I Ching
Patterns of
Energy
There is a
wealth of Taoist knowledge revealed in the I Ching. The "Tao" can be translated
as the "path." The I Ching contains Taoist notions of oneness and that
everything in the Universe is part of a continuum.
The I Ching
is the result of observation into the nature of reality. Everything that happens
has a meaningful realtionship and significance of that moment. The I Ching is
like a web of numerous strands that interconnect through a complex but orderly
fashion with the rhythm of life.
Universal
Energy
There is an
invisible yet powerful energy that flows through everything in the Universe. In
Chinese philosophy this is known as "qi" and in yoga it is known as "prana."
This energy is believed to be the result of shifting energies between the
heavens (cosmos) and the earth plane. There are two primary poles defining this
energy, the yin (receptive) and yang (creator). The combination or interaction
of yin and yang results in the 5 stages of refined energy or what is known as
the 5 elements (earth, metal, water, wood and fire). These elements refelct
energy that moves in the macrocosm (universe) and the microcosm (human body).
The I Ching
empahsizes the need for each human to experience the relationships between
life's energies. This is what is referred to a spiritual approach to everyday
life. When we are able to balance the combined energies of yin and yang we are
able to experience a level of nirvana - "Being beyond the world while living in
it." This is why it is so important to engage in daily
meditations.
Building
Blocks
In Chinese
beliefs, patterns created by heating up tortoise shells (plastromancy), was
considered an oracle power to foretell the future. The tortoise symbolized long
life and happiness and revealed unusual black and white markings on its back. At
the time, (2953-2838), this was considered to be a sign from heaven and studied
by many scholars.
This
mathematical configuration is known as the Universal chart, representing the
universe and life. The building of this chart is based on the interacting
energies between heaven and earth. It is most commonly known as the ba-gua in
modern feng shui practice. The trigrams within this chart developed into
building the hexagrams (6 lines), reflecting specific spiritual principles based
on heaven and earth interactions.
What The
Hexagrams Tell Us
The hexagrams
are associated with evaluations of specific information for us to learn from. It
is about interpreting the state of play between the universe and yourself. Our
actions, thoughts and dreams exist in the same universe as everything outside
ourselves. In other words, the macrocosm (universe) exist simtaneously to the
microcosm (us) and therefore there is a common origin. When we seek to learn
from the I Ching we are actually tuning in to higher self, our intuition, and
divine spirit.
Preparing
Yourself
When
consulting the I Ching it is important to prepare yourself, empty your mind and
tune into higher self. With that being said, sitting in meditation is a perfect
way to prepare for your I Ching consultation. Addtionally, improving the flow of
energy in the body is also beneficial with the practice of yoga or qi gong.
Allow your
intuition to guide you to the questions you would like to formulate instead of
letting the ego mind to take the lead. You should only ask one question at a
time and reflect on the question prior to the coin toss - the most common method
of casting. It is important to use 3 coins of like denomination and toss the
coins using your left hand representing the "ida" or yin side or intuitive side
of the brain. You must toss the coins 6 times to build the hexagram. There are
specific formulas to determine whether the coin toss results in a yin or yang
line in the building hexagram process. You may consult any I Ching book for this
information.
Using 5
Element Theory
Using the I
Ching for an oracle reading can be very involved at a master level; however,
understanding 5 element theory can simplify the meaning for a present situation
by evaluatingthe upper trigram to the lower trigram and their interacting
elements.
Every
hexagram falls into one of the 5 possible classes of element relationship
(birthing, weakening, insult, controlling and assisting). For every hexagram we
can take the elements represented by the upper the upper and lower trigrams and
see which elementary relationship we have. Keep in mind it is always the upper
trigram that acts upon the lower trigram. The lower trigram is more yin and
receptive while the upper trigram is active or yang as it takes the heaven
position. The lower trigram represents the situation (what is) and the upper
trigram idicates the force or what is done.
Working
Example
Let's take for
example the hexagram 36 (Ming Yi). This hexagram comprises the trigram of earth
over fire or the trigram Kun (earth) in the heaven position (above) the trigram
Li (fire) in the earth position. In 5 element theory earth weakens the fire.
This means there is a weakening effect for success or advancement can be
difficult.
Hexagram 3
(Zhun) comprises water over thunder or the trigram Kan (water) in the heaven
position with the trigram Zhen (wood) in the earth position. In this scenario
water is fueling or birthing to the trigram Zhen or wood and therefore there is
full potential to build what you are trying to
accomplish.
Using the 5
elemental relationship theory gives a simplistic everyday approach when
consulting the I Ching for those times when you are looking for a little advice
from higher self. Remember to stay in the moment and tune in to the wisdom that
lies within.
Mary Jane Kasliner ~ Feng Shui Master * Yogi
