{"id":7744,"date":"2023-05-30T14:30:56","date_gmt":"2023-05-30T12:30:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.no2do.com\/synopse?page_id=7744"},"modified":"2025-07-07T19:08:45","modified_gmt":"2025-07-07T17:08:45","slug":"oracle-system-or-cosmology","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.no2do.com\/synopse\/en\/hintergruende\/oracle-system-or-cosmology","title":{"rendered":"I Ching: Oracle System or Cosmology?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is the I Ching actually?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As we discussed in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.no2do.com\/synopse\/en\/hintergruende\/from-oracle-bones-to-the-i-ching\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"7746\">previous chapter<\/a>, the origins of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.no2do.com\/synopse\/en\/glossar\/i-ching\" target=\"_self\" title='The I&nbsp;Ching (Chinese &#63968;&#32147;, y&igrave; jing, W.-G. I&nbsp;Ching, auch: I Jing, YI&nbsp;Ching, Yi King; \"The Book of Changes\") is based on cosmology and philosophy of ancient China, particularly Daoism (Taoism). Basic ideas behind the I Ching include balance of opposites and acceptance of change. The book describes the world in 64 images which in turn&hellip;' class=\"encyclopedia\">I Ching<\/a> lie in an oracle practice that utilized oracle bones and later <a href=\"https:\/\/www.no2do.com\/synopse\/en\/glossar\/yarrow-stalks\" target=\"_self\" title=\"For the I Ching various divination methods exist. When, for example, divination is done with yarrow stalks, fifty dried stalks are selected from a bundle and taken in the left hand. Then one yarrow stalk is put away. The remaining 49 yarrow stalks are divided into two piles and, taking four yarrow stalks from each&hellip;\" class=\"encyclopedia\">yarrow stalks<\/a>. Over time, this practical application gradually evolved into a systematically documented system. Alongside the questions themselves, the oracle priests recorded additional key data on the oracle bones. They described the resulting cracks, derived predictions, and retrospectively verified their accuracy. This development transformed the combinatorial oracle <em>practice<\/em> into a combinatorial oracle <em>system<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Is the I Ching an Oracle or a Cosmology?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In fact, the term cosmology encompasses an interdisciplinary field that incorporates insights from physics, astronomy, mathematics, philosophy, and other sciences. Its objective is to expand our understanding of the universe. Physics, for example, explores the origin, structure, and evolution of the universe, including galaxies and stars, while also investigating the possibility of life. Philosophical inquiries delve into the existence and purpose of the universe and individual entities, questioning the existence of a creator or higher order, as well as the role and place of humans within this cosmic framework.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The I Ching is Both: an Oracle AND a Cosmology<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In this sense, the I Ching can indeed be understood (also) as a cosmology. It is based on a philosophy that explains the world, its emergence and its transience as an interplay of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.no2do.com\/synopse\/en\/glossar\/yin-and-yang\" target=\"_self\" title=\"Yin und Yang are central concepts of Chinese philosophy, especially Daoism, which applies this dualism to everything. According to Daoism Yin and Yang are fundamental aspects of reality, simultaneouly interdependent and complementary to each other, rhythmically alternating during the course of life.\" class=\"encyclopedia\">Yin and Yang<\/a>, being and non-being. Behind the polar duality of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.no2do.com\/synopse\/en\/glossar\/yin\" target=\"_self\" title=\"Yin originally referred to the colder north side of a mountain, the shaded river bank or the darker, cooler south side of a valley. Later on Yin was associated with the idea of days with cool weather and overcast skies, with shadows and all that is dark, cool and humid, with water and earth, night&hellip;\" class=\"encyclopedia\">Yin<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.no2do.com\/synopse\/en\/glossar\/yang\" target=\"_self\" title=\"Yang was initially symbolized by the warmer, southern side of the mountain, a sunny bank, later the mountain as a whole. Subsequently Yang represented everything including light and bright day, summer and sun. Also dryness, air (wind) and fire were assigned to Yang, as well as increasingly warm days of spring, the warmer season's flourishing&hellip;\" class=\"encyclopedia\">Yang<\/a> lies a unified primordial principle from which all changes arise, yet it remains unchanged itself: the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.no2do.com\/synopse\/en\/glossar\/dao\" target=\"_self\" title=\"Dao is traditionally referred to as &quot;the path&quot;. Within Daoist philosophy it describes the eternal and active principle of creation which encompasses both original unity and duality. Dao thus constitute the basic principle of the world's creation, it is a principle of immanence (= all-pervading) as well as transcendence (= undifferentiated emptiness, mother of the&hellip;\" class=\"encyclopedia\">Dao<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lama Anagarika Govinda aptly summarizes this fact in his work: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.no2do.com\/synopse\/en\/archives\/1494\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.no2do.com\/synopse\/en\/archives\/1494\">The Inner Structure of the I Ching<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"art-des-orakels\">What Type of Oracle is the I Ching?