Book of Changes (or Classic of Changes) is the English translation of I Ching. Ching means a classic book, one that is a channel for truth. I (or Yi) is the oldest part of the title, and means 'Change'. But what kind of changes?
Clues to this are found in the earliest form of the ideograms for 'I', which represented the moon, and was also used to denote a lizard, probably a chamaeleon. A lizard moves incredibly swiftly, responding with constant alertness to its environment, changing in an instant from perfect stillness to darting movement. A chamaeleon, of course, has another way of responding - it changes itself to harmonise with its environment. All these ideas - responsive awareness, staying in harmony with your environment - are important in the Book of Changes.
The cycling of the days, months and seasons is a constant theme of the Book of Changes. The symbol of the moon stands as a constant reminder of change and renewal. It waxes only to wane, wanes only to grow again. It vanishes in the light of day, but shines in the darkness. The message is simple: this too will pass, in the end it will change into its opposite in a ceaseless cycle. Rejoice in the light while it is here, and be reassured in the darkness that light will return.
But there is one more element to this symbol. It seems to show the moon with droplets of rain or mist - the moon is in a cloud, and the weather is changing. At night, the forms of the gathering clouds glow with the light of the moon. It shows you that change is coming, gives you the chance to prepare and adapt. The changes in the weather are not predictable like the phases of the moon: they may bring good fortune or the calamity of floods or drought; they will certainly have a direct, significant impact on people's lives.
The I Ching is like the light of the moon for the people who consult it. It is hard for us, living lives governed by the clock and more-or-less protected from the daily shifts in the weather, to appreciate the full symbolism of the early ideogram, but we are more than ever in need of a way to understand our present and gain insight into the future.
The Book of Changes is not simply a means of predicting change, but a way of harmonising with it. It enables us to respond to the demands of the moment with the versatility and naturalness of a chamaeleon. You can ask it for insight and advice as well as for help in anticipating the future. Above all, it is a marvellous help at times of change and transformation in your own life.
About the author:
Hilary Barrett is an I Ching diviner from Oxfordshire, England. Her I Ching website, I Ching with Clarity, is packed full of free I Ching information, including all you need to consult the I Ching for yourself.
