The Visual I Ching Journal and Kanguru
Yin and yang are represented by broken and solid lines: yin is broken (⚋) and yang is solid (⚊). Different constructions of three yin and yang lines lead to eight trigrams (八卦) namely, Qian (乾, ☰), Dui (兌, ☱), Li (離, ☲), Zhen (震, ☳), Xun (巽, ☴), Kan (坎, ☵), Gen (艮, ☶), and Kun (坤, ☷).
The different combinations of the two trigrams lead to 64 hexagrams. Click on any hexagram number in the table to navigate to an interpreted illustration for that specific hexagram. Illustrations created at Leonardo.AI by Jagman.
How to Use This Tool
To interpret a hexagram, you first determine your upper and lower trigrams. Find your upper trigram along the top row and your lower trigram along the far-left column. The number at the intersection of that row and column is your hexagram. Clicking that number will take you to the Hexagram page.
Kanguru
Kanguru is the resident divination tool of the website, using a JavaScript simulation of the traditional yarrow stalk method from the I Ching. In its original form, the yarrow method involves manipulating 50 yarrow stalks to generate each line of a hexagram. For more detail on the process, see the Ancient Yarrow Stalk Method.
To use Kanguru, simply click or tap six times on the image to reveal your hexagram. You will be automatically taken to your hexagrams page with the Wilhelm/Baynes translation for the hexagram or the dominant line if there are changing lines.
If you wish to include a question, click or tap twice on the feather pen at the bottom right. This will open the dialog box and reveal the autocast button. Adding a question is optional — the reading will still work without it.
The Coin Method
The most popular way to cast a hexagram is by tossing three coins six times. You may still use the journal to record your personal castings using the coin method by using the Hexagram lookup table above. Here is a breakdown of the process:
Toss the Coins: Assign a value of 2 or 3 to the coin faces (eg. Heads = 3, Tails = 2). Toss the three coins together.
Determine the Line: Add up the values of the coins. A total of 6 or 8 indicates a yin (broken) line. A total of 7 or 9 indicates a yang (unbroken) line.
Record the Line: Draw the line corresponding to the value you obtained (6 or 8 = broken line, 7 or 9 = unbroken line).
Repeat: Repeat the coin toss five more times to create a total of six lines, building the hexagram from the bottom up.
Interpreting the Hexagram: If you obtain a 6 or 9, it's considered a "changing line" or "moving line." If you obtain a 7 or 8, it's considered a "static" or "stable" line. The old yang changing line, 9 is drawn as a solid line with an x in the middle. The old yin changing line, 6 is drawn as a broken line with a circle in the middle. Using the table above, look up the hexagram you created. This will take you to the hexagram page where you can access the AI interpretation.
For more information, you can read the Wikipedia article on I Ching divination.
The Lines
The "dominant" line is determined according to an algorithm based on Alfred Huang's The Complete I Ching, in the case of a Gua (Hexagram) with more than one moving line, not all moving lines are to be consulted. The rules for consulting a moving line are:
- If there are two moving lines - one Yin and the other Yang - consult only the Yin moving line.
- If the two moving lines are both Yin or both Yang, consult the lower one.
- If there are three moving lines, consult only the middle one.
- If there are four moving lines, consult only the upper of the two non-moving lines.
- If there are five moving lines, consult only the other, non-moving line.
- If six lines are all moving, consult the Decision of the new Gua, the approached Gua.
- Since there is a seventh invisible line in the first and second Gua, Qian and Kun, for these Gua consult the seventh Yao Text, called All Nines or All Sixes.
This is the method used used to determine the dominant line.
For more information, you can read more about this on the Moving Line Wikibooks page.
AI Interpretation
Choose a viewpoint from the list, then click the "AI Interpretation" button to receive a reading shaped by that perspective. The interpretation begins with a brief, insightful summary of the hexagram and changing line, followed by a resonant quotation. A concluding paragraph offers guidance informed by your chosen lens and addressing the query.
The Viewpoints provided are described in greater detail at the links below. Choose one that you are familiar with or explore new philosophies of thought that support your personal development.
Inference AI is provided privately by Venice.ai.
The Journal
*This feature is in development saved data may be lost. Use at your own risk* The Journal is your personal archive for I Ching readings. When logged in, you can save each reading along with your queries, interpretations, and personal notes. Add hashtags, themes, or reflections to track ideas and insights over time. Reviewing past entries allows you to spot patterns, deepen your understanding, and explore how your readings evolve alongside your own journey.
Attractor Lab
Your journal holds more than individual readings—it contains the pattern of your entire journey. The Attractor Lab analyzes your casting history to reveal which hexagrams you encounter most (your attractors), how you typically move between them (transition pathways), and the overall character of your pattern (stable, exploratory, or somewhere between). Through interactive network graphs, heatmaps, and timeline views, you can see yourself from a new angle: not what the hexagrams mean, but how you move through them.