I love i-ching. Tarot will always be my sort of first love in the divination world. However, i-ching is the most complex and sophisticated divination system on this planet, and I have been thoroughly enjoying exploring it and building my library on it.
I would tend to think that the two methods are similar in that they attempt to draw randomly from a set of oracle items and then the user interprets the results and tries to fit them to potential actions and results .
I suspect it is because the I Ching is harder to commodify, in that it's a challenge to gild yarrow sticks. Seriously though, I just read Chris Gosdens' book History of Magic and was struck by how little I knew about Chinese Taoist and shamanic magic vs Western magical traditions. And I grew up with a father who read the I Ching, the Book of Changes was on our bookshelves at home. In the last few years I found a Qi Gong instructor and it got me intrigued by the I Ching though.
I completely agree that the I Ching should be far, far more popular! I have to wonder how much content on social media on the I Ching is in English, and whether that contributes to it's popularity. But we shouldn't worry. I feel that the I Ching will soon have it's day!
Just one last thing, it's extremely complicated. That's why it's not popular just that simple. It's like a deep deep pool people don't want to dive that deep for the most part
Agreed! The I Ching presents a philosophy, cosmology and prescription for living a balanced life in tune with Nature. It's almost fine it's not trending though, so as to retain it's potency haha. For the enthusiasts of Carl Jung I highly recommend checking out THE GNOSTIC BOOK OF CHANGES by Michael Servetus. I think you would appreciate this compressive take on the Book of Changes @Benebell Wen! Thank you for your amazing book and videos as well!
I don't know if I Ching is comparable to Tarot at all, other than the oracle aspect. imo Tarot is much more approachable to a general audience because of how visual it is. Artists for example like doing their own takes of the Arcanas, and people like looking at them regardless of whether they appreciate mysticism or the occult. The major arcana archetypes are also fairly easy for most people to "relate" to regardless of culture. I Ching on the surface appears to be more complex to the average person - It's not as literally colorful lol. Runes don't seem super popular either, at least compared to the Tarot. Some have also mentioned how people may find I Ching's Chinese roots intimidating, and that likely plays a role - People in the West especially don't have a lot of access to mystics with Asian roots that they may look to for guidance, and they may not want to dabble in something they don't feel they can understand well enough. I also feel Chinese culture as a whole can feel very inaccessible to the West unfortunately due to the current geopolitical climate, and also because of how Chinese is a fairly difficult language to learn (I'm saying this as a Chinese person myself lol). That said your explanations are very interesting, i'd love to see more about I Ching in the future :)
What you have spoken to here is the polarization of consciousness in divergent levels of development regarding the ancient West and East. Tarot and I Ching are not the same as far as level (rank) of Oracle. So their counsel is on different levels spiritually speaking. The Sephiroth here becomes an excellent tool for assessment of concepts in analysis of your comment. You refer to an affinity for the visual aspect of the divinatory tool. One would say that your polarization is in the third triad (the 7th sphere governing images and visualization) and perhaps it could be said that Tarot in its counsel is more appealing to this realm of polarization. Whereas the Yi based on a concise cosmological premise, evidences itself to be toward the 4th through 2nd spheres which are concerned with high spiritual principles. Wisdom has not to do with the clothing a thought wears (words and imagery) only the content of the truth contained as derived from cosmological principles. We are speaking of different hierarchical levels of involvement.
All Mysticism is religion; I would go one further, saying even a belief of no Spiritual, no God, is religion; to me, everything is Nature, even religion. Spirituality is a complicated thing, Science too. I think with Tarot, it can be Liberating, the rules of Tarot can be broken, while maintaining the purpose. Tarot doesn't sit at the Top of my list, yet it gets my attention because of the Human connection. People use and know Tarot, there is Power in that. I Ching needs good sources; I know with myself, I want to start from the current straight to the beginning, work my way through the History. Honest sources, make that possible, as possible as it can be.
there's something to this I think. I've been having fun with AI art and someone suggested I do an ai art project around the I Ching. I gave it some thought and concluded it doesn't really work. A 64 card deck for the 64 basic hexagrams would be easy and fun to create, but the changing lines make the probability distrubition all wonky if you try to present it in picture form.
I love the Iching and share info from the Kwan yin - I think Society is still coming into the awareness needed to understand the power of the transmission. I study it and share info on my channel! Thanks for your knowledge I don’t want to appropriate and my goal is to help it reach a wider audience 🌸thank you
Ok, I am probably not the best candidate. I am just a high school Spanish teacher, who learned the language over time and practice... but I volunteer myself to translate your book into Spanish...! It's a bit of a thing... but it's basically just copies of the I Ching on my bookshelf... which is small admittedly.. but ever since finding your videos, I´ve been on a binge. Tempted to get a dedicated notebook and take serious notes. I´m learning lots, and inspiration is accumulating. And plan to buy your text soon. let me know if you want a translator.... ps- usually for my senior students towards the end of the year, I like to do a small unit around the I Ching. I explain it to the students and have them consult and reflect on the process and reading in Spanish. Thanks again for awesome inspiring info and analysis.
