CHAPTER FIVE

CONSULTING THE ORACLE

 

Exactly what will happen cannot be predicted. In that way one could say that an oracle is never accurate. That is what is so irritating and what rationalists always use as an argument against oracles, for an oracle always uses a kind of general symbolic picture, which can be interpreted, like all symbols, in many forms and on many levels.
M.L. Von Franz -- Divination and Synchronicity

There is a wide range of attitudes about the I Ching among commentators which runs from awe to near-frivolity. Blofeld's position is one of religious ritualism -- he recommends that the book be wrapped in a silk cloth when not in use and kept "at an elevation not lower than the shoulders of a man standing erect." One should wash one's hands before consulting the oracle, and follow a relatively long list of ritual observances, such as burning incense, facing in a prescribed direction, performing three prostrations, etc. He says:

Since we should consult the I Ching only on serious matters, it is well to set about it in a spirit of seriousness and to be prepared to spend an hour or so on each consultation, just as when we consult a lawyer or psychiatrist.

The opposite end of the spectrum is found in Sam Reifler's introduction to his poetical re-phrasing of the I Ching:

As a parlor game the I Ching is lots of fun. Because of the psychological and moral depth of the oracles, an I Ching session can be a significant, illuminating exercise in social interaction and self-revelation. However, as a solitary diurnal ritual, the I Ching can be a neurotic and ineffectual shortcut to decision for individuals whose anxious indecision leads only to inaction: our mal de siecle. Used in this way, the I Ching is a compulsive act, the meanings of the hexagrams are obscure and unfelt, and the ritual becomes a substitute for normal reactions to experience.

There is truth in each of these positions -- an overly "serious" approach removes the experience of the oracle from the context of everyday reality, yet a party-game attitude can reduce it to the level of spiritual strip-poker. To over-value the I Ching is to worship the finger that points at the moon; to under-value it is to treat it like a Chinese fortune cookie. That the ritual can become "a substitute for normal reactions to experience" can be either good or bad -- depending on one's intent. I have experienced it both ways, and suggest that the reader will only understand this paradox if he or she does likewise -- it is a necessary part of learning to find the middle way.

The Work requires both a worker and the proper equipment to do the job, and any competent worker must first learn how to use his tools correctly. It is my position that the Book of Changes is neither more nor less than a tool for the accomplishment of the Work, and like any tool it should be used in a workmanlike manner -- neither over-valued for its own sake, nor treated like a toy to be left outside in the rain.

An attitude of superstitious awe probably harms the Work more than one of banal familiarity, since the oracle itself will correct the latter view if the querent is even remotely sensitive to what is being evoked in the hexagrams. It's when we assume the attitude that we are in communication with God Himself that we restrict the Work through an excess of reverence and timidity. We aren't talking with a Supreme Being, but with our own transcendent Self, and the Self, although it often behaves like the wrathful Jehovah of the Old Testament prophets, really just wants you to pay attention and follow its guidance. You, as ego, are only the temporary projection of this much larger entity, and your ego-centric goals in spacetime are regarded by the Self as myopic and illusory.

The situation may be compared with the way we would regard the obsessions of a nine-year old child in relation to our own goals -- particularly if we were forced by circumstances to rely totally on the child to perform some action vital to our objectives. Here the kid is completely entranced with the latest playground fad, and you must somehow convince him to take the larger view of a situation which demands some adult decisions. If we further assume that your only communication with the child can take place via symbolic minimum-word telegrams, one begins to see the situation from the Self's point of view. It's little wonder that the Self sometimes behaves like a frustrated and irrational tyrant.

It is a common limiting belief that you are permitted to cast only one hexagram per question -- more than this is somehow "abusing" the oracle. This attitude comes from a literalistic interpretation of the Judgment in hexagram number four, INEXPERIENCE:

I do not seek the inexperienced youth, but he seeks me. When he shows the sincerity proper for divination, I instruct him. If he asks two or three times, that is troublesome, and I do not instruct the troublesome.

The fact is that sometimes just one hexagram does not provide enough information about the matter under question. A workmanlike approach presupposes that one uses all the tools available to accomplish the job at hand. A carpenter who wields his hammer only enough to pound nails halfway is hardly furthering his work -- indeed, he is creating an absurd and needless handicap for himself. The Work demands that the ego understand what is going on, and the Self will always provide answers up to the point where the ego has sufficient information to make a meaningful choice. One need never worry that he won't be told when he has gone too far -- the oracle seems to take positive delight in putting the ego in its properly subservient place.

