Divinations Lesson: I Ching
((OOC: As stated before, you don't really have to sign up to participate, nor do you have to have been involved in prior classes. If the hexagrams or trigrams do not show up for you, I am sorry, but I'm not sure which coding needs to be enabled to allow that [for me, I can see both fine at home, but at work I can't see the hexagrams, but then, I also use different operating systems and my home system is set up so I can switch languages]. One of the pages I'm linking to has pictures of the hexagrams, so don't worry too much if you see weird symbols that apparently have nothing to do with the lesson [question marks, boxes with weird things in them, however your browser/system renders them]. So, yeah, basically weird encoding warning ;) )).
Kusuriyuri knelt before the class, watching as the students filed in. On each table was a small bag containing three round coins with square holes in them as well as a blank handout. At the end of the lesson, it would show the meanings of the sixty-four hexagrams made from the eight trigrams written on the board. He watched the students as they alternately toyed with the coins and paper or simply sat, waiting.
“When the class was well gathered, he rose. He waited to have the attention of the students before he began speaking. “The Book of Changes has long been a part of Chinese history from the beginning of the dynasties. It is an examination of the flow of yin and yang, of light and dark, growth and death, male and female. The origin of the I Ching is in trigrams. Each solid line represents yang, the light, masculine, hot or dry, and creative and aggressive. Each broken line represents yin, the feminine, the dark, cold and moist, and receptive and tranquil. Each trigram has a pair that is its inverse.
“To obtain a hexagram, the basis of the reading for the I Ching. The lower trigram speaks to the inner being, the upper to the outer. When each of the lines are determined, they are also determined to be old, or changing, or young and stable.
“The first trigram, three solid lines ☰ , represents creative force. It also symbolizes strength, father, the head, and heaven or the sky. It's opposite is three open lines ☷ , representing receptivity or joyfulness. It also represents the mother, the belly, and the earth or field. When combined into a hexagram, their meanings combine and compliment each other.” On the papers, hexagrams 11 ䷊ and 12 ䷋ appear with their meanings. “When the creative energy is within and the receptive without, then things are peaceful and pervading. When the receptive is within and the creative without, things may be stagnating. Further meaning assigned by knowing whether the yin and yang are old or young give further information as to where in the phase a person is.
“The next set contain two yang lines and a yin line. When the yin line is above ☱ , the trigram represents joyous openness, pleasure, tranquility, the swamp or marsh, the third daughter and the mouth. When the yin line is below ☴ , the trigram represents gentleness and groundedness, penetration, a gentle entrance, the wind, the first daughter and the thigh.” On the papers, hexagrams 61 ䷼ and 28 ䷛ appeared. “When joyousness is within, one is centered, and should remain focused, though care should be taken to avoid misinterpretation. When joyousness is without, one is reaching a point of preponderance of greatness, a point of criticallity.
“The next set alternates between yin and yang. The first contains two yang separated by a yin line ☲ . It represents radiance or clinging, light giving, dependence, clarity and adaptability, fire, the second daughter, and the eye. The next contains two yin lines separated by a yang line ☵ . It represents the abysmal, or a gorge, danger, motion, water, the second son, and the ear.” Hexagrams 63 ䷾ and 64 ䷿ appeared on the papers. “When radiance is within, it represents completion. When radiance is without, it represents incompletion.
“The last pair of hexagrams are two yin lines with a yang line. When the yang line is below ☳ , the trigram represents arousing, shaking, inciting movement, initiative, thunder, the first son and the foot. When the yang line is above ☶ , it represents keeping still or being bound, resting, standing still, completion, the mountain, the third son, and the hand.” On the papers, hexagrams 27 ䷚ and 62 ䷽ appeared. “When shaking is within, it represents the corners of the mouth, comfort, security. When shaking is without, it represents preponderance of the small or a small surpassing.
“To determine the lines of the hexagrams, we will be using coins. The smoother of the two sides is the 'heads' side of the coin, the opposite being the tails. The coins are tossed, best from the hands, though a container may be used. The coins are tossed six times for each hexagram, the lines forming from bottom to top. If three tails appear, the line is old yin and may be written as a broken line with an x in it, though this is a memory aide and not a representation that will appear within the hexagram definitions. If there are two tails, the line is young yang and is represented by a solid line. If there is one tail, the line is young yin and represented by a broken line. No tails is old yang and represented by a solid line with a circle over it.
“Old and young are to determine placing in the cycle. Old lines represent change and change is more powerful than stability as yin and yang are most powerful at the point they begin to change. This adds meaning to the interpretation of the hexagram but does not change the overall base meanings in the charts.”
The remaining hexagrams appear on the papers. “Study the meanings briefly to become familiar with them, and then cast your lines. You may, if you desire, ask a question to which you seek the answer. It is unwise, however, to ask the same question repeatedly or to rely upon the hexagrams for minute daily decisions. They speak to the overall flow of yin and yang, the greater changes in life. Some practitioners will not permit those under forty to have a reading so as to avoid creating dependency on readings.
“When you have your readings, discuss the interpretations with your classmates. If you need the assistance of this one, please, feel free to request it.” Kusuriyuri again knelt before the class, waiting, watching.
((OOC: The references and things bit now :D [yes, I know, all wiki, but honestly, this topic got kinda intimidating to me when I first decided on it and was looking at books as thick as the complete Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy {about 4 inches or so}, which is why it's been so long...]
