How to cast the I Ching with three coins
You need three coins, a way to record six lines, and a few quiet minutes. The method is simple, but the order matters: each cast creates one line, and the first line always goes at the bottom.
Assign values and cast six times
Use one side of each coin as 3 and the other as 2. Many modern guides call 3 yang and 2 yin; consistency matters more than which physical face you choose. Add the three values after every cast.
- 6: old yin — a broken changing line
- 7: young yang — an unbroken stable line
- 8: young yin — a broken stable line
- 9: old yang — an unbroken changing line
Build from the bottom upward
Record the first cast as line one at the bottom. Place the second cast above it, then continue until the sixth cast becomes the top line. Reversing this order produces a different hexagram, so it is a structural rule rather than a visual preference.
After six casts, the stable and changing line shapes identify the Primary Hexagram. If there are changing lines, turn every one of them to form the Relating Hexagram. If there are no changing lines, do not invent a second pattern.
How the online ritual stays trustworthy
In this site, every click commits one three-coin cast before its landing animation plays. Six committed casts form the result. Your question, timing, wording, and later interpretation do not select or alter the hexagram.
That separation matters: the coins create the pattern; the reading explains the pattern already formed. You can also cast physical coins and use this guide to record the totals.