I loved this video. I Ching is something I discovered in my teens and had used it off and on for many years, but I never really embraced it until I had more life experience. When I was younger I went immediately to the hexagrams and the changing lines. Now I think more about the individual lines and trigrams - those building blocks of the hexagram - and that's really opened up my understanding of I Ching in a new way. I find for myself that I Ching requires more contemplation and thought in a way that tarot, runes, ogham and the like do not. In recent years I think concerns about cultural appropriation have definitely impacted the popularity of the I Ching. It definitely seemed to be all the rage back in the 60s and 70s - particularly with men. Perhaps that had something to do with it being more psychological and philosophical, than intuitive. Many of my women friends and those in the goddess spirituality world found the patriarchal language a turn off. I enjoyed your I Ching course and hope your book will open up the wonders of the I Ching to lots of new people! Your translation is wonderful.
I just recently discovered your content and I can't stop watching, listening, and (maybe)learning!! So grateful for your depth and breadth of knowledge, your sense of humor, and your tuned-in hand on the pulse of current social, political, and cultural layers that intersect with this incredibly rich material. Thank you for being out there and for sharing your soulful observations, insights, and laughs! I have my own thoughts about why the I Ching isn't trending, but I want to finish watching your video. So good!
You are correct in that except for DIY books the money isn't there. But that's not necessarily a bad thing, those that practice the I-ching tend to do so due to love for the art.
As someone who's studying the I ching currently and does tarot and oracle amongst other things, my issue is the lack of sources to understand it more in layman's terms. This is partly due to what some people have already stated in that for one there's a heavy apprehension to looking into occult that isn't of your own culture. I myself don't do anything from mainly Caucasian folklore and practices because I'm not that but I still study it because on a whole my focus is to try and find ways we all connect. Maybe someone like Benebel or myself or anyone else in the community that studies the I Ching can help to bridge the gap in understanding but overall I think it just comes down to people in the community not wanting to touch something they feel isn't theirs to begin with due to the lack of understanding what's closed and what's open. There are still many who do closed practice things that shouldn't be that get in trouble for cultural appropriation while there are a lot of open practices such as the Taoist occult that people just think are closed because it's so far from what they understand due to the pagan and occult community being heavily west centered and therefore rarely if ever touching on eastern occult
This video really got me reflecting. I’m a Chinese diaspora person who’s lost access to the language and had to assimilate culturally. I think there’s both animosity towards all things Chinese here in the West. As a result, there’s a range of response from lack of nuance and curiosity to downright racism from non-Chinese people towards living knowledge related to ancient China. To add insult to injury, many Chinese diaspora people also had to renounce their own cultures to survive and as a result, developed internalized racism or at the very least resistance towards learning systems like the I Ching. Additionally, Chinese is not an easy language to speak and I think people shy away from mispronouncing the names of the deities, elements, etc. I love this video and this discussion, Benebell. Thank you for writing this book for those of us who are curious to learn more. Such a gift.
And thank you so much for stopping by! Know that you are basically the reason I make these videos and what inspires me to continue making these types of videos. Otherwise I have no idea why I would do this. 🤣❤️
@@BenebellWenyou are the Bruce Lee of sharing this information. Same problems Bruce Lee faced; racism on every side. Pinion translation was and still is horrific. I started learning Kung Fu around age 8 approximately 1979, Shaolin at 12, 1983. Etc. studied the I Ching, Lao Tzu, Sun Tzu, etc from childhood. American Chinese were very kind sharing and happy to teach me. Mainland Chinese are very different than Hong Kong or Taiwan Chinese I learned. Vast differences like any large country. I've seen Texas racist, shocked me back in the mid 90s. As a refugee; I survived Vancouver Chinese racist, the most ruthless racist I've ever seen. Chinese Buddhist were more ruthless gold diggers than catholics; survived catholic abuse since diapers. So it was easy for me to see through the Chinese Opera acts. Free Tibet; let's see anything any Chinese person will say a word of truth about it? Dalai Lama is correct, Chinese are being short sighted. Step up, let's here a shred of truth about Chinese racism. Chinese are the most living in denial about their racism that I know of. There can't be a reverse Bruce Lee, because Chinese are to racist. I know, they will ostracize and kill you; like how they couldn't kill me. I appreciate your work thanks, it's steps in a better direction. Yet without truth about it; your denial will only continue it.
I sometimes explain the situation or my question in detail to chatgpt and then insert the hexagram I got. And the interpretation is just flawless and almost always on point. I am so happy to find your channel. I feel like we could totally be friends if we were geographically close.
As mexican I love these videos and I've always been intrigued by the chinese philosophy. Now as an adult I find myself learning more and more about it and I hope to one day be fluent enough to read the texts as close to te original as possible
Hi Benebell, six months later your video washes up into my feed. Entertaining video, enjoyed all the sidebars along the different trails you explored around the video topic. I wondered if you’d had any further reflection or hand movement imagery 😊 in regards to (5:45) Hex 6 Conflict; ‘heaven moves up, water moves down’? It appears conflict is not ONLY two people or things butting heads but ALSO a force or feeling drawing them apart; whether vertically in the case of Hex 6 or horizontally. Curious how you might you touch on these ideas in relation to Hex 5 in your book? This contrasting idea of conflict as towards and away from is the kind of paradoxical meditation or enlightening insight I’ve experienced over the years with the Yi Jing. Thanks.