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Before we address the aforementioned question, let us briefly examine the distinctions and similarities between <em>Wahrsagen<\/em> (<em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.no2do.com\/synopse\/en\/glossar\/divination\" target=\"_self\" title=\"The I Ching oracle is traditionally determined by using coins or yarrow sticks. At no2DO.com we go a different way and use a mixture of human factor and a computer generated random number. The main difference - besides convenience and speed - are the numerical values that are generated by the different oracle methods: no2DO&hellip;\" class=\"encyclopedia\">divination<\/a><\/em>) and <em>Weissagen<\/em> (<em>prophecy<\/em>). These terms, to the best of my knowledge, are differentiated in the German language but may be used interchangeably in other languages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Both terms, <em>Wahrsagen<\/em> (divination) and <em>Weissagen<\/em> (prophecy), refer to practices involving the transmission of information whose origin lies outside of human everyday consciousness or scientific knowledge. Setting aside personal philosophical or scientific beliefs, we can neutrally describe the origin of the transmitted information as coming &ldquo;from a higher instance&rdquo; or &ldquo;from a higher perspective&rdquo; or even &ldquo;from the unconscious\/preconscious&rdquo;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Despite this similarity, there are differences between Wahrsagen (divination) and Weissagen (prophecy):<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Weissagung (prophecy) tends to be more general in content, often occurring spontaneously and requiring mediumistic or clairvoyant abilities. It is primarily transpersonal, extending beyond the personal level of the questioner\/intermediary\/medium and worldly events.<br>Examples of Weissagung (prophecy) include biblical prophecies or the predictions of Nostradamus.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Wahrsagung<\/strong> (divination) on the other hand, always responds to a specific <strong>personal<\/strong> question, which limits the scope of the response in terms of time, space, or individuals involved. Throughout history, various divination methods have emerged: guided visualization, pendulums, card reading, lead casting, and astrology.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The challenge in divination techniques lies in interpreting the signs obtained &ldquo;by chance&rdquo; within the framework of the chosen methodology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Binary systems<\/strong>, like tossing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.no2do.com\/synopse\/en\/glossar\/coins\" target=\"_self\" title=\"Usually three coin are used for divination. 3 is assigned as a value to the front of each coin, the 2 to the back. By tossing coins, the total value is 6, 7, 8 or 9, with 6 and 8 representing a broken line (yin) and 7 and 9 representing a solid line (yang). This&hellip;\" class=\"encyclopedia\">coins<\/a> (&ldquo;heads or tails&rdquo;), are relatively straightforward as they require no further interpretation.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Combinatorial systems<\/strong>, such as Tarot cards, assign individual meanings to each card, which must also be interpreted in relation to the surrounding cards.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A third category consists of <strong>systematized<\/strong> (objectifying) <strong>combinatorial systems<\/strong>, such as astrology. These systems rely on a framework that establishes the relationships between individual elements according to a fixed set of rules. In astrology, for instance, these elements include the signs of the zodiac, planetary constellations, and houses. The underlying set of rules enables the rational understanding of the &ldquo;random&ldquo; initial situation, such as the time of birth in astrology, while still allowing for interpretation. This flexibility ensures that systematic conclusions can be applied to to the questioner&lsquo;s individual situation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><tbody><tr><th><\/th><th>Binary Systems<\/th><th>Combinatorial Systems<\/th><th><a href=\"https:\/\/www.no2do.com\/synopse\/en\/glossar\/systematized-combinatorial-system\" target=\"_self\" title=\"A systematized (objectifying) combinatorial system is an oracle that provides a fixed set of rules to establishes the relationships between individual elements of the divination. In astrology, for instance, these elements include the signs of the zodiac, planetary constellations, and houses. The underlying set of rules enables the rational understanding of the &ldquo;random&ldquo; initial situation,&hellip;\" class=\"encyclopedia\">Systematized Combinatorial System<\/a>s<\/th><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Example<\/strong><\/td><td>Tossing coins<\/td><td>Tarot cards<\/td><td>Astrology, I Ching<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Path to finding the answer<\/strong><\/td><td>Question <br>&rarr; Random result <br>&rarr; Answer<\/td><td>Question <br>&rarr; Random result plus interpretation <br>&rarr; Answer<\/td><td>Question <br>&rarr; Random result plus fixed set of rules plus interpretation <br>&rarr; Answer<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Comparison of different methods of divination<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The I Ching as