The ego, on the other hand, must never allow itself to be so intimidated by the Self that it is afraid to ask questions of the oracle -- that is the only way to learn. Look at it this way -- the Self is just "you" on a higher octave. A proper interaction demands your acknowledgment of its superior authority, yet not to the extent that you deny your own reality as an ego doing its best to cope with a world it never made. A playfully adversarial relationship with the Self is probably healthy, as long as it isn't taken to the point of harming the Work. In other words, it's OK to be "familiar" with the Self, and it is essential to stand up for your legitimate rights. These can only be determined by your deepest intuition guided by the general principles of the Perennial Philosophy. In other words, consistently life-negating messages from the oracle must be thrice-carefully evaluated. You are participating in a Mystery, and it is the essence of Mysteries that they don't make immediate sense -- be careful in how you interpret them!

Carol K. Anthony, in her book, A Guide to the I Ching, provides some extremely useful and common-sense guidelines for consulting the oracle:

The I Ching rarely jumps from subject to subject. It teaches only one lesson at a time; to try to make it do otherwise is opportunism. Because of this, it is good to construct at least three hexagrams, to allow space for the subject to be developed. These, together with their changing hexagrams, make up a basic conversation for the beginning student.

It should be noted here that the commentators of all the versions of the I Ching I have ever read stress the importance of the "changing hexagram." This is the new hexagram which is created by the stressed lines of the cast hexagram. The theory is that when three heads or three tails come up in a figure they change into their opposite -- yin becomes yang, and vice-versa. For example, suppose you throw hexagram number forty-two, INCREASE, with the fifth line stressed (in this case, three tails): Because line five is stressed, it "changes" into a yin line, creating a new hexagram -- here, number twenty-seven, NOURISHMENT. This new hexagram is studied along with the cast hexagram as pertaining in some way to the matter at hand. Some commentators say that the new, or changing hexagram refers to the outcome of the current situation -- it indicates how the whole thing will turn out in the end.

However that may be, a continuous and intense study of the I Ching over half my lifetime has convinced me empirically that the changing hexagram is of relatively minor importance in interpreting any given oracle. Although one often gains varying degrees of additional insight into the matter at hand by considering the changing hexagram, as often as not it degenerates into an arbitrary exercise in trying to force symbolism into a pre-conceived framework. Although I do not ignore the changing hexagram, neither do I try to make more out of it than is immediately and naturally suggested by its image.

By the same token, some commentators place a good deal of emphasis on the creation of the "nuclear hexagram" -- a mildly complicated method of evoking yet another figure from the inner relationships of lines two through five. I will not describe this or how it is derived, since my experience has convinced me that the method renders an already complicated system even more complex to no particular advantage. For those who are interested, the subject is adequately covered by Wilhelm.

In terms of the Work, what is most important is that the ego understand the situation from the point of view of the Self. Just dealing with the hexagrams and their lines will keep you busy for at least one lifetime of study. To complicate this essential study through the creation of further abstractions suggests those abuses of thought which produce querulous arguments about how many angels can dance on the head of a pin. The quickest way to kill an intuitive experience is to structure it to death with thought.

The ego, as a spacetime entity, seeks information pertaining to a continuously unfolding situation. The Self, existing beyond spacetime -- a dimension where time in some way is not "linear" -- provides images of proper choices for the attainment of its own transcendent goals. The form in which the question is asked is usually structured in some way by spacetime conditions, although the answer received can often only be interpreted provisionally in terms of past, present or future.

Time is very fluid in the Book of Changes. Since the Self apparently dwells in a timeless dimension and seldom feels the necessity of responding to the ego's time- structured illusions, any given hexagram must be tentatively approached as an image of that which has been, is, could be, or will be. In addition, the hierarchy of the lines in the hexagram often images a temporal sequence. In this way extremely subtle answers can be suggested -- what may appear to be a puzzling and irrelevant image in terms of the ego's expectations, often becomes the Self's wry comment on the situation, the question, or the motivations which inspired it in the first place.

For example, suppose you receive a stressed fifth line in hexagram number nine, PASSIVE RESTRAINT, in response to a query:

Shows its subject possessed of sincerity, and drawing
others to unite with him. Rich in resources, he employs
his neighbors in the same cause with himself.