I think Taoist Cosmology is just very remote to a lot of people in the west and it is considerably more complicated then the Tarot. It was fascinating to hear these perspectives on the I-Ching from western occultists... I also find it to be very clear and pure compared to my experiences with tarot, etc. I never thought of it as being related to the oracle itself -- but this makes a lot of sense. The I-Ching is extremely old... I think it is closer to the true order of change -- and so that might account for it being clearer and less prone to distortions. Edit -- I'll add that the perception in the west that the I-Ching is more difficult could also be cultural. Tarot is built off playing cards which most are familiar with from a young age... but the dynamics of yin & yang are not really engaged with in the west with any nuance... so that alone is a barrier to entry mindset-wise.
When I see people use tarot cards I immediately think its overly simplistic compared to other techniques they could learn about...I don't mean to be critical of people but I'd immediately be compelled to ask them if they have heard of the I Ching or Sahaja Yoga instead.
Oooohhh, I love you! Shhhh... you're gonna get in trouble :P the i-Ching mixed with some Salvia Divinorum is especially transcendental in a manner of speaking.
I just bought your book this week! I’m interested in I Ching for a long time but there aren’t many modern books in the market and the old ones look intimidating to study. Anyway, last month there was the I Ching class taught by the i ching master in my country! So I went to the class and shortly after that I am so invested by iching right now!
I have wondered about this before many times, and i think many westerners find it abstract enough that it is hard to understand; but i think many more would deeply appreciate the I Ching in the ways i do if they had a teacher like you. Your treatment of the subject is brilliant, inspiring, and illuminating; and without wishing to idolize you, i think you have in every way earned the title Simu Benebel Wen. Thank you for being a shining light in the darkness, and an inspiration during tdoubled times.
Thank you for this! As I'm watching through this, I was wondering what do you think of the new ager's fixation on "manifesting" and the origins of this? I was just thinking about feeling there's a difference between divination and, what is termed, manifestation. Maybe there are some overlap? Idk. Not deep into either enough to understand, but I have some serious hesitations towards people who preach about manifestations, as a Chan Buddhist.
The Book of Changes is my absolute favorite. The Sage has never misled me. I have done tarot before and sometimes it’s good, okay, or way off. There certainly is a Mystical Intelligence in the Yi-Ching or Book of Changes. I’m not Asian and I see Chinese Divination, Philosophy, Daoism, Buddhism, Feng Shui (geomancy), and Tea culture fascinating. I think many are sectarian , thus attached to dualism. The concept of non-duality, non-self, or even Bodhisattva way are concepts that transcend Western cultural norms, in fact I would posit, that it is a superior Way of Life. Your Book of Changes is excellent and high quality. Very generously priced as well for all the information one would get in any book I know of and I own five different Yi-Ching books. You have done an excellent service to the English speaking people. I have thus ordered your Taoist Book and look forward to cultivating sagely qualities. My experience is The Book of Changes is par excellence Oracle.
I’m surprised you didn’t mention how absolutely obsessed Terence McKenna was with the I-Ching. We’re definitely in a psychedelic renaissance of sorts. Joe Rogan for example (pop culture) is a huge McKenna fan. As far as why I-Ching isn’t trending… I’m happy it’s not. It deserves time & depth, & needs it to penetrate. I knew of it through attending The Jungian Institute in SF. But it took me nearly 10 years before I really became obsessed myself. All of that being said. I think it’s on the brink of great popularity. I hope your book is doing well. I’ll be ordering it myself now that I know of it. 🖖💗
yes not to be a snob but everything gets so watered down when it becomes popular. That's why I refer to "white people Buddhism" not because is for anyone of a particular skin color or culture but the orientalist baggage that gets brought into it. Same thing with Native American "spiritual teachings" the popular stuff like Sun Bear, Lynn Andrews etc is all fake. I just hate to see this wisdom packaged into spiritual McNuggets.
I think there are many reasons and I'll choose the snarky one because I can: you can't look at the hexagrams and feel crap while feeling special and "intuitive", which seems to be a popular approach to tarot for a while now. You have to take a book and read and think and that's like super haaaardddd.
My guess is that the western capitalist market makes tarot and oracle decks more prevalent since there are new decks coming out all of the time and less so with I-Ching. There are I-Ching decks but that is not the usual manner to consult the oracle. There are a lot of layers to understanding the I-Ching which many books previously only scratched the surface, so many people in the West are either not familiar with the it or are minimally informed. My hope is that your new book will create more understanding and interest in the I-Ching here in the US and throughout the world. I really appreciate your previous I-Ching self study course and can't wait to read the added material to the subject!
I’ve been studying the I Ching for 34 years. Excuse me 35 years , it has been an invaluable guide throughout my life, and I still don’t have as deep understanding as you do. I would gladly buy your Translation
I’m really excited about this book. I only have one book with side by side translations in English and Chinese, but it’s the Mawangdui texts. I can’t exactly read Chinese but I know some kanji… but when I want more depth, it really helps. Also, a more thorough explanation of cultural references will be extremely useful. 😄
I’ve found over the years that serious students of Magick work with I Ching. I came across the I Ching way, way back when I was about thirteen. I’m 56 there were practicing magicians in the town where I grew up that owned our first ever occult shop. Which caused a lot of controversy. They would discuss current world affairs using both the I Ching and astrology. I thing you hit the nail on the head. It’s not commercial and turned in to business as in mass produced yarrow sticks etc. but serious students get it and recognise it value.
