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I Ching -- Coin Method

To: alt.magick.tyagi,alt.occult.methods,alt.magick,alt.pagan.magick,alt.divination,alt.philosophy.taoism
From: xiwangmu 
Subject: I Ching -- Coin Method 
Date: Fri, 22 Mar 2002 10:06:02 GMT

50020322 VI

"DSJ" :
> Been looking at the different methods of consulting the I Ching, 

primarily I've seen Yarrow Stalk manipulation and 3 Coins,
though there are countless methods, even using the Classic itself!
as described in the recently-released Change Oracle:

     http://www.luckymojo.com/avidyana/huntun/01changeoracle.i

the bibliomantic selection of a hexagram can be used to generate
a binary value (3 or 1 Yin vs 3 or 1 Yang) and an octal value
(the *ba gua* or 8 trigrams, sometimes paired with numbers as
1-8; sometimes given binary values 0-7) that may be utilized as
described in the Change Oracle (URL above) to construct a 
divinatory hexagram, from bottom line upwards, with the same 
chances of obtaining each hexagram as when using the Yarrow 
Stalk Method (traditional). this argues its superiority.

> and I've discovered that most books conflict on which side of 
> the Chinese coin is YIN and which is YANG. 

1
Coin Method skews Approaching Hexagram (because traditional 
Yarrow Method tilts the result toward Young Yin by a factor 
of 7 to 1 (0, 1-7) and coins greatly adjust the outcome, 
depending on how you may use them. this is one argument 
given for avoiding the Coin Method. 

there is symbolism in the disk and square hole, the 'cash' 
and strings and swords which may be constructed of the coins, 
some logic in the adherence to binary devices for binary result.
this is argument for using Coin Method -- 

    also,

	  Solid Metal element connection (coins) 
        Classic Wood,                    (ching) 
        Incense Fire,                    (coal)
        Elixir Water,                 (compassion)
and  10000-Thing Earth.                 (cosmos)
 
likelihood of getting a Young Yang in Approaching Hexagram 
(because not tilted toward Old Yin in Primary Hexagram),
may be seen within Change Oracle, Tables 10 and 11, in an
elegant method suggested by mathematicians and constructed
by magicians.

2
"the Chinese coin" usually refers to one which is blank or 
flat on one side and inscribed with ideographs, often around 
a square center. given that the one side is blank, is it possible
that the p'u (uncarved nature) of the 'back' gives us a clue that 
the 'receptive' or YIN, the demure, the recessive, would be 
associated with it? or is the unformedness a key to its heavenly
(YANG-like) Neo-Platonic and Formal qualities, whilst inscription 
its manifest appearance?

> Ultimately I guess this is up to the owner, 

thing's possessor not necessarily master.

> but I would be interested in hearing from any of you who 
> could shed some light on this?

it is pretty easy to catalogue the array of suggestions by
known sources on Coin Oracle specifics. for example, I can 
tell you that the following completely consistently identifies
Yin as a value of 2, Old Yin (2/2/2=6 being compared with
Old Yang 3/3/3=9), though whether an inscribed or 'heads'
ought be identified with it or a blank or 'tails', there is
no *attempt* to be consistent, more than one source indicating
that the selection is arbitrary and any binary decision-maker
will suffice if clearly differentiated between possibilities:


	              Inscribed        Blank
                  ----------------------------
Legge--              YIN=HEADS (2); YANG=TAILS (3)
Wilhelm--                YIN           YANG
Blofeld--                YIN           YANG    (reversed is fine)
R.L. Wing--           YIN=HEADS     YANG=TAILS (reversed is fine)
Lynn--                   YIN           YANG
Cleary--             YIN=TAILS (2); YANG=HEADS (3)
Sherrill/Chu--       YIN=TAILS (2); YANG=HEADS (3)
Reifler--                 2              3 
Hook--                 YIN=2;          YANG=3; (you choose sides)

add more from *your* favourite sources! refine these and pass on!!

mu

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