References: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Ching
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Divination_with_I_Ching
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yin_and_yang
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_hexagrams_of_the_I_Ching [where the image files are, if you need them]
If you'd rather not toss coins, you can get a free reading here [you don't need to put in a name or a question if you don't want to, though it does give you 2 hexagrams rather than one, which is fine if your character would go above. If not, pick one and use it ;)]
http://www.facade.com/iching/
As always, if you want Kusu's attention, please put it in the subject of your reply as otherwise, I'll mostly just skim the replies.))
Kusuriyuri knelt before the class, watching as the students filed in. On each table was a small bag containing three round coins with square holes in them as well as a blank handout. At the end of the lesson, it would show the meanings of the sixty-four hexagrams made from the eight trigrams written on the board. He watched the students as they alternately toyed with the coins and paper or simply sat, waiting.
“When the class was well gathered, he rose. He waited to have the attention of the students before he began speaking. “The Book of Changes has long been a part of Chinese history from the beginning of the dynasties. It is an examination of the flow of yin and yang, of light and dark, growth and death, male and female. The origin of the I Ching is in trigrams. Each solid line represents yang, the light, masculine, hot or dry, and creative and aggressive. Each broken line represents yin, the feminine, the dark, cold and moist, and receptive and tranquil. Each trigram has a pair that is its inverse.
“To obtain a hexagram, the basis of the reading for the I Ching. The lower trigram speaks to the inner being, the upper to the outer. When each of the lines are determined, they are also determined to be old, or changing, or young and stable.
“The first trigram, three solid lines ☰ , represents creative force. It also symbolizes strength, father, the head, and heaven or the sky. It's opposite is three open lines ☷ , representing receptivity or joyfulness. It also represents the mother, the belly, and the earth or field. When combined into a hexagram, their meanings combine and compliment each other.” On the papers, hexagrams 11 ䷊ and 12 ䷋ appear with their meanings. “When the creative energy is within and the receptive without, then things are peaceful and pervading. When the receptive is within and the creative without, things may be stagnating. Further meaning assigned by knowing whether the yin and yang are old or young give further information as to where in the phase a person is.
“The next set contain two yang lines and a yin line. When the yin line is above ☱ , the trigram represents joyous openness, pleasure, tranquility, the swamp or marsh, the third daughter and the mouth. When the yin line is below ☴ , the trigram represents gentleness and groundedness, penetration, a gentle entrance, the wind, the first daughter and the thigh.” On the papers, hexagrams 61 ䷼ and 28 ䷛ appeared. “When joyousness is within, one is centered, and should remain focused, though care should be taken to avoid misinterpretation. When joyousness is without, one is reaching a point of preponderance of greatness, a point of criticallity.
“The next set alternates between yin and yang. The first contains two yang separated by a yin line ☲ . It represents radiance or clinging, light giving, dependence, clarity and adaptability, fire, the second daughter, and the eye. The next contains two yin lines separated by a yang line ☵ . It represents the abysmal, or a gorge, danger, motion, water, the second son, and the ear.” Hexagrams 63 ䷾ and 64 ䷿ appeared on the papers. “When radiance is within, it represents completion. When radiance is without, it represents incompletion.
“The last pair of hexagrams are two yin lines with a yang line. When the yang line is below ☳ , the trigram represents arousing, shaking, inciting movement, initiative, thunder, the first son and the foot. When the yang line is above ☶ , it represents keeping still or being bound, resting, standing still, completion, the mountain, the third son, and the hand.” On the papers, hexagrams 27 ䷚ and 62 ䷽ appeared. “When shaking is within, it represents the corners of the mouth, comfort, security. When shaking is without, it represents preponderance of the small or a small surpassing.
“To determine the lines of the hexagrams, we will be using coins. The smoother of the two sides is the 'heads' side of the coin, the opposite being the tails. The coins are tossed, best from the hands, though a container may be used. The coins are tossed six times for each hexagram, the lines forming from bottom to top. If three tails appear, the line is old yin and may be written as a broken line with an x in it, though this is a memory aide and not a representation that will appear within the hexagram definitions. If there are two tails, the line is young yang and is represented by a solid line. If there is one tail, the line is young yin and represented by a broken line. No tails is old yang and represented by a solid line with a circle over it.
“Old and young are to determine placing in the cycle. Old lines represent change and change is more powerful than stability as yin and yang are most powerful at the point they begin to change. This adds meaning to the interpretation of the hexagram but does not change the overall base meanings in the charts.”
The remaining hexagrams appear on the papers. “Study the meanings briefly to become familiar with them, and then cast your lines. You may, if you desire, ask a question to which you seek the answer. It is unwise, however, to ask the same question repeatedly or to rely upon the hexagrams for minute daily decisions. They speak to the overall flow of yin and yang, the greater changes in life. Some practitioners will not permit those under forty to have a reading so as to avoid creating dependency on readings.
“When you have your readings, discuss the interpretations with your classmates. If you need the assistance of this one, please, feel free to request it.” Kusuriyuri again knelt before the class, waiting, watching.
((OOC: The references and things bit now :D [yes, I know, all wiki, but honestly, this topic got kinda intimidating to me when I first decided on it and was looking at books as thick as the complete Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy {about 4 inches or so}, which is why it's been so long...]
References: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Ching
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Divination_with_I_Ching
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yin_and_yang
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_hexagrams_of_the_I_Ching [where the image files are, if you need them]
If you'd rather not toss coins, you can get a free reading here [you don't need to put in a name or a question if you don't want to, though it does give you 2 hexagrams rather than one, which is fine if your character would go above. If not, pick one and use it ;)]
http://www.facade.com/iching/
As always, if you want Kusu's attention, please put it in the subject of your reply as otherwise, I'll mostly just skim the replies.))