My mom had that version of the I Ching you mention, and it was my initiation into everything occult. I pre-ordered your book and cannot wait to read it.
I Ching was the first thing I got into when I walked away from the cult I was in. I really like it, although I never read that whole book. I haven't used it since starting tarot. Hmmmm, now I'm wanting to pull it out again. 😊❤
Maybe it’s not talked about in USA but I feel like it is more accessible in the UK. I remember learning about the I Ching in my 20’s through various uk based new age and divination based magazines. There were books in my local libraries, and I’ve seen a few oracle decks based on it that are current. I’ve met a couple of people who utilise the system, and in Glastonbury (the home for spirituality and Wicca in UK) I’ve come across workshops about the system.
The I Ching has a completely different cultural context for most of the West. Tarot, Western Astrology, etc. are all a part of the greater Western culture, even if you don't know much about them. There's familiarity in tarot because of how much it relates to modern playing cards, plus it has clear visuals that depict easy to understand characters and symbols. The I Ching by comparison is much more abstract and requires starting from zero for most Westerners, and even Easterners now. Additionally, tarot cards have been very easy to commodify and there are tons of versions with different art, all of which causes people to promote it more because of capitalism too. In more recent years, there's also likely a fear of cultural appropriation for non-Chinese people practicing the I Ching. Also, racism.
I can’t wait to read your book (again) I previewed it on Netgalley, and then I preordered a hard copy a few pages in. Reading about the I Ching on your website even before this was such a revelation for me. It was like finding an old friend. I used to practice and rely on the I Ching 30 years ago, yet the memory had faded. I gave up bcz I could find very few books and they were contradictory. 21yo me didn’t trust my intuition enough and then I turned to runes and tarot and then I gave it all up until a few years ago. All of that to say, I am so grateful you wrote the book I wish I had in my hands decades ago. I hope it finds the audience it deserves.
Very interesting video! As a Thelemite, I'm have recently started studying the Yijing only reading the hexagrams (without using the text), and so far, despite my inexperience, it has been very effective, and surprisingly accurate.
Westerners want results in 18 months not generations. We want it now and we want it fat free, free trade, organic in a sustainable plastic free cup ....now.
Thank you so much Ms Benebell for all your information! You are one of the very few links to Chinese culture that I have discovered (so far) that is not only knowledgable but interesting. I personally find the I Ching to be incredibly useful. My theory about your question is simple language barriers. I started my divination journey with Tarot and still use cards most often because of their popularity and ease of use. Despite that, I treasure the I Ching so much more than Tarot. In my experience, I personally find the I Ching to be directly linked to God. The Sage is the Great Teacher who does not put everything in simple black and white because a true chun tzu will meditate on the ambiguities presented and discover truths for himself. Ironic since the I Ching is literally just black and white. Plus the I Ching is incredibly difficult to understand and doesn't come with pretty pictures to back it all up. (I have used I Ching cards...but they just don't offer the same oompf with the insight they provide as a traditionally cast hexagram.) If the I Ching got as much love as the bible gets, it would be so much easier to understand. The bible has like a trillion translations, the I Ching has like 10. 😂 I still struggle on intuitively reading hexagrams without the ancient commentaries, and even then some of the imagery is just so hard to relate to today. The imagery of maidens and old kings and references to stocks and cangues are just a bit much for the vast majority of everyone. Plus while cards just pop out of a Tarot deck, you have to have such focused attention to your query when you create a hexagram ESPECIALLY if you use the old school yarrow stalk method. Yarrow stalks I reserve for deep conversations with God and simply doing it properly without losing track of how many sticks I am holding can be deceptively difficult. I'm definitely ADHD and focus is so easy to lose mid-cast. It just takes more Work, and (personally) I think that makes God so much happier when I communicate to Him through this method. (Of course we know it is Him communicating to me, not the other way around.) It shows I truly value what He is trying to say. Basically in a nutshell, I find I Ching to be directly linked to Source, and let's be honest: not everyone who practices divination is looking for advice from The Sage let alone how to advance the Work. I am. I hope my viewpoints aren't offensive, and I am grateful for all of your knowledge you share. I know I use the I Ching is a slightly different way than it is traditionally used...mainly in who I believe I'm talking to. Thank you so very much!! 🤩☺🙏
First off, thanks for this! I’ve hadn’t thought about it and now have to think a lot about my own past neglect of the I Ching, even as an Asian male, who’s dabbled in tarot, runes, and geomancy before dabbling in the I Ching - despite very much enjoying the Tao Te Ching. I want to anecdotally validate your idea of “I Ching” / Taoism “bros” because as someone who has also benefitted a lot from… “self improvement bros” I think a lot of “hyper efficiency gurus” hit a critical mass inevitably ten years plus after their initial popularity that usually leads them to Eastern philosophy and so the I Ching, Tao Te Ching by proxy. I feel that this allows a lot of men, myself included even despite being gay, to engage with more “femininity” in life philosophy that can still be tucked away under a lot of abstraction. Phrased another way, it’s easier for a lot of men, I think anyways barring exceptions, to relate to the idea of embracing “feminine energy” through abstraction- an open vessel, the receptivity of land and water, a void space - than to connect to an archetype - queen of wands, the empress, the high priestess. So then you have bros who have come from bro quotation culture who then sort of… evangelize “a new modality” for men that allows them to embrace more feminine modalities - but you can’t ever fully remove the bro from the BRO. But it’s a funny observation, and I can definitely validate, even if it’s just anecdotal 😂.
