A PRACTICAL I CHING GUIDE
The I Ching Three-Coin Method
Learn how to cast six lines with three coins, add the values, and build your hexagram from the bottom up.
What you need
Use three coins, a place to toss them, and a way to record six results. You do not need special coins. Before starting, assign one face a value of 2 and the other a value of 3. Keep that assignment for the whole reading.
Choose a question if you want a focus. A question such as “What might I be overlooking?” leaves space for reflection. The physical results are determined by the tosses, not by the wording of the question.
One toss makes one line
Toss all three coins together. Add their values and record the total. Repeat until you have six totals. Record the first result as line 1, at the bottom of the hexagram; the sixth result is line 6, at the top.
| Total | Line | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | Broken · old yin | Becomes solid |
| 7 | Solid · young yang | Stays solid |
| 8 | Broken · young yin | Stays broken |
| 9 | Solid · old yang | Becomes broken |
A complete example
Suppose your totals, in the order you toss them, are 9, 8, 8, 8, 8, 8. Your first line is solid; the other five are broken. This is hexagram 24, Return. The 9 marks a changing solid line. When it becomes broken, all six lines are broken: hexagram 2, The Receptive.
You can enter exactly those six values in the hexagram calculator. It will show the same result. If the first total had been 7 instead of 9, the primary hexagram would still be Return, but with no changing lines there would be no separate relating hexagram.
Why 7 and 8 appear more often
With three independent fair coins there are eight equally likely arrangements. Only one makes 6 and only one makes 9. Three arrangements make 7 and three make 8, giving probabilities of 1/8, 3/8, 3/8, and 1/8. The virtual coin tool uses this distribution; it does not choose the four totals equally often.
The yarrow-stalk method has a different distribution. This site currently offers the three-coin method and manual entry; it does not present a coin cast as a simulated yarrow reading.
Before interpreting
Check the direction of your lines and your recorded totals. Then start with the primary hexagram, notice any changes, and write down your own response. Read the changing-lines guide for the next step.
For traditional consultation methods, see I Ching with Clarity’s guide to ways of consulting. Our examples and commentary are original, not reproduced translations.