The I Ching
By Donelle Darkefell
In the Chinese art of Divination known as the I Ching, coins or yarrow sticks are cast to build a series of six lines called a hexagram. Lines are numbered from 1 at the bottom to six at the top. Broken lines are yin, the passive, feminine force, while the unbroken lines are yang, the active male force (1).
The I Ching began as a far simpler system. "In antiquity, Oracles were everywhere in use; the oldest among them confined themselves to the answers 'yes' or 'no'. This type of oracular pronouncement is likewise the basis of the ((I Ching)) Book of Changes. Yes was indicated by a single unbroken line, and no by a broken line" (2).
These twin interpretations do provide some small bit of confusion. There is little that is Yin-like about "no", it is not passive but unyielding and firm. Then again it does not move, and is not active, whereas "Yes" narly always leads one to some form of ativity or another.
The need for further differentiation led to the development of 8 more lines (3). It is important to note how the I Ching's coloring of the rest of Chinese culture is so elegantly displayed as one looks at these 8 groupings of 3 lines each. All of them have to do with family relationships on some level, a very Confucian worldview. The lines are:
3 Lines, Unbroken: Ch'ien. The Creative. Strength, Heaven, Father.
3 Lines, Broken: K'un. The Perceptive. Devoted, Yielding, Earth, Mother.
2 Broken, 1 Unbroken: Chen. The Arousing. Inciting Movement. Thunder. First Son.
Broken, Unbroken, Broken: K'an. The Abysmal. Dangerous. Water. 2nd Son.
Unbroken, 2 Broken: K'oth. Keeping Still. Resting mountain. 3rd Son.
2 Unbroken, 1 Broken: Sun. The Gentle. Penetrating Wind, Wood, 1st Daughter.Unbroken, Broken, Unbroken: Li. The Clinging. Lightgiving. Fire. 2nd Daughter.
Broken, 2 Unbroken: Tui. The Joyous. Joyful Lake, 3rd Daughter.(4).
One's particular birth order in the world does not seem to actually hold any personality significange with relation to the I Ching, as in some other divination methods where the "fortune" in question is tied up as intricately with personality as it is with destiny. For example, I am the first daughter in my family, but I would not say that "The Gentle" has anything in particular to do with my personality. Nor is one necessarily Abysmal and Dangerous for being born the Second Son.
Eventually these 8 basic images were combined with others to form 64 hexagrams. The I Ching is capable of pointing out how and where the situation is changing, and what the right course of action is likely to be (5).
Though there is some arguement between yarrow stalks or coins as the best method of using the I Ching, I found no real difference between the two in the readings that I did when I did a general reading on myself. I could not think of a specific question, or perhaps did not want to admit a specific question to myself. This is, by the way, not great I Ching practice, as the system was designed for exact, specific questions. However, when the question is left 'blank' it can be taken as a question on the result of all the cumulative actions a person is taking at the time.
Both methods indicated some danger to me in the future. As is my practice, I immediately tried to analyze my life to ascertain what I am doing to bring danger about. For the moment, though I have hints and rumblings, I cannot pinpoint anything specific, though I am involved in quite a bit. I got one reading with Yarrow sticks that said my situation was evolving slowly and Yang was gaining ground, whcih may be a result of all that activity; yet the coins said Yin was gaining ground, perhaps a reflection of my inability to accurately pinpoint the situation and the need to wait and see what happens. There was some recent danger to me which the I Ching did not address.
The Yarrow Reading:
4 Broken Lines, 2 Unbroken, Hexagram 19, Lin, Appraoch: "There will be great progress and success, while it will be advantageous to be firmly correct. In the 8th month there will be evil." I cannot find any hints as to whether it is the 8th month from when some of my ventures started, the 8th month of the year, or 8 months from this reading, so I prefer to simply stay vigilant. "The fourth line, divided, shows one advancing in the highest mode. THere will be no error." I take this to mean that at least one of my ventures will go well. "The situation is evolving slowly, and Yang gains ground."
2 Broken Lines, Unbroken, Broken, 2 Unbroken. Hexagram 54. Kuei Mei, the Marrying Maiden. "The action will be evil and in no way advantageous." I found this confusing on its won, but can only relate it back to the first hexagram. I have chosen to be vigilant both against external evils and internal temptations.
Things Most Apparent: "K'un, Earth, transforms into Chen, Thunder. Docility and Receptivity are giving way to movement, initiative, and action." I'm not a very docile person, so I take this to mean someone else is about to take some action, or something lying dormant in my situation is about to come to fruition. If this is the case, the only control I can exercise is to be watchful.
Things Least Apparent: "Tui, Lake. Joy, pleasure, attraction." This can be things not apparent or things below or behind the situation. It is possible that the bad things ahead can bring good in the end, or this could simply be an inclination that I'm very much screwed.
The Coin Reading I'll condense a little bit, as I only wished to provide an example of the full reading. Some notes from that one include: "Progress, success. Advantageous to maintain the firm correctness of the superior man." Again a warning to maintain the moral high ground! As well that was my plan. "Occasion for regret that moves into good fortune." This seems consistent with the Yarrow reading. "No occasion for repentance." For me? For another? Unsure. "Yin is gaining ground. In the future, with sincerity comes brilliant success. Most apparent: Ch'ien, Heaven, moves to K'an, water. Strength and creativity give way to danger and the unknown." Could this be a source of trouble from one of my projects, then? "Least apparent. Li, Fire, gives way to Ch'ien, Heaven. Brightness and warmth to Strength and Creativity." Here I read the 'least apparent' as a quick look in the past, as I seem to have Li moves to Ch'ien moves to K'un when I put it all together.
