I Ching Card Study Spread

rachelcat

***See post 6 below for the latest version!***

This is a spread to use with I Ching cards. I am calling it a study spread because, for each Primary hexagram drawn, all of the other hexagrams will always be the same. There are only 64 possible readings with this spread! In other words, the only random card is the first one. All the rest are derived from it. It is basically a study of many ways the hexagrams are related.

I have cobbled together the positions and meanings from Bradford’s online book (www.hermetica.info), Stephen Karcher’s Total I Ching, what Rodney has posted about I Ching Simplified by Michael Secter, and other books and research. The meanings for the Transitional hexagrams are straight from Karcher, and I don’t know exactly WHAT they mean, so feedback, on those positions especially, would be greatly appreciated.

I Ching Card Study Spread

----------------13
----7-----------12
5---1---2---4---11
----6---3-------10
-----------------9
-----------------8

1. Primary. Shuffle and draw your Primary hexagram. This is the main answer and the subject of the rest of the spread.

2. Nuclear. Lines 2, 3, 4, 3, 4, 5 of the Primary. The hidden possibility, subtle inner nature, heart, or core of the Primary. Also the family of the Primary. (There are only 16 nuclear hexagrams, so the ones that share a nuclear are a kind of family.)

3. Seed. Nuclear (2, 3, 4, 3, 4, 5) of the Nuclear. The deepest heart/core, as well as tribe, the Primary. (There are only 4 seed hexagrams, the heads of 4 tribes.)

4. Inverse. Turn the Primary upside-down. (Lines 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 of the Primary.) This is usually the hex numbered immediately before or after the Primary in the regular order. (8 hexagrams are their own inverse.) The Inverse represents normal, expected change, such as growth or obvious cause and effect, from the Primary.

5. Opposite. Change all lines of the Primary. The Opposite represents sudden, unexpected, seemingly random, even shocking change from the Primary.

6. Reverse. Switch the trigrams of the Primary. (Lines 4, 5, 6, 1, 2, 3 of the Primary.) The Reverse represents a reversal or switch of the inner (lower trigram) and outer (upper trigram) attitudes of the Primary.

7. Evolutionary. Line 1 is the opposite of Primary line 6. All other lines move up one position (Primary lines 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 become Evolutionary lines 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.) The Evolutionary shows a possible long-range outcome of the Primary situation.

8. Line 1 Transitional. Change line 1 of the Primary. Line 1 Transitional exchanges information with the Primary (???).

9 – 12. Line 2 – 5 Transitionals. Change one line of the Primary to get each Transitional. These Transitionals are interconnected with (or relate the process to ???) the Primary.

13. Line 6 Transitional. Change line 6 of the Primary. The Line 6 Transitional is motivated by the Primary (???).
 

rachelcat

I've been messing around with this and working on doing one for each hex. (I'm up to 16!) Once I get done with all the hexes, I guess I could share the results. But then maybe the value is in doing the work yourself? Anyway, here's an updated spread.

I Ching Card Study Spread

----E-------T6
------------T5
O---P-N--I-T4
------S-----T3
----R-------T2
------------T1

Primary. Shuffle and draw your Primary hexagram. This is the main answer and the subject of the rest of the spread.

Nuclear. Lines 2, 3, 4, 3, 4, 5 of the Primary. The hidden possibility, subtle inner nature, heart, or core of the Primary. Also the family of the Primary. (There are only 16 nuclear hexagrams, so the ones that share a nuclear are a kind of family.)

Seed. Nuclear (2, 3, 4, 3, 4, 5) of the Nuclear. The deepest heart/core, as well as tribe, the Primary. (There are only 4 seed hexagrams, the heads of 4 tribes.)

Inverse. Turn the Primary upside-down. (Lines 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 of the Primary.) This is usually the hex numbered immediately before or after the Primary in the regular order. (8 hexagrams are their own inverse.) The Inverse represents normal, expected change, such as growth or obvious cause and effect, from the Primary.

Opposite. Change all lines of the Primary. The Opposite represents sudden, unexpected, seemingly random, even shocking change from the Primary.

Reverse. Switch the trigrams of the Primary. (Lines 4, 5, 6, 1, 2, 3 of the Primary.) The Reverse represents a reversal or switch of the inner (lower trigram) and outer (upper trigram) attitudes of the Primary.

Evolutionary. Line 1 is the opposite of Primary line 6. All other lines move up one position (Primary lines 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 become Evolutionary lines 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.) The Evolutionary shows a possible long-range outcome of the Primary situation.

Transitionals. Change each line of the Primary to get each corresponding Transitional. Change only line 1 to get Transitional 1, change only line 2 to get Transitional 2, etc. Each changing line text of the Primary leads to its corresponding Transitional.
 

rachelcat

Three years later, I'm working on this again! This time I tried to de-Karcher and streamline the position meanings.