I wonder how many of those millions of influencers talking about the Tarot discuss it with the level of intellectual integrity and seriousness you bring in this channel. Probably a few, but I would bet not many more than the couple hundred thousand talking about the I Ching.
As someone who loves Tarot and other divination methods and also a student of Human Design for the last 5 years … I dived into learning more about the I Ching which led me to your work and this channel! I think the I Ching can SEEM like very intimidating text and therefore less people want to delve deeper. But I have been so fascinated and interested in I Ching for its history and longevity
I will add that Ra (founder of Human Design) is really just an imperfect messenger for the system - it was channeled through him by non-human entity that he dubbed “the voice” and I would like for people to at least try the HD experiment for themselves before disregarding it.
oh i’m super interested in the latin america connection. I know that Brazil has a history with Japan and we have many people of japanese descent here, they brought a lot of their culture and brazilians are the biggest weeaboo anime loving population you will get. Maybe it’s a similar situation with China and the spanish speaking countries? Is there a significant immigration event we can trace back in regards to them?
Learned I Ching and Tarot at the same time. I love the I Ching more. It's elegant and I love that it inspired Leibniz to devise the binary number system.
I discovered the I Ching through the writings of Joseph Murphy. I bought several of his books including "Secrets of the I Ching" about 17 years ago when I decided to be 'naughty' and read material that was not authorised by the church I was raised in. Just recently I wanted to re-acquaint myself with the I Ching so I had another look at the Murphy book. While Mr Murphy is certainly 'on to' something, I've been bothered for a while by how many times in his many books he quotes dramatic examples of how peoples lives were saved through spiritual insights... and while his stories may be true, it seems strange to me that this guy knew so many people who avoided being in car and plane crashes. So... I figured I should look at another book on the I Ching. After watching a 'Foolish Fish' review of the Benebell Wen book, I downloaded a Kindle version and I am appreciating what seems to be a more pure approach to the subject. It is likely that I will get a paper version of the book as it is a really good one. Thanks for your incredible devotion and knowledge Benebell... best wishes from New Zealand.
I actually studied I Ching before tarot and absolutely love your translation, I used to have an I Ching reading up in my shop but during a certain time when a lot of conversation around appropriation was strong, I received a good amount of push back of not inhabiting that space as someone without Chinese heritage. Obviously, if I took this to the extreme I would only be using Runes and Oghams, maybe some bone casting would be a shared human experience, I suppose. I also find that everything with sigil based imagery such as Runes, Oghams, Geomancy and even getting into Playing Card divination has a much much smaller appeal to modern readers. And by readers I don't mean professional, but for people wanting to learn things to read for their own practice. I think people often dabble in runes, oghams, I can't even say geomancy with a straight face, I Ching, etc but because there isn't the stunning imagery that we can find on Tarot or Oracle decks (maybe the collectability effect?) and it requires a more studied approach, it seems to remain a side interest very often. Runes are often incorporated with people who have a spiritual practice outside of just divination, in my experience, and is perhaps seen as more accessible in that at least the shapes of the letters are easier to make sense of then, say, Oghams. That is just a guess, but in terms of my personal experience, card based systems with images always trump playing cards (technically more symbol based with numbers and pips) and sigil based systems by a long mile in my shop and classes. I love anything that involves casting, and I seem to remember in the 90s when I was diving into things, casting systems, including I Ching, seemed more popular than they are now. Maybe an avalanche of gorgeous card decks since then (no hate, I have a LOT of them) just buried them? O.o :D
Hello, I think perhaps that the i ching is very high 'sattva' and as such it is really only the more sattva folk who are drawn to it, the 'mystery' that is added in other traditions, is rather like putting sugar on top. In the kashmire tradition, we say that there are three upaya or means, to my mind that which is laced with 'sugar' is the most mundane, easiest to adhere to. Where as the uttara, or higher forms are less appealing to those who do not have a such a direct connection with the means itself, rather than the objectification of the means. Thanks again for your videos, and now also your book which has just been delivered to me, I treasure it already! I absolutely love the way that it is bound too, it really is a truly valuable addition to my library, and l think that your book is imbued with such a high dose of sattva, that it will endure for many lifetimes!
I'm with you, Benebell. I love the I Ching and consult it at least once a week. It can be a chore to suss out what it's saying at times but that strikes me as a good thing because you really have to look deeply into the question (and answer). Maybe that's why it doesn't trend; it asks the person reading to think. A guy named Z. Mann Zilla has made up a set of cards to do readings. I haven't bought them because I live in Cambodia and mail isn't that reliable. They can be purchased at Artisan Tarot and I plan to buy a set when I go home on a visit. I imagine it will be a bit superficial but that might spark some interest in others. He does recommend looking at books to supplement his cards. I do weekly readings using a translation by Jon Saint Germain because they are simple, but then I consult the Baulkin translation and, since your book has come out, I add that, too.
the more I watch your videos the more exited I become for your new book. One of the hexagrams you read struck me as a type of internal alchemy or a change in perspective/consciousness, and I've become deeply interested in eastern and western alchemy. Also the Asian gentleman talking about the human energy field reminds me of being in alignment Crowley's idea of the true will. As one of my favorite witches Ariel Gatoga would say, if everyone in the world was aligned with their true will, there would be no conflict in the world.