One can clearly see, though, how the I Ching points to a course of action. In my final analysis, I see that one of my projects or activities may have earned me or will earn me an enemy, and the best I can do is to maintain the moral high ground and hold on for the ride. If I can do this and stay firm in my convictions then I should achieve some triumph or success out of all of it, even if the triumph is merely a growing experience.
Sources:
(2) (3) (4) (5) Wilhelm, Richard. "Introduction to the I Ching."
(OOC:www.igning.com/intro/introduc.htm)
(1) (Readings) Facade, Lynch. "I Ching Readings."
(OOC: www.facade.com/iching/)
The Oracle of Rama
By Natalie Banerjee
The variety of religious backgrounds in India has given rise to a wealth of divination practices. Because of the multiple gods and goddesses in Hinduism, the dominant religious practice, there is no one main methodology of divination, nor is there one oracle that Muggles supplicate to in search of guidance. Furthermore, the emphasis on karma- and the desire to achieve good karma to improve future lives- has lead to a profileration of divination beyond the boundaries of the wizarding community. Muggles regularly engage in divination by means of Vedic astrology, palmistry, numerology, and use of Oracles. Of these, the Oracle of Rama is one of the most accessible.
In history, Rama is listed as a King, some 60 rulers before the time of the Buddha. Yet he is also enshrined in Hindu Theology as an incarnation of God, specifically the seventh aspect of the Lord Vishnu (the Lord Vishnu being an aspect of the Divine, allied with the protection of the universe). Like the word 'Om', the word 'Rama' has come to take on holy significance in Hindu chant and prayer. The figure of Rama plays an important role in other cultures and areas, including modern day Thailand and ancient Persia. His life is detailed in the Ramayana, which was then, in the 16th century rewritten into the vernacular to be more accessible to the masses by the Hindu Saint Tulsidas. A shorter work of his, the Rama Ajna Prashna, is the basis for the Oracle of Rama.
What is an Oracle? In the most general sense, Oracles are a means of gaining understand or knowledge of our destinies, by tapping into powers or spiritual realms beyond the everyday. Mired in the day-to-day hubbub of life, Oracles are out of our humble reach. When we focus and use either a physical means (such as the two most common material oracles in use today, the I-Ching or the tarot) or a person as an oracle's medium (such as the Oracle of Delphi), we can transcend the earthly realm and access this higher plane of universal knowledge and consciousness. The Oracle of Rama, like the I-Ching, uses a book of knowledge as its basis, and through a series of focused thought and selection, a verse is chosen and interpreted.
The Oracle of Rama is divded into 7 chapters. Chapter 1 addresses his birth, as well as opening with major invocations to the gods and goddesses. Chapter 2 is largely historical, telling of Rama's youth, marriage, coronation, and exile. Chapter 3 retells the kidnapping of his wife, Sita, by a demon, and Rama's throwing his fortunes in with the monkeys to regain her from the demon's clutches. Chapter 4 breaks with the historical retelling to address his divinity, before chapter 5 resumes the historical telling of his search for Sita and the pitched battles to rescue her from demon hordes. Chapter 6 concludes his life as King, and chapter 7 consists of more in-depth astrological information and a wide array of divinations.
The Oracle of Rama is straightforward to use, which is not to say it should be undertaken lightly. The consulting of an oracle is a meaningful, powerful act, and must be approached with all due consideration and seriousness. To this end, the use is heavily proscribed: the evening before consulting the oracle, the querant should meditate and invoke the book. The oracle should be used on a favorable day, those ruled by benificent planets (Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday). It is even better if the book is consulted when the moon is bright and waxing. New moon is to be avoided at all costs.
The evening before the questioning, invoke the book, placing it in a sacred, safe space. Prayers and honors are made to God and one's guru, if one follows a guru. The language of the request is formal (here it is written in Hindi, then translated): "Tomorrow morning I will seek your answer to an important question. Please respond to me favorably." If one is querying on behalf of another, the phrase 'in regard to' is added. The next morningm after ritually bathing and meditating, the book may be approached. An offering must be made to the book, and further meditation upon Lord Rama undertaken. The more important the issue at hand, the more vital it is one achieve a full state of meditation by chanting 'Om Ram'. Then, and only then, may one consult the Oracle.
There are 3 methods of selecting the verse in answer to one's query. At the back of the book are charts. Using one's right ring finger, one randomly chooses a square on the first chart, indicating chapter, then the second chart, indicating section, then the third, indicating verse. This is the simplest method. The Coin method is similar and uses seven coins. The coins are numbered 1-7, taken into the hands, and shaken with one's eyes closed. Opening one's hand, one chooses with the right hand; this coin indicates chapter. The coins are shaken again, and the next chosen indicates section. A third time, and this coin represents first. The most complex method is the Lotus Seed method, where one amasses 108 lotus seeds, The Oracle of Rama is placed on a sacred spot, such as a cloth or altar,and the querant faces east. The one hundred eight seeds are placed in three piles. Using only the right hand, count off the far left pile by 7s, until 7 or fewer seeds remain. Repeat for the middle and right pile. The numbers of seeds left indicate chapter, section, and verse respectively.
The verse is selected and read aloud, then interpreted in light of the question. By being familiar with the story of Rama beforehand, the interpretation can have more meaning, and the questioning more successful. The ease of consulting the Oracle of Rama should not be taken to mean it is a minor tool; consulting an oracle is always a matter of import. Judicious, regular consultation of the Oracle on matters of import can help build a rapport, giving rise to even greater understanding.