This can symbolize many different situations, but in its essence it suggests a passive strength, the aura of which inspires unity and cooperation from others in relation to the one so possessed. The oracle could be saying that this is the situation now prevailing, in which case it would be a compliment. Or, it could be prescriptive, saying that this is what you must do to harmonize the situation at hand -- in which case it becomes a mild rebuke, implying that you must pull yourself together. It cannot be emphasized too strongly that every line in every hexagram of the I Ching can refer to either the external or internal dynamics of the situation under question. Since spacetime is a reflection of the Pleroma, the "others" who unite with the subject of the above line can be either other people in one's spacetime situation or autonomous complexes within the psyche. Sometimes it can refer to both.

Like a carrot on a stick, the oracle addresses the next level of the ego's evolution -- one which is always just on the threshold of full conscious realization. Because of this, one never becomes a "master" of the Book of Changes -- the answers never cease to be a challenge to one's complete understanding. For this reason, "obvious" answers should always be examined very carefully. Quite simply, the Self is a teacher, and the aggregate of its answers always implies an open-ended evolution of the ego's awareness.

This "tentative teleology" is necessitated by the fact that the future is plastic, and to a large extent dependent upon our choices in the present. The actual choices available to any given individual at any given moment are nearly infinite, though the probable choices are limited severely by the accumulated consequences of his past choices -- that is, by his "personality." When one undertakes the Work, the ego finds itself deliberately not choosing on the basis of this old pattern. The Self now selects a new pattern of choices, and in the process transforms the psyche. Obviously, the degree to which this can take place is dependent upon the ego's willingness to go along with it -- a frame of mind which itself usually takes many years to mature.

Once this is understood, the ego begins to alter the structure of its expectations to conform to the expanding gestalt of the Self's imagery. Instead of asking questions based on either/or concepts, you begin to structure your queries in terms of images of an eternally unfolding situation, which is what life is anyway: "What forces are operating now?" "What do I need to know regarding X?" "Give me an image of my current position." This does not mean that either/or questions are never appropriate -- it simply acknowledges that the ego must learn to think in terms of process and change in relation to a transcendent goal which is seldom fully understood. In its simplest terms, you have to learn how to trust the Self, and at the same time how to ask your questions in ways which give the Self the widest possible scope for a numinous response. A numinous response is one in which the ego is given a sudden, shocking insight into its situation which transcends "normal" everyday perception.

If we accept the common analogy between the I Ching and a computer, we soon learn that our answers are largely determined by the way in which the questions are phrased. "Garbage in, garbage out," is applicable to the Book of Changes as it is to computer programming. This doesn't mean that the oracle won't always provide a meaningful response -- it means that our ability to comprehend the response is almost entirely dependent upon our ability to structure a meaningful question. Some commentators feel that the best way to approach the oracle is with no question at all:

The I Ching may be approached by a direct question, or simply be consulted with no question at all. A specific question is useful at times, but the answer may be obstructed if we try to make it conform to our question. Sometimes the I Ching will ignore our question and reply instead to the central point of our inner concern; sometimes it will ignore questions to prepare us for difficult or impending situations. For this reason, it is best to consult it without specific questions, as its answers are directed to what we need to know, anyway.
C.K. Anthony -- A Guide to the I Ching

As a general guideline this is a very useful insight into the way that the oracle works -- remember, the Self is an extra-rational entity who often chooses not to pander to rationalist expectations. Viewed as a dogmatic principle however, this passage is certain to cause confusion. It is impossible to make meaningful choices without first differentiating one's situation. The means of accomplishing this differentiation are many, but there is no substitute for written questions structured to evoke the hidden dynamics currently in operation.

The quotation mentions a relatively rare phenomenon which I would like to acknowledge and emphasize -- sometimes the I Ching will completely ignore the matter at hand and present an image which refers to an unknown impending situation. At such times the querent usually becomes totally confused, because there is no way to relate the image to the subject under question -- it seems to be a totally meaningless answer. (Fittingly enough, hexagram number fifty-one, SHOCK, is often received at such times, though obviously one cannot make a hard and fast rule about this.) Only experience with the oracle can alert you to these infrequent situations -- needless to say, when they do occur the ego is usually confronted with a good deal of confusion. At such times shut down your brain and allow your intuition to suggest the intended message.

