each step mindfully and deliberately. I do not take my practice of the oracle lightly. I thank the oracle after I finish the process each time.
How to Ask Good Questions
Asking good questions helps you get good answers. I find that some of the best questions are both general and specific: They are open-ended, starting with something like "what do I need to know about...", and also contain specifics about what you want guidance on.Sometimes, if I just want to hear whatever the universe has to tell me, or I'm feeling directionless, I'll ask something extremely broad, like "What is today for?", but I usually find that my most powerful and helpful answers come when I put in some specifics about what I want help with.
Examples of questions I've asked, that might give you more of a sense of this:
- "What do I need to know about renting office space from Kevin?"
- "What do I need to know about Renee's intentions for me at work right now?"
- "What do I need to know right now about the possibility of working with Patrick Mayne?"
- "What do I need to know right now about the future - finding a way to be happy and have enough money?"
- "Financial jam - what do I need to do?"
- "How can I help Mona right now?"
- "What do Carrie and I need to know about opening an office together?"
- "What do I need to know about Ad: 18 Acres on Whidbey Island will sell for $13,000?"
- "Is Annapurna Center the right place for me to go for my vacation?"
- "What do I need to know right now for my trip to be joyful, helpful and wonderful for me?"
- "What do I need to know about Gracie's passing and her life?"
How to Get Yourself Ready to Ask a Question
There's a correct mindset for asking a question of the I Ching. It's not a casual act. It's more of a mini-ceremony or ritual. I get my materials together, sit down, and take a couple of deep breaths to ground myself. I try to get a little bit separate from the everyday stuff going on... one way I've been told is to imagine yourself sailing a little boat, and you get further and further from shore, until everything on shore looks very small. This gets you ready to ask the right question, the one you really want an answer to.When to Ask Questions
You can ask a question anytime you feel moved to do so. I try to treat the oracle with respect, and avoid pestering it. Most often I will not ask more than one question in a day, although there are occasional exceptions. Sometimes the I Ching will chide you when you ask too often or about trivial matters. But if you get an answer and truly don't know what to make of it, you can ask another for clarification. If you find that you're getting a lot of answers that don't make sense to you, review the two previous sections, on how to ask the right questions.Another time I ask is when I think the Universe is nudging me to do so. If I come across three of the same kind of coin, by "accident", I take it as a sign that the oracle wants to tell me something, so I'll roll a fortune. I think of this process as a conversation I'm having with the forces beyond my consciousness, and watch for the signs that they have something to tell me.
I think it's important to do what works for you, and makes it fun and useful. This is how it works for me. I'm including it here as examples of how I've made the I Ching oracle a powerful and useful part of my everyday life.
