Alex Chiu's Online I-Ching © 2001  Registered with the US Copyright Office.

How to toss the coins

The most popular method of I-Ching prediction is to toss three coins in order to get a sign. This is how:

1. Hold three coins in one hand.  ( It could be any kind of coin.   All three coins must be the same type of coin.  So please use 3 quarters, 3 dimes, or 3 nickels, etc. )

2. Think about a question which you want to ask for a few seconds.

3. Toss the three coins on the ground or on a flat surface.

4. Record the result.

• If you got 1 tail and 2 heads, you record it as a single line [ - ].
• If you got 2 tails and 1 head, you record it as two lines [- -].
• If you got all three tails, you record it as a circle [O].
• If you got all three heads, you record it as an X [X].

5. You must toss the coins 6 times. Each time you must think about the same question for a few seconds before you toss. Record the result after each toss.

For example, if you would like to know when you can find a girlfriend, you toss the coins and got:

First toss 3 heads                                        X

Second toss 2 tails and 1 head                    - -

Third toss 2 tails and 1 head                       - -

Fourth toss 1 tail and 2 heads                      _

Fifth toss 3 tails                                          O

Sixth toss 2 tails and 1 head                       - -

This is what you should write down on paper. The bottom line is the first toss. The top line is the last toss.

                - - last toss
                O   fifth toss
                -   fourth toss
                - - third toss
                - - second toss
                X   first toss

The above is called a hexagram. A hexagram is composed of six lines. The top three lines form the top gua. The bottom three lines form the bottom gua.

The hexagram has Duay for top gua and Quen for bottom gua.

Now you know how to draw the line.  Now you need to locate this hexagram's name by searching in Quen gua's group. The Quen group contains 8 different hexagrams. Each hexagram in Quen group has Quen as the bottom gua. After you found the Quen group, just look for the hexagram in that group which has Duay for the top gua. That's it! You got the hexagram which is called 'Combine'! If you threw coins and got a hexagram which has Zen for top gua and Shun for bottom gua, just search in the Shun group to find the hexagram which has Zen as the top gua.

Okay, this is the hexagram [Combine]:

After you have successfully identified the hexagram [Combine], you need to draw a second hexagram.

The second hexagram depends on the 'O' and 'X'.  If your hexagram has only the solid and the dotted lines and has no Os and Xs, you don't need to draw a second hexagram.   If O or X appears on your hexagram, you need to draw a second hexagram. 

To draw the second hexagram, do the following:

• To the right hand side of the O, draw a dotted line.
• And at the right hand side of the X, draw a solid line.
• At the right hand side of all other lines, draw the exact same things. You get the following:

                1st hexagram    2nd hexagram
                P   wa  - -        - -
                B   yo  O          - -
                K   h   -           -
                G   m   - -        - -
                R   e   - -        - -
                P   wa  X           -

The solid line represents "brightness", or "Yang". The dotted line represents darkness, or "Ying". The circle represents "brightness turning into darkness". Which means, the circle is a solid line changing into a dotted line. So you must always draw a dotted line to the right hand side of a circle. The X represents "darkness turning into brightness". An X is actually a dotted line changing into a solid line. So you must always draw a solid line after an X.  The circle and the X are called "moving lines". The regular dotted or solid lines are called "quiet lines".

Now identify the 2nd hexagram.  Find it in the hexagram chart.   It has Zen at the bottom, so it must be in the Zen group.  After you found it, write down it's elements.

Do not write down the stars yet!  Write down only the elements please.

( Also, do not write down the hiders for the 2nd hexagram.   The 2nd hexagram does not need hiders. )

                P   wa  - -         sh  - -
                B   yo  O           s   - -
                K   h   -           w    -
                G   m   - -         cn  - -
                R   e   - -         y   - -
                P   wa  X           t    -

Next, we must also identify the stars for our 2nd hexagram.  But the 2nd hexagram's stars must follow the nature of the first hexagram.  For example, if the P star is soil in the first hexagram, then every soil element in the second hexagram must also be P.  If the B star is metal in the 1st hexagram, all metal elements in the 2nd hexagram must also be B.
               

So every soil element in the 2nd hexagram becomes P. 

Since the B star in the 1st hexagram is metal, all metal elements in the 2nd hexagram must also become B.

You got it?