An initially large part of the Work as conceived in this book consists of learning how to use the oracle, and the only way to do this is to use it often -- every day, many times a day. Be prepared to make errors, and be prepared to be confused -- this is your apprenticeship. After a certain period of time your intuition will develop to the point where you immediately feel that you understand almost every oracle. However, this phenomenon is just another phase in the progress of the Work. There is a big difference between thinking you understand, and true inner comprehension.

After a certain level of familiarity with the Book of Changes has been attained, it becomes very easy to fall into the habit of casting a hexagram, and then just quickly reading the paraphrases of the stressed lines. This is an excellent way to be trapped by what I call the "Croesus effect" -- the tendency to read your own hopes and desires into the image obtained, just as King Croesus automatically assumed that the "great realm" to be destroyed was Persia, and not his own.

It only takes a brief exposure to the oracle to become aware that the Self has a very unique personality. This entity can be a real "character" -- at times kindly and sympathetic, frequently humorous (sometimes at your expense), but as often as not an uncompromising taskmaster. If you "need" a certain lesson in your life, you may be sure that you will get it. The oracle is quite capable of exceedingly subtle answers -- answers which are easily misinterpreted if an inappropriate desire is ruling the psyche at the moment. Only experience can teach the ego to differentiate its choices wisely, and not to immediately trust what seems like a "favorable" oracle just because that's what it wanted in the first place. More often than not, the answer can also be interpreted just the opposite from your initial understanding. Remember King Croesus!

These lessons always come at the price of great soul-searching about whether or not you are deluding yourself, whether or not the Book of Changes is only a clever fantasy, whether or not there is any meaning at all in its images, or in life itself, for that matter. These are the problems of the Work, and they must be lived through -- polarized forces within the psyche are being brought into synthesis, and this can only be accomplished through extreme psychological stress. Remember the alchemical vessel -- the pressure cooker which transforms the psyche.

As mentioned, the stressed lines (those created by three heads or three tails) are the most important elements in any cast hexagram -- these are the lines which contain the principal message for the querent. It therefore becomes a matter of some subtlety to interpret hexagrams which contain no stressed lines at all. The general rule in these circumstances is to read the Judgment paragraph, and the message for the "superior man" which is almost always contained in the Image paragraph of the hexagram. In my paraphrases of the Images, I have eliminated the symbolism suggested by the trigrams entirely and simply stated the stance of the superior man in the situation. (Whatever meaning these symbolic attributions may have for Chinese readers, in my experience they are seldom lucid enough to bother with; the message for the superior man is the real meat of these passages.)

The concept of the superior man is a cornerstone of both Confucian ethics and the Book of Changes. Since Confucius was a devoted student of the I Ching it is not unreasonable to assume that a large part of his philosophy was directly derived from it. In the contrast between the superior and inferior man we clearly see the differences between an ego devoted to the will of the Self, and an ego which is ruled by archetypal complexes within the psyche. One of the best summary definitions I have ever read of these characteristics is contained in the letters to the editor of the June, 1985 issue of Harpers Magazine. The author is Henry Sobotka, and in this quotation we are again reminded of the difficulties encountered in translating Chinese into English:

"Lowly man" is a misleading translation of the Chinese xiao ren (literally "small man"), because it suggests inferior social status -- the little guy, the underdog, the socially oppressed; the Confucian term has a strictly moral connotation. Various passages in the Analects portray the xiao ren as someone who prefers profit to justice, mocks knowledge and learning, brags, flatters, is prejudiced, and ignores his own faults.

His antithesis is the Jun zi, the Confucian paragon of virtue, for whom no satisfactory English expression has been found. "Superior man" is simply traditional jargon for an eely phrase. Jun literally means "prince," while zi ranges from "child" to "disciple," "master," and "sage." "Prince-sage" is conceptually accurate, albeit awkward, and hints at a similarity to Plato's philosopher-king ... In Analects V, 15, Confucius characterizes the jun zi as modest in conduct, respectful toward superiors, kind in (physically and spiritually) nourishing people, and just in governing them. These virtues are wholly independent of the jun zi's social status, and Confucius clearly expects him to bear poverty and anonymity with as much equanimity as fortune and fame.

This is a nearly perfect portrayal of an ego devoted to the Great Work of Transformation. It is instructive to compare these images with two similar definitions found in Zoroasterianism:

Wisdom in the wise man shows in his perfect control over his own will, his training of his character, his ever- increasing cultivation of the virtues, his good deeds, righteousness, and good repute among men. His nature is to bring increase to the world of righteousness...

