This is a beautifully simple print, showing the hexagrams of the YI JING / I CHING / BOOK OF CHANGES in the order they traditionally appear in classical texts, in rose gold foil on a kraft paper stock.
 
The YI JING or I CHING (“Book of Changes”) is the oldest known oracle, or divination tool. There are 64 hexagrams total, each made up of two separate trigrams or BA GUA. Each hexagram is composed of 6 lines, the straight lines representing yang energy, and the broken lines yin energy. In classical Taoist divination practices the user asks a question, and then throws three coins six times. Numerical values of 3 and 2 are assigned to the "heads" and "tails" sides of the coin. The numerical values are added up based on how the coins land (if all 3 coins land "heads up" they get a line of "9", and so on). Each throw determines a line of the hexagram based on the following assigned values, starting with your first throw or line making the bottom line of the hexagram, and then working your way up to the sixth (top) line:
9 ______x______
8 _____      _____
7 _____________
6 ______ø______
 
Then the person throwing looks up their hexagram in the I CHING and tries to interpret the advice of the oracle regarding the subject of their question. Advanced throwers can also learn to find meaning to the hexagrams without relying on the text, but by understanding the symbolism inherent in the yin and yang lines themselves.
 
**Frame optional - frame is a 12” teak wood magnetic poster frame. Some variation may occur in wood grain.