Complete the 2nd hexagram and we got the following:

     1st hexagram            2nd hexagram
Soil      P   wa  - -     P   sh  - - Soil
Metal     B   yo  O       B   s   - - Metal
Water     K   h   -       R   w   -   Fire
Wood      G   m   - -     P   cn  - - Soil
Fire      R   e   - -     G   y   - - Wood
Soil      P   wa  X       K   t   -   Water

One of my students asked me this:

The answer is:  Look at the hiders of your first hexagram.   If there are elements which you cannot find in your first hexagram, they are hiding.  So look for the hiders!

After you have successfully written down the hexagrams, you need to record the month and the date of the toss.

You only need to record the month, the date, and the empty dates.  You don't need to record the year and the hour.

Print out the Chinese calendar, and follow the simple instruction written on the calendar page.  At the end, your hexagram should look like the following:

Caution!

In order for you to get an accurate reading, you must remember the following:

• Throw the coins on a flat surface.  Do not throw the coins on a bumpy surface.

• Hold the 3 coins in just one hand.  The hand should not be more than 7 inches away from the flat surface.  Gently open up your palm and drop all 3 coins on the flat surface.

• Do not shake the coins before you throw.  Just hold the 3 coins in one hand and drop the coins on the flat surface.

• The best coins are about 1 inch in diameter.  Some coins are too large and heavy, and some coins are too small.  Large coins are hard to toss and pick up, and small coins are hard to read.  So the best coin size is 1 inch in diameter.   American quarters are great because they are just the right size, easy to toss, and easy to read. 

• Don't throw the coins on a small table because the coins could roll and drop on the floor.  If the coins dropped on the floor, you must start all over again few minutes later.  I suggest you to place a piece of cloth on the flat surface where you throw the coins so that the coins will not roll away.

• If you are throwing the coins and somebody telephoned you, do not continue where you have left off.  After you have finished talking on the phone, take a few minutes break and do it all over again.

• Do not toss the coins when there are distractions around you. (For example: Someone is playing loud music, kids are playing, people are talking and laughing, etc.)

• If you do not understand the meaning of the 1st sign, you can toss the coins again and get another sign.  But if you already understood the meaning of the 1st sign, please don't throw the coins anymore.   For example, if you are very sure about what is going to happen because the 1st sign was very clear and understandable to you, you cannot throw the coins again just for the fun of it.  You can not say, "Well, I know what is going to happen already.  But I just want to toss the coins again to see if the result will come out exactly the same."  If you do that, the result of the 2nd sign will be totally inaccurate.  Once you are sure about what is going to happen in the future, you can no longer get an accurate sign.   Why?  Because if you just want to toss the coins again to see if the result will come out exactly the same as the first sign, you are not focusing on the original question anymore.  Now you are thinking, "I wonder if the result will come out exactly the same as the first sign?"  Your thinking is not pure anymore, and the result won't be accurate either.  But if you really don't understand the 1st sign, you can toss again and again until you understand the meaning of the sign.  For example, after tossing for the 2nd time and you still don't understand the meaning, you can toss again.  You can toss 10 or 20 times until you understand what the sign is saying to you.  All of them will be accurate as long as you really didn't understand the meaning of the previous sign. 

• If you don't believe the first sign, you can throw the coins again to get another sign.  But you must take a few hours break before you come back and throw the coins again. 

• Do not throw the coins unless you have something important.  A sign derived from the coins will reflect your mentality.  If you just want to test it or just want to fool around with it, the result will come out inaccurate.  But if you have something serious, the result will come out accurate.  Please toss the coins no more than 3 or 4 times a day.  If you toss too many times, your signs won't come out accurate.

• Just remember.  Usually, the first sign you got is the most accurate because you really didn't know what is going to happen in the future.  After you have tossed the coins many times, your mind will start playing tricks on you.   Your thinking will not be as pure as the first time you tossed the coins.   And the result will not be as accurate as the first toss. 

How to toss the coins I-Ching Index Charts Chinese Calendar Forum alexchiu.com ©2001  Registered with the US Copyright Office.   All rights reserved. Written by Alex Y.C. Chiu If you would like to write your own I-Ching book after you have mastered I-Ching, please ask the author for permission to use all of our element symbols, date symbols, calendar indications, charts, and the names of the hexagrams.  We encourage an unification of English I-Ching symbols so more people can learn about I-Ching.