I’ve always looked into reliable stuff. I’ve researched a lot of different stuff superficially. Few of those practices remained solid. Jyotish (vedic astrology), planetary magic, Vajrayana buddhism practices and, now, Traditional Chinese Medicine. I’m just getting into Taoism and other forms of chinese occultism, but I’m absolutely into it! Also studying Chinese language and calligraphy - I don’t have someone in-person to train and guide me at the moment, so I’m doing all I can to immerse myself in Chinese culture, history, mindset, etc. I’m happy to see that other people find the I Ching reliable, so I’ll surely study more about it! Thank you for the video!
Also, I do think you're right about this bro energy around I Ching; probably more "erudite" and elitist bro energy gathering to study I Ching (because of the intimidation many have around studying it. The I Ching being a specifically Chinese, and less "universalizable" text for Westerners, does not seem as accessible in comparison to Tarot in that many non-Chinese do not have exposure or proximity to something that seems deeply intertwined with the Chinese language component? (honestly, i dont have the knowledge to strongly suggest this lol). As a Chinese-American, I actually have felt similar feelings of intimidation that you mention surrounding the I Ching. I'm feeling a bit more encouraged with this video to take a look!!! I did back in college when I did some research for my Asian humanities professor doing work on the I Ching but felt overwhelmed then too LOL.
I am glad Benebell demonstrated the He Tu and Luo Shu square because those definitely should be learned first before studying the hexagrams or trigrams.
Also I saw the bro energy and that’s why I share the Kwan Yin book of changes - the Iching written in matriarchal form- I’m excited to see the feminine coming back to this plane ❤❤
Because it requires a deeper level of study and a fast food commodification doesn’t approximate the true knowledge. I think there’s also a perception that it is only for people of Chinese ancestry.
Funny question, blends the surface and the depths. People might be embarrassed, perhaps lacking courage, returning to selfish ways, not knowing how to ward off curses or heal the damages? Another question is why, or more accurately, when the I Ching should become conspicuous? Personally, I've been attracted to it, seen it misused, left it on the bookshelf against my desires, and finally decided to open it once my interests were converging on an unavoidable condition, which happened also to answer the "where" question (at an insect release ceremony in the mountains with a woman friend of mine who I had just met minutes later in time). One of my advisors told me that there is no such thing as luck, but I have a very great feeling about the timing of making this decision. When the future is strongly divided and the incense (or candle) smoke changes into burning war fires, the people are suffering from indecision or from the anxiety of potentially making a wrong choice between two opposing forces. The practitioner has a responsibility to weave the tapestry back together and give people a vision of the future that they can say yes to, and one that won't lead them into any wrong doing or harm. This is even a historical question, since there were many times in China's past where calamity did happen. We could potentially look to see if there's any correlation where the I Ching gets louder as these certain events happen, and then look for responsive causation and what beneficial outcomes could be obtained. A long-winded non-answer, great, so much fun!
Interesting. I had no idea, but really hadn't thought about it. I just assumed that everyone into the occult was also into iChing. Anyway, I have your book preordered as I haven't found as much about it as I would like and I KNOW that you'll fix that void.
I absolutely greatly respect and adore the I Ching Your Practitioner course was what helped me to begin my understanding of the I Ching. Thank you I look forward to your book
I recently purchased ICHING The Oracle and have binged your content, it’s absolutely wonderful, the historical representation is riveting! I throughly enjoy human design and gene keys and figured a traditional iching source would be a better way to understand and embody the wisdom. Glad you mentioned human design-as human design and gene keys heavily rely on a “progressive” interpretation of hexagrams. (lol) Human design is headquartered in Singapore and is becoming popular in western metaphysical circles, have you considered content for us lay folks that found a profound love of the iching through these two lenses? Thank you!
I read Tarot and I wil sometimes throw the Iching to accompany a reading for further insight into the situation and i' ve had wonderful results from doing this.
My start to witchcraft was I-Ching. The I-Ching is amazing. I have learned so much. It is so much more interesting than Tarot. Confuscious said he wished he had another lifetime to stubyt it. Carl Young was equally impressed
I would like to get a better understanding of the elements in the I Ching system because I don't think their difference from western concepts of the elements is all that hard to get over and appreciate. I worry that I have a limited feel of Mountain, Lake, Heaven etc when I look at hexagrams.
I have a video in the works on just that subject! 😁 I'm just having tech difficulty so it's taking longer than I expected. 😅 Creating all the images and slides and stuff is a CHORE. 😂
Your videos are always so thought-provoking! I'm so excited for your new book. I'm an absolute sucker for anything resembling a textbook (bonus points if it comes with a curriculum *cough* Holistic Tarot *cough*) and I always enjoy your writing style - somewhere between academic and casual conversation - because it makes it easier to take in information. Loving the influx of videos lately. Thank you, as always, for choosing to promote your book in a way that benefits everyone with free content, insights, and materials.
I can think of two things. Tarot is more popular because pretty pictures. Yeah there's a few I Ching Oracle decks but it's not the same as three coins or yarrow. The other thing is yijing just feels more academic. It's 2000+ years old. Gotta get a reference book out to do a reading. I like that but most people want the pretty pictures. It would be cool if you made a yijing oracle deck. Anyway interesting video. Can't wait for your book!
