Free I Ching online

Ask a question and consult the sixty-four hexagrams of the Book of Changes for free, with no sign-up. The tool casts the six lines, marks the changing ones and works out the second hexagram when the situation is in motion.

The reading turns the sign into narrative tension: what force pushes, what resists and what transformation could become a decision, a scene or a turn in a character.

Consult the I Ching for free

How the cast works

  • You toss three coins six times. Heads count 3 and tails 2; each sum (6, 7, 8 or 9) gives a yin or yang line, from the bottom up.
  • Lines that come up 6 or 9 are changing lines: they flip into their opposite and lead to a second hexagram, which shows where the situation is heading.
  • Each hexagram comes with its image, its name, the situation, the advice, the meaning of all six lines and a note on how to use it in your writing.

From the symbol to your manuscript

The public consultation needs no account and keeps your question in your browser. With an account you can cross the reading with a real passage: the oracle relates the change to the characters, the conflict and the continuity already in your text. Philip K. Dick wrote The Man in the High Castle this way, casting the coins at every crossroads of the plot.

Frequently asked questions

Does the free consultation use AI?

No. The cast is calculated in your browser and resolved against the 64 hexagrams. AI only comes in if you choose to have the sign interpreted against your question or your own manuscript.

Can I save my consultations?

With an account, yes. They stay in your history with the date and the question, so you can reread them later and see what the oracle answered then.

Is the I Ching useful if I don’t believe in oracles?

For a writer, yes. A hexagram describes a situation of change, and applying it to your plot works as a creative constraint whether you take it as an oracle or as a die with literature on top.

The 64 hexagrams

  1. The Creative (Ch'ien): The Pioneer
  2. The Receptive (K'un): The Guardian
  3. Difficulty at the Beginning (Chun): The Newcomer
  4. Youthful Folly (Meng): The Apprentice
  5. Waiting (Sü): The Sentinel
  6. Conflict (Sung): The Litigant
  7. The Army (Shi): The General
  8. Holding Together (Pi): The Convener
  9. The Taming Power of the Small (Siao Chu): The Persuader
  10. Treading (Lü): The Envoy
  11. Peace (T'ai): The Gardener
  12. Standstill (P'i): The Dissident
  13. Fellowship with Men (T'ung Jen): The Standard-Bearer
  14. Possession in Great Measure (Ta Yu): The Patron
  15. Modesty (K'ien): The Hidden Sage
  16. Enthusiasm (Yü): The Agitator
  17. Following (Sui): The Disciple
  18. Work on What Has Been Spoiled (Ku): The Heiress
  19. Approach (Lin): The Mentor
  20. Contemplation (Kuan): The Witness
  21. Biting Through (Shi Ho): The Judge
  22. Grace (Pi): The Dandy
  23. Splitting Apart (Po): The Last of the Line
  24. Return (Fu): The One Who Returns
  25. Innocence (Wu Wang): The Innocent
  26. The Taming Power of the Great (Ta Chu): The Strategist
  27. Nourishment (I): The Wet Nurse
  28. Preponderance of the Great (Ta Kuo): The Atlas
  29. The Abysmal (Water) (K'an): The Survivor
  30. The Clinging (Fire) (Li): The Keeper of the Flame
  31. Influence (Courtship) (Hsien): The Lovers
  32. Duration (Heng): The Weaver
  33. Retreat (Tun): The Hermit
  34. The Power of the Great (Ta Chuang): The Conqueror
  35. Progress (Chin): The Favorite
  36. Darkening of the Light (Ming I): The Secret Keeper
  37. The Family (Kia Jen): The Matriarch
  38. Opposition (K'uei): The Rivals
  39. Obstruction (Kien): The Pilgrim
  40. Deliverance (Hie): The Freed One
  41. Decrease (Sun): The Renouncer
  42. Increase (I): The Benefactor
  43. Breakthrough (Kuai): The Whistleblower
  44. Coming to Meet (Kou): The Seducer
  45. Gathering Together (Ts'ui): The Master of Ceremonies
  46. Pushing Upward (Sheng): The Son of Nobody
  47. Oppression (Exhaustion) (K'un): The Besieged
  48. The Well (Ching): The Keeper of the Spring
  49. Revolution (Ko): The Revolutionary
  50. The Caldron (Ting): The Hostess
  51. The Arousing (Thunder) (Chen): The Castaway
  52. Keeping Still (Mountain) (Ken): The Contemplative
  53. Development (Chien): The Novice
  54. The Marrying Maiden (Kuei Mei): The Second Wife
  55. Abundance (Feng): The Monarch
  56. The Wanderer (Lü): The Stranger
  57. The Gentle (Wind) (Sun): The Gray Eminence
  58. The Joyous (Lake) (Tui): The Life of the Party
  59. Dispersion (Huan): The Reconciler
  60. Limitation (Chieh): The Keeper of the Rule
  61. Inner Truth (Chung Fu): The Confidante
  62. Preponderance of the Small (Siao Kuo): The Artisan
  63. After Completion (Ki Ki): The Victor
  64. Before Completion (Wei Ki): The Traveler at the Threshold