(It doesn't look like anyone is interested in this, but Aeclectic is a good place to find my spreads if I misplace them elsewhere, so I like to keep the posts up to date! Plus, I keep thinking someone might be interested sometime . . .)

Here's the most recent version:

-----E-------T6
-------------T5
O---P-N--I-T4
-------S-----T3
----R--------T2
--------------T1

Primary. Shuffle and draw a card. Describes the situation. The rest of the spread expands the meanings of the Primary.

Nuclear. Lines 2, 3, 4, 3, 4, 5 of the Primary. The inner or unnoticed aspects of the situation.

Seed. The nuclear (lines 2, 3, 4, 3, 4, 5) of the Nuclear. The most basic character of the situation—one of four: 1. Active; 2. Receptive; 63. Complete; or 64. Incomplete.

Inverse. Turn the Primary upside-down (lines 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 of the Primary). Where the situation might be headed. Near future.

Opposite. Change the all lines of the Primary. What the situation is not.

Reverse. Switch the trigrams of the Primary (lines 4, 5, 6, 1, 2, 3 of the Primary). If the lower and upper, inner and outer, elements of the situation were reversed, it would be like this. But it’s not.

Evolutionary. Line 1 is the changed Primary line 6. All other lines move up one position (Primary lines 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 become Evolutionary lines 2, 3, 4, 5, 6). How the situation will develop. Longer-term future or outcome.

Transitionals. Change each line of the Primary to get each corresponding Transitional. Change only line 1 to get Transitional 1, change only line 2 to get Transitional 2, etc. Each changing line text of the Primary leads to its corresponding Transitional.

Attached is a pretty version.
 

Attachments

  • I Ching Cards Study Spread 2014.pdf
    86.1 KB · Views: 243

rwcarter

Wasn't aware of this and only have time to glance at it. "I'll be back" he said, impersonating the Terminator.... :)
 

Moonlit Jackal

Interesting.......I dnt have I ching cards but I'm tempted to get some though I have done actually I ching readings with the coins
 

rachelcat

Thanks for your interest, Rodney and Moonlit Jackal. I'm really looking forward to hearing what you think of all this!

Yes, I've made even more changes.

I switched the Reverse and Opposite positions because it makes more sense. (Reverse and Inverse are moving lines around, and Opposite and Evolutionary involve changing lines, so they belong on the same axes. Left and bottom for negative, right and top for positive--and future.) I was resisting switching the positions because I had made a set of flash cards with all the hex numbers in the old positions, but I don't think I'd really use them anyway. I'd rather figure out the spread at the time of the reading.

I also changed the order and the wording of a few of the position meanings.

And added the intro.

So here's a fresh version!

I Ching Cards Study Spread
July 10, 2014

This is a spread for I Ching cards. It’s called a study spread because, for each Primary hexagram, all of the other hexagrams will always be the same. In other words, when using this spread, the only random card is the first one, and there are only 64 possible readings. You can use the spread for regular divination (reading about a situation) or as a study of hexagram relationships.

-----E-------T6
-------------T5
R---P-N--I-T4
-------S----T3
----O-------T2
-------------T1

Primary. Shuffle and draw a card. Describes the situation. The rest of the spread expands on the meaning of the Primary.

Nuclear. Lines 2, 3, 4, 3, 4, 5 of the Primary. The hidden or unnoticed aspects of the situation. Something present but below the surface.

Seed. The nuclear (lines 2, 3, 4, 3, 4, 5) of the Nuclear. The most basic character of the situation, one of four: 1. Active; 2. Receptive; 63. Complete; or 64. Incomplete.

Reverse. Switch the trigrams of the Primary (lines 4, 5, 6, 1, 2, 3 of the Primary). If the lower and upper, inner and outer, elements of the situation were reversed, it would be like this. But it’s not.

Inverse. Turn the Primary upside-down (lines 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 of the Primary). Where the situation is headed. Near future.

Opposite. Change the all lines of the Primary. What the situation is not.

Evolutionary. Line 1 is the changed Primary line 6. All other lines move up one position (Primary lines 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 become Evolutionary lines 2, 3, 4, 5, 6). How the situation will develop. Longer-term future or outcome.

Transitionals. Change each line of the Primary to get each corresponding Transitional. Change only line 1 to get Transitional 1, change only line 2 to get Transitional 2, etc. Each changing line text of the Primary leads to its corresponding Transitional. Six possibilities the situation could change into.

A pretty version is attached!
 

Attachments

  • I Ching Cards Study Spread 7-10-14.pdf
    87.1 KB · Views: 278