My opinion, and it’s just based on my narrow personal world view and experience with social media (mainly Instagram), is that the I Ching is not “aesthetic”. In Instagram we see lots and lots of cool looking pics and videos featuring not only illustrated Oracle and Tarot cards, but also crystals, talismans, altars, grimoires, old alchemical texts and illustrations, even intricate sigils, images of gods and goddesses, and even if the intention of the post is to educate or to entertain, there’s (most of the time) a aesthetic value to it. After all, Instagram is a social media based on aesthetics, isn’t it? It think that’s why I Ching Oracle cards show up when we search for I Ching, because it is a way of aesthetically present the Oracle in such social media. But it’s just my personal opinion and I more than open to change it.
I suspect the lack of widespread popularity has something to do with that old Asian adage that a picture is worth a thousand words, and many people don't find the hexagrams visually intuitive, whereas so many readers heavily rely on their intuition in the picture book quality of illustration in tarot decks. I do have an I Ching deck of cards that is illustrated, but it's limited to black and white slashes of brushstrokes with some red accents and the images aren't particularly evocative in a symbolic manner. Should somebody come out with a fully pictorial deck accented with hexagrams, I think I Ching could become more popular. I admit I'm a bit lazy when it comes to study, but I found the textual nature of I Ching confusing. I couldn't seem to follow or sort through the poetic interpretations. I haven't managed to track down my own Rosetta Stone of connecting information to make it a more usable system for me. ....yet!
This is a total sidebar but when I was in Jr High School in my library there was this "Chinese stick fortune" set and I legit would skip lunch to go to the library and get my fortune on every single say :D I recently found them once again online but was wondering if you know if they are a legit practice or something made up ala' egg yoo yung style. I know we can use yarrow for I-Ching but is this also related to I Ching? I so want to buy a set! And play with them AND your book?! How exciting!
Yes! The fortune sticks are totally a thing! There are a lot of different systems, so it is really hard to generalize. Essentially there are numbers or words on each stick. It's like casting lots. Once you pick one, it matches to a divinatory message. It is often the divination method of choice found at temples. It's often a tradition to go to a temple and get your fortune sticks red either on your birthday or on the lunar New Year. I'm not aware that there is any historicity of that particular divination method being connected to the I Ching, but I can certainly imagine that such a system has evolved to exist. 😊 So it would make sense that it's a thing!
As an older person I came to the I Ching through the Wilhelm translation and that was a translation from the Chinese to German to English. Today we have any number of translations directly from the original ancient Chinese text directly into English. I purchased your translation for the context that you bring to the historical setting in which the I Ching was created and how it developed over time. I have come to think the the I Ching is not so much about divining the future but more about understanding the Now.
My introduction to the I Ching was the ongoing sidebar story found printed throughout The Last Whole Earth Catalog, where it was mentioned in passing a number of times as one or another character used it. (Come to think about it, now I gotta go look in my folks' basement, I think the book is still there.) It took a couple of years, but it stuck in my memory and I've been using it on & off since my early college days. So far, the worst "barrier" to entry that I've found is that, unlike tarot, there aren't really a lot of decent *free* smartphone apps for it...
Oh man, thanks for mentioning there aren't a lot of I Ching apps. It's true! I want to connect with others about it via social media, and I'm also not super clear on where to turn in that regard as well. I'm super inspired to do something about it, though, especially moreso after watching this video and reading comments like yours.
You are absolutely correct!..I have often asked myself the very same thing. I have all sorts of decks, and Lenormand decks….Charms casting is my true love. But, my favorite, and really, my only oracle deck that I use, is the “Tao Oracle” by Ma Deva Padma. For me, I like to cast the coins and then pull the card/or image that corresponds. I really do love some of the images in this deck. I see so many oracles being published. And in my opinion, nothing comes remotely close. ???? Perhaps you are correct, when you say, we may feel that the ancient wisdom of the IChing is to extraordinary for us to wrap our heads around. 💐 Thankyou for the conversation.
I want to get your book on the I Ching when its made available in September. Do you recommend I get a copy of the I Ching text itself to read alongside your book? If so which English translation do you suggest?
The I Ching has been trending in my house I’ll tell ya but that’s mostly because I got the SKT and it’s made it easier for me Edit: I feel an I Ching Revolution coming
I love i-ching. Tarot will always be my sort of first love in the divination world. However, i-ching is the most complex and sophisticated divination system on this planet, and I have been thoroughly enjoying exploring it and building my library on it.
I would tend to think that the two methods are similar in that they attempt to draw randomly from a set of oracle items and then the user interprets the results and tries to fit them to potential actions and results .
I suspect it is because the I Ching is harder to commodify, in that it's a challenge to gild yarrow sticks. Seriously though, I just read Chris Gosdens' book History of Magic and was struck by how little I knew about Chinese Taoist and shamanic magic vs Western magical traditions. And I grew up with a father who read the I Ching, the Book of Changes was on our bookshelves at home. In the last few years I found a Qi Gong instructor and it got me intrigued by the I Ching though.
I think you make a good point. Lot easier to do a new tarot deck than an I Ching method. Same with Geomancy.
but picking your own yarrow stalks and drying them for use...how cottagecore is THAT?