a Systematized Combinatorial (Divination) System<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The I Ching, like astrology, is a systematized combinatorial (divination) system that operates based on rules while also incorporating an element of chance. It provides a structured framework for obtaining answers, allowing for individual interpretation and adaption of the general response to the specific situation and the cultural background of the questioner. However, the depth of insight obtained from the I Ching largely relies on the quality of interpretation and the intuitive abilities of the interpreter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group ergaenzungen\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Bibliography<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"quellenverzeichnis wp-block-paragraph\">&mdash; &ldquo;Wahrsagen.&rdquo; 2023. In <em>Wikipedia<\/em>. <a href=\"https:\/\/de.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Wahrsagen\">https:\/\/de.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Wahrsagen<\/a>.<br>&mdash; &ldquo;Synchronizit&auml;t.&rdquo; 2023. In <em>Wikipedia<\/em>. <a href=\"https:\/\/de.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Synchronizit%C3%A4t\">https:\/\/de.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Synchronizit%C3%A4t<\/a>.<br>&mdash; Hertzer, Dominique. 1996. <em>Das <a href=\"https:\/\/www.no2do.com\/synopse\/en\/glossar\/mawangdui\" target=\"_self\" title=\"Archaeological site located in Changsha, China. In 1972, a tomb library was discovered there, which contains, among other things, a copy of the I Ching, which is much older than the textus receptus known so far and deviates from it by about 25 %. If one compares the content of the I Ching from the&hellip;\" class=\"encyclopedia\">Mawangdui<\/a>-Yijing. Text und Deutung<\/em>. M&uuml;nchen: Diederichs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Read more<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<!-- Page-list plugin v.6.3 wordpress.org\/plugins\/page-list\/ -->\n<ul class=\"page-list \">\n<li class=\"page_item page-item-927\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.no2do.com\/synopse\/en\/i-ching-study-guide-table-of-content\">I Ching Study Guide &ndash; Introduction<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"page_item page-item-7742 page_item_has_children\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.no2do.com\/synopse\/en\/hintergruende\">THEORY: History, Terms, Objectives<\/a>\n<ul class=\"children\">\n\t<li class=\"page_item page-item-7746\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.no2do.com\/synopse\/en\/hintergruende\/from-oracle-bones-to-the-i-ching\">From Oracle Bones to the I Ching: History<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li class=\"page_item page-item-7744\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.no2do.com\/synopse\/en\/hintergruende\/oracle-system-or-cosmology\">I Ching: Oracle System or Cosmology?<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li class=\"page_item page-item-7751\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.no2do.com\/synopse\/en\/hintergruende\/divination-and-synchronicity\">I Ching: Divination and Synchronicity<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li class=\"page_item page-item-7754\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.no2do.com\/synopse\/en\/hintergruende\/i-ching-incomprehensible-answers\">I Ching: The Incomprehensible Answers of the Textus Receptus<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li class=\"page_item page-item-7756\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.no2do.com\/synopse\/en\/hintergruende\/alternative-interpretation-i-ching\">An Alternative Interpretation of the I Ching: Embracing Diversity<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"page_item page-item-844\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.no2do.com\/synopse\/en\/using-the-i-ching-for-divination\">PRACTICE: Using the I Ching for Divination<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"page_item page-item-863\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.no2do.com\/synopse\/en\/structure-of-a-hexagram\">Structure of a Hexagram<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"page_item page-item-915 page_item_has_children\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.no2do.com\/synopse\/en\/trigrams\">Trigrams and their Meaning<\/a>\n<ul class=\"children\">\n\t<li class=\"page_item page-item-1751\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.no2do.com\/synopse\/en\/trigrams\/kun-the-earth\">Kun, the Earth<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li class=\"page_item page-item-1749\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.no2do.com\/synopse\/en\/trigrams\/dui-the-lake\">Dui, the Lake<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li class=\"page_item page-item-1012\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.no2do.com\/synopse\/en\/trigrams\/li-the-fire\">Li, the Fire<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li class=\"page_item page-item-1750\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.no2do.com\/synopse\/en\/trigrams\/sun-the-wind-tree\">Sun, the Wind \/ Tree<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li class=\"page_item page-item-1752\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.no2do.com\/synopse\/en\/trigrams\/qian-the-heaven\">Qian, the Heaven<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li class=\"page_item page-item-1084\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.no2do.com\/synopse\/en\/trigrams\/zhen-the-thunder\">Zhen, the Thunder<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li