Wrong-mindedness in the wrong-minded man shows in his inability to control his will, his ruining of his own character, his productiveness of vice, his sinfulness, wickedness and ill-repute among men. His nature is to destroy the world of righteousness.
R.C. Zaehner -- The Dawn and Twilight of Zoroasterianism

These are archetypal concepts in the I Ching, in the Perennial Philosophy, indeed, in every ethical system that humankind has yet devised to guide its actions. What it boils down to is that the Work, by whatever name one wants to call it, is an obligation imposed upon us by inner necessity. The Work is life itself, and everyone is engaged in it at his or her own level whether they realize it consciously or not. When the Work becomes conscious we can take comfort in the knowledge that its eventual completion is now inevitable.

Any withdrawal from the world is, then, a betrayal of God; for man was created for the work he has to do, not vice versa. His allotted task...pre-exists him, and he must do it to the best of his ability.
Ibid

A BRIEF SUMMARY OF PROCEDURES IN USING

THE I CHING AS A GUIDE TO THE WORK

 

(Divination) is most suggestive to a versatile mind, unreliable in the hands of the unimaginative, and dangerous in the hands of a fool, as those intuitive methods always are. If intelligently used the experiment is useful in cases where it is a matter of an opaque structure. It often provides surprising insights. The most definite limit of the experiment is lack of intelligence and literal-mindedness of the observer. It is an intelligent apercu like the shape of the hand or the expression of the face -- things of which a stupid and unimaginative mind can make nothing and from which a superstitious mind draws the wrong conclusions.
Jung -- Letters, Nov. 15, 1958

1. Keep a journal in which you record your daily thoughts, activities, dreams and consultations with the oracle. This will soon become an invaluable record of the Work and its unfoldment. Flag significant entries so that you can find them again easily.

2. Differentiate your situation as carefully as possible, then write it down in the form of a question to the oracle. Avoid polarized attitudes of either excess reverence or frivolity. Try to reach an "observer-self" state of consciousness in which you are as detached as possible from whatever answer you receive. The following is a good description of this ideal (and difficult!) prerequisite to accurate divination:

It is a hard saying; but in order to divine without error, one ought to be a Master of the Temple. Divination affords excellent practice for those who aspire to that exalted eminence, for the faintest breath of personal preference will deflect the needle from the pole of truth in the answer. Unless the diviner have banished utterly from his mind the minutest atom of interest in the answer to his question, he is almost certain to influence that answer in favor of his personal inclinations.
A. Crowley -- Magick in Theory and Practice

3. Questions may take any form which will enable you to get a meaningful response. The following forms are useful guidelines:

Give me an image of my situation.

What do I need to know now concerning X?

What forces are now operating in X situation?

What will be the effect on the Work of taking X action?

What will be the effect on the Work of not taking X action?

Give me a report on my handling of the Work.

4. Throw the coins six times, recording each throw from the bottom to the top of the hexagram as either a magnetic or dynamic line according to the following formula:

H-H-T = A dynamic (yang) line.

T-T-H = A magnetic (yin) line.

T-T-T = A stressed dynamic line.

H-H-H = A stressed magnetic line.

The rationale for the above attributions is as follows: Traditional commentaries make the construction of the hexagram needlessly complex through the use of a numerical formula derived from the ancient yarrow stalk oracle. Since this numerical value is obsolete when using the coin oracle, the above attributions are derived from Wilhelm, who says that "the inscribed side (of the coin) counts as yin...and the reverse side counts as yang." The first discrimination to make therefore (since western coins are engraved on both sides) is to determine which is the "inscribed" side. This is easily done in terms of the order of the probably universal query made when flipping coins: "Heads or tails?" Nobody ever says "Tails or heads?" so we can assume that since heads come before tails in both the animal kingdom and in coin tossing, "heads" is the inscribed, or yin side of the coin. It then becomes a simple matter to observe the three thrown coins and identify the gender of the line by the "minority" coin -- the coin that stands out from its two companions. Thus H-H-T becomes a dynamic line because tails is the dynamic or yang side of the coin and it is here differentiated from the other two coins. Of course stressed lines are even more easily identified -- there is no other configuration to contrast with the polarized dynamic or magnetic line. H-H-H couldn't be anything but a magnetic line.

