posted on Sunday, April 29, 2007 6:05 PM by Wandering Sages

Yijing Companion - 'Foundations of Change' by Stephen Karcher

Stephen Karcher's new eBook Foundations of Change is now available. It opens the deep foundations of the Way or Dao of the Classic of Change. It is a companion volume which can be used with any translation of Yijing (I Ching).

Foundations of Change begins by orienting the modern reader to areas that are essential to a deeper comprehension of the meaning and wisdom of Yijing. These include:
  • The   development of Yijing in its original historical and cultural context.
  • An in depth discussion of key rituals and beliefs which echo throughout the Yijing and which add a profound texture and meaning to the text which otherwise might simply appear to be descriptive poetic metaphor.
  • A clear explanation of the psychological and spiritual stance of the early Chinese which is assumed throughout the Yijing. By adopting this stance the modern reader is able to move beyond Yijing as a system of thought to embrace the realm of dynamic imagery which we enter as we put a question put to the Yi, re-creating the meanings and understandings which comprise our entrance to its Way or Dao.  
  • Part II of the book is a step by step explanation of the Tools or techniques that Stephen uses in his work with the Yijing. It includes descriptions of the different components of a reading and the way they can be used, offering explanations of the hexagram as Pairs, the different types of Pairs and the different sorts of change they represent, the use of Transforming Lines and Crosslines, and much more.
Part III looks at the process of consulting Change. It explores key words used throughout the text, explaining their deeper meanings and the way they describe the core processes of Change.  It discusses the processes we enter into when using Yijing and the ways in which they inform us. Finally it describes the mechanics of casting the oracle and drawing up the matrix of hexagrams that compose a reading.

Part IV details casting techniques – getting an answer.

Part V is a step by step walkthrough of a reading. Each part of the reading is systematically approached using the Tools from the previous section.

This book is the product of over 35 years professional study and use of the Yi. It draws on wide reading about old Chinese culture from many sources both ancient and modern.  By moving beyond the usual description of historical fact and modern methods for using Yijing it offers a depth, perspective and a stance which a diviner can use to enter into their own authentic dialogue with Change.

Kevin

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