class=\"page_item page-item-1014\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.no2do.com\/synopse\/en\/trigrams\/kan-the-water\">Kan, the Water<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li class=\"page_item page-item-1730\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.no2do.com\/synopse\/en\/trigrams\/gen-the-mountain\">Gen, the Mountain<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"page_item page-item-7760\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.no2do.com\/synopse\/en\/faqs-and-tips\">Frequently Asked Questions and Application Tips<\/a><\/li>\n\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\"> { \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\", \"@type\": \"Person\", \"name\": \"Karin Ulrike Soika\", \"url\": \"https:\/\/www.no2do.com\/synopse\/en\/archives\/2301\", \"description\": \"Karin Ulrike Soika is a visual artist and philosopher. Since 2009, she has been developing a contemporary interpretation of the I Ching. Her research integrates philosophical anthropology, Eastern philosophy, and the theoretical foundations of Traditional Chinese Medicine.\", \"jobTitle\": \"Artist, Philosopher\", \"sameAs\": [ \"https:\/\/www.no2do.com\/en\/\", \"https:\/\/www.soika.com\", \"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/karinsoika\/\" ], \"address\": { \"@type\": \"PostalAddress\", \"addressLocality\": \"Munich\", \"addressCountry\": \"DE\" } } <\/script>\n\n\n\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">\n{\n  \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",\n  \"@type\": \"FAQPage\",\n  \"mainEntity\": [\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\n      \"name\": \"What is the significance of cosmology in the oracle system of the I Ching?\",\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"Cosmology forms the theoretical foundation of the I Ching. It describes the world as a dynamic process of transformation between the poles of Yin and Yang. This concept is directly reflected in the structure of the hexagrams.\"\n      }\n    },\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\n      \"name\": \"What are Yin and Yang and how do they work in the I Ching?\",\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"Yin and Yang are complementary forces that structure all existence. In the I Ching, they are represented by broken (Yin) and unbroken (Yang) lines. Their interaction generates movement and transformation, which are the core themes of the oracle system.\"\n      }\n    },\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\n      \"name\": \"What does the concept of transformation mean in the I Ching?\",\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"Transformation describes the constant transition from one state to another. In the I Ching, this process is represented by the changing lines within a hexagram. The transformation is not random but reflects an inner coherence.\"\n      }\n    },\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\n      \"name\": \"How is the I Ching structured to represent processes of change?\",\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"The I Ching consists of 64 hexagrams, each made up of six lines. These combinations represent archetypal states. By changing one or more lines, a new hexagram emerges\u2014signifying a specific transformation.\"\n      }\n    },\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\n      \"name\": \"What role do trigrams play in the cosmological framework of the I Ching?\",\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"Trigrams are combinations of three Yin and\/or Yang lines and represent fundamental principles of nature, such as Heaven, Earth, Thunder, and Water. In the I Ching, two trigrams combine to form a hexagram, linking symbolic natural thinking with oracle practice.\"\n      }\n    }\n  ]\n}\n<\/script>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What is the I Ching actually? As we discussed in the previous chapter, the origins of the I Ching lie in an oracle practice that utilized oracle bones and later yarrow stalks. Over time, this practical application gradually evolved into a systematically documented system. Alongside the questions themselves, the oracle priests recorded additional key data&hellip; <a class=\"continue\" href=\"https:\/\/www.no2do.com\/synopse\/en\/hintergruende\/oracle-system-or-cosmology\">Weiterlesen:<span> I Ching: Oracle System or Cosmology?<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"parent":7742,"menu_order":2,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-7744","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.no2do.com\/synopse\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/7744","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.no2do.com\/synopse\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.no2do.com\/synopse\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.no2do.com\/synopse\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.no2do.com\/synopse\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7744"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.no2do.com\/synopse\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/7744\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12242,"href":"https:\/\/www.no2do.com\/synopse\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/7744\/revisions\/12242"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.no2do.com\/synopse\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/7742"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.no2do.com\/synopse\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7744"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}