Look up the hexagram, study it, and then copy out the stressed material next to the figure you have already constructed in your journal. This may seem needlessly time- consuming, but it is the best way that I know of to really learn the structure and dynamics of the oracle. Even better than directly copying the pertinent material is to paraphrase it in your own words in reference to your understanding of the situation at hand. Be extremely careful not to distort the original symbolism! Also be careful that you have actually identified the proper hexagram -- it is amazingly easy to mistake one figure for another. So easy in fact, that one sometimes wonders if inferior forces within the psyche aren't trying to influence your reading of the situation.

Remember that the paraphrases in this book are just that -- if they evoke the true dynamics of your situation, well and good; if they do not resonate for you (and it is unlikely that they will in every instance), you are obliged to return to the imagery of the original line and create your own paraphrase. It is probably accurate to say that one really hasn't "tuned-in" to the oracle until the gestalt of each line creates an immediate comprehension that actually transcends verbalization -- much like a meaningful dream.

Do not forget that time is relative in the I Ching -- any given line can refer to what has been, is, will be, could be or should be. Occasionally an answer will be a kind of re-statement of your question, as if the oracle wanted to emphasize the situation, or merely confirm your assessment. Sometimes one might actually receive a line which is a negative image of the question. For example, I once asked: "Give me a current image of responsible action." I received hexagram number fifty-six, with the sixth line stressed. This shows an egregiously irresponsible way of behaving -- the oracle was showing me what not to do rather than what I had literally asked for. The message was nonetheless clearly understood within the context of my situation at the time. It is impossible to cover all of the possibilities in this or any book -- the only way to really understand the I Ching is to immerse yourself in it and let it do the teaching.

Act on your understanding and monitor the results as your ongoing engagement with the Work reveals new perspectives, insights and obligations. This is the hard part. Pay particular attention to your dream images and strive to understand them. A general study of symbolic systems is extremely helpful. The books listed in the Bibliography represent one point of departure for such a study.

Remember that the only "perfect" version of the I Ching is the Chinese original -- you can always learn a great deal by comparing and contrasting the available translations and paraphrases. At the very least, every serious English- speaking student of the Book of Changes should have a copy of the Wilhelm/Baynes translation.

As you begin to become familiar with the oracle, you will want to memorize the characteristics of the eight trigrams which in combination comprise the sixty-four possible hexagrams. It is your immediate confrontation with these images which results in the nourishment and growth of intuition. This totally non-verbal and subjective interaction is not qualitatively different from any mystical experience. Though it may not always be as dramatic as having a "vision of God on the road to Damascus," it is a repeatable and cumulative exercise which slowly transforms the psyche. The way to begin is to memorize the structure and symbolism of the oracle, and then allow that learning to expand organically at its own rate, just like any growing thing.

One of the first things to be learned is that the "personalities" of the trigrams are always interpreted intuitively according to the situation at hand. Their attributes are suggestive, and totally subject to the nuances of subjective insight. All of the trigrams are ultimately "neutral," inasmuch as their symbolism can be either “favorable” or “unfavorable.” The characteristics of the Middle Son, for example, seem to be quite negative until we realize that "The Abyss" can represent hidden profundity as well as hidden danger -- there is as much wisdom as terror concealed in the unconscious psyche. The happiness and joy emblemed by the trigram of the Youngest Daughter can just as easily represent irresponsible frivolity, and the brave decisiveness of the Eldest Son can as well suggest bold arrogance. Only constant experience with the oracle can create the necessary discrimination required for the accurate interpretation of its images.

Primary Sources

Blofeld, John (1965, 1968). I Ching, E.P. Dutton, NY

Cleary, Thomas. The Buddhist I Ching. Boston, MA: Shambhala, 1987.

--------. The Taoist I Ching. Boston, MA: Shambhala, 1986

Liu, Da (1975). I Ching Coin Prediction, Harper & Row, NY

Legge, James (1899, 1963). The Yi King, Dover, New York

Ritsema, Rudolf & Karcher, Stephen (1994). I Ching, Element Books, Ltd., Rockport, MA

Shaugnessy, Edward L. (1996). I Ching the Classic of Changes, Ballantine, NY

Siu, R.G.H. (1968). The Portable Dragon, MIT Press, MA

Wilhelm, Richard & Baynes, Cary F, (1950, 1967). The I Ching, Princeton University Press, NJ

Wing, R. L. (1979). The I Ching Workbook, Doubleday, NY