I had no idea when I started my symbol series that I’d have so many things to talk about! Sure, I know symbols are everywhere, but how often do you stop to actually think about them? The last several posts were about divination symbols. Carrying on with that, today I’ll take a look at the I Ching. The I Ching is all about the dynamic balance of opposites — those forces beyond our control. Where have you heard that before on this blog? Luck.
The I Ching, with the trigrams involved, is considered the oldest book of divination that came into being before recorded history. It’s believed the book was conceived by the first of the Three Sovereigns, Fu Xi.
The Three Sovereigns, said to be god-kings or demigods, were mythological rulers of China from approximately 2852 B.C.E. to 2205 B.C.E. In that respect, Fu Xi is like the Egyptian proto-god Thoth. Like Thoth, Fu Xi also taught his people writing, among other things. And, just as Odin received his runes from Yggdrasil the World Tree, Fu Xi also received his insight into the I Ching supernaturally. Legend has it that he discovered the arrangement in markings on the back of a mythical dragon-horse that emerged from the river Luo. Some versions of this myth say the I Ching appeared on the back of a turtle.
A side note: calligraphy showed up the very same way.
Another side note: When so many cultures share striking similarities in their mythology, it shows you just how ancient the stories are. (Compare the lives of Jesus to Osiris/Dionysus and even Buddha, sometime.) Fascinating.
So… back to I Ching. Traditionally, yarrow stalks 
were used as I Ching staves. Coins are are often used today. These are cast and the symbols, or kua, are read. You start with hexagrams comprised of six stacked horizontal lines. The various combinations of lines in each hexagram represent states of change. These lines are either a Yang –a solid line, or a Yin — a broken line with a gap in the center. The yin (female energy) and yang (male energy) represent the duality in life.
When these lines are stacked, you get 64 possible combinations leading to 64 hexagrams. Like the runes (see yesterday’s post), each one means something. Basically, an unbroken line symbolizes the positive/yes and the broken line symbolizes the negative/no and these two primary forces in the universe affect the energy of all living things.
This is an excellent step by step example of I Ching being read:
Just for fun ~ Get your I Ching read.
Tomorrow ~
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Another 100 Things Blogging Challenge! For 100 days, I’ll post something from my chosen topic: Words on the Verge of Extinction. There are 63 entries to come.
Here’s one for today:
Quotientive (adjective 1871)
indicating how often
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It’s Wednesday and time for Hump Day happenings around the web.
Hump Day Hook
http://calliopesotherwritingtablet.blogspot.com/
Books Hooks NEW!
http://calliopeswritingtablet.blogspot.com/
Horny Hump Day
http://theancillarymuse.blogspot.com/
First Kiss Wednesday
http://exquisitequills.blogspot.com/
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First Kiss Wednesday!
Over on the Exquisite Quills blog we have a day dedicated to kisses. In 300 words or less taken from the pages of their novels, authors share their smackeroos.
Come join us today!
http://exquisitequills.blogspot.com/
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Today is author Paris Brandon’s blog day.
http://romancebooks4us.blogspot.com/
The February contest has started on Romance Books ‘4’ Us and it’s all about Cupid. Find the little cherub hidden all across the site to win. This month’s contest will have 2 winners who’ll each receive a $50 gift card for Amazon/B&N, then split the remaining prizes (randomly chosen by RB4U). Be sure to check all our pages for news about authors and their books, publishers and their books, and industry representatives. http://www.romancebooks4us.com/
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Several promotional opportunities for romance authors can be found on my Exquisite Quills group blogs. Meet the founding authors and our guests.
http://exquisitequills.blogspot.com/
Wash Line Monday ~ share your descriptions of clothing in your novel.
Tickle Us Tuesday ~ Share fun and funny snippets from your novel.
First Kiss Wednesday ~ share your best 300 word kiss.
Set the Scene in Six~ share your backdrop or lead-up on Sundays.
The Genesis of a Book ~ share the spark that ignited your novel.
Author Interviews ~ We’re booking late spring now.
Today’s author: Chelle Cordero
http://eq-recycled-reviews.blogspot.com/
A new place for your old stars to shine 😀
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Love Waits in Unexpected Places – Scorching Samplings of Unusual Love Stories
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/333971
Sample my love stories for free!
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Coming soon~
calliopeswritingtablet.wordpress.com 
What a lot of research, Rose! I was just thinking the same – about the similarity between so many myths, faiths and legends.
I love research. 🙂 It feeds my mind and fills my imagination with all sorts of story ideas. Now if only this case of writer’s block would end, maybe I’d write some.
I’m coming to believe our world has ages of mankind and we keep starting over. There are far too many extraordinary things turning up that were built before recorded history. Gobekli Tepe for example, or those pyramids long thought to be mountains in the Ukraine.
You have Doggerland in your area. Just imagine what sits below that section of the North Sea! I’d love to pull back the sea and have a look.
Very interesting blog, Rose. Also, educational.
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Jacqueline, and glad you stopped by. Yahoo got around to posting all my posts very late today.
Did you know Rose that all cultures share a flood story? It’s interesting how much we are alike (the world and cultures) even though we are so different!
What do you suppose that’s from? The glaciers melting? A tsunami? The poles shifting? It’s all interesting fodder for the writers like us. 🙂
Synchronicity in the folklore and mythology of the aboriginal people in most lands is fascinating, for example, the many Seven Sisters (Pleiades) stories. Perhaps some day we will be able to trace them back to the source legends in the same way we are now able to trace genealogy back to source.
Wouldn’t that be grand? What was the spark? I read somewhere where it’s thought the sphinx was recarved from an even older monument, 5000 years older than Egypt. Computer simulations show the constellation of Leo housed the sun on the spring equinox some 10,000 years ago. Right around the time they suspect the sphinx was first carved. Was it a lion with a lion’s head? What’s the story there? You have me thinking about the symbols of stars now. 🙂
I don’t know but I was told long ago that the Lion era and the Lion People (from a distant planet) were interconnected….