I Ching Consultation
East Asian Medicine works according to Taoist principles. Although we try to understand it from a scientific perspective, it makes the most sense understood from the perspective of Taoism, which is itself essentially a scientific and physical epistemology.
The I Ching, or Book of Changes, is a mechanism of understanding our place in time and our responsibility from the same place of understanding. When we consult with the I Ching on matters of uncertainty or where we do not have a clear sense of a way forward, we receive a response that is clear, nuanced, and specific. The Jesuits who were among the first to translate I Ching into European languages considered it the voice of God. From another perspective we may call it the voice of the Tao itself. Jungian psychology can be said to be highly influenced from Richard Wilhelm's translation of the I Ching, so we may call it an oracle derived from the collective unconscious. Some may understand it better to think of it as what it is on the surface: a game of flipping coins. In any case specific and applicable advice is offered which maps a course for you, take it or leave it.
We begin by discussing the question together, its significance, and whether it is actually hinting at another, deeper question. The asker then flips a series of coins which map an image, called a hexagram. We explore the meaning of the hexagram to us before consulting texts together explicating the subtle meaning of the image the asker has drawn. We will use John Minford and Hua Ching Ni's translations and interpretations as helpful guides. Minford is careful to include interpretations from both Chinese and Western scholars to provide nuance and contour and Grandmaster Ni's interpretations provide clarity and direction.
As I have previously mentioned, the study of the I Ching in and of itself is a lifetime of study. I am a scholar without a lineage in the world of I Ching. I have the utmost reverance for those who have dedicated far more than I to the study of the Changes. However, I trust our work with the I Ching will contribute to your sense of clarity about the road map of your personal transformation.