“It’s a challenge to gild yarrow sticks” ⚰️⚰️⚰️🥹🥹😭😭 such a real thing to say lmao
yeah, those yarrow sticks...and am awful with directions, right or left hand, so i use 4 different color of beads from my vase.
you can always use coins
I completely agree that the I Ching should be far, far more popular! I have to wonder how much content on social media on the I Ching is in English, and whether that contributes to it's popularity. But we shouldn't worry. I feel that the I Ching will soon have it's day!
Just one last thing, it's extremely complicated. That's why it's not popular just that simple. It's like a deep deep pool people don't want to dive that deep for the most part
Agreed! The I Ching presents a philosophy, cosmology and prescription for living a balanced life in tune with Nature. It's almost fine it's not trending though, so as to retain it's potency haha. For the enthusiasts of Carl Jung I highly recommend checking out THE GNOSTIC BOOK OF CHANGES by Michael Servetus. I think you would appreciate this compressive take on the Book of Changes @Benebell Wen! Thank you for your amazing book and videos as well!
I believe that this will be one of the most significant editions of the Classic of Changes published in many years and look forward to reading it.
I don't know if I Ching is comparable to Tarot at all, other than the oracle aspect. imo Tarot is much more approachable to a general audience because of how visual it is. Artists for example like doing their own takes of the Arcanas, and people like looking at them regardless of whether they appreciate mysticism or the occult. The major arcana archetypes are also fairly easy for most people to "relate" to regardless of culture.
I Ching on the surface appears to be more complex to the average person - It's not as literally colorful lol. Runes don't seem super popular either, at least compared to the Tarot. Some have also mentioned how people may find I Ching's Chinese roots intimidating, and that likely plays a role - People in the West especially don't have a lot of access to mystics with Asian roots that they may look to for guidance, and they may not want to dabble in something they don't feel they can understand well enough.
I also feel Chinese culture as a whole can feel very inaccessible to the West unfortunately due to the current geopolitical climate, and also because of how Chinese is a fairly difficult language to learn (I'm saying this as a Chinese person myself lol).
That said your explanations are very interesting, i'd love to see more about I Ching in the future :)
You expressed everything I wanted to say very clearly.
What you have spoken to here is the polarization of consciousness in divergent levels of development regarding the ancient West and East. Tarot and I Ching are not the same as far as level (rank) of Oracle. So their counsel is on different levels spiritually speaking. The Sephiroth here becomes an excellent tool for assessment of concepts in analysis of your comment. You refer to an affinity for the visual aspect of the divinatory tool. One would say that your polarization is in the third triad (the 7th sphere governing images and visualization) and perhaps it could be said that Tarot in its counsel is more appealing to this realm of polarization. Whereas the Yi based on a concise cosmological premise, evidences itself to be toward the 4th through 2nd spheres which are concerned with high spiritual principles. Wisdom has not to do with the clothing a thought wears (words and imagery) only the content of the truth contained as derived from cosmological principles. We are speaking of different hierarchical levels of involvement.
All Mysticism is religion; I would go one further, saying even a belief of no Spiritual, no God, is religion; to me, everything is Nature, even religion.
Spirituality is a complicated thing, Science too. I think with Tarot, it can be Liberating, the rules of Tarot can be broken, while maintaining the purpose.
Tarot doesn't sit at the Top of my list, yet it gets my attention because of the Human connection. People use and know Tarot, there is Power in that.
I Ching needs good sources; I know with myself, I want to start from the current straight to the beginning, work my way through the History. Honest sources, make that possible, as possible as it can be.
there's something to this I think. I've been having fun with AI art and someone suggested I do an ai art project around the I Ching. I gave it some thought and concluded it doesn't really work. A 64 card deck for the 64 basic hexagrams would be easy and fun to create, but the changing lines make the probability distrubition all wonky if you try to present it in picture form.
I love the Iching and share info from the Kwan yin - I think Society is still coming into the awareness needed to understand the power of the transmission. I study it and share info on my channel! Thanks for your knowledge I don’t want to appropriate and my goal is to help it reach a wider audience 🌸thank you
I think it is extraordinary that you share and a much needed service. What you are doing is amazing! ❤️🙏
@@BenebellWen thank you so much! 🤍 and thank you for these videos! I get to learn even better ! I def will be reading your book!🤍
Ok, I am probably not the best candidate. I am just a high school Spanish teacher, who learned the language over time and practice... but I volunteer myself to translate your book into Spanish...! It's a bit of a thing... but it's basically just copies of the I Ching on my bookshelf... which is small admittedly.. but ever since finding your videos, I´ve been on a binge. Tempted to get a dedicated notebook and take serious notes. I´m learning lots, and inspiration is accumulating. And plan to buy your text soon.
let me know if you want a translator....
ps- usually for my senior students towards the end of the year, I like to do a small unit around the I Ching. I explain it to the students and have them consult and reflect on the process and reading in Spanish.
Thanks again for awesome inspiring info and analysis.
I loved this video. I Ching is something I discovered in my teens and had used it off and on for many years, but I never really embraced it until I had more life experience. When I was younger I went immediately to the hexagrams and the changing lines. Now I think more about the individual lines and trigrams - those building blocks of the hexagram - and that's really opened up my understanding of I Ching in a new way.
I find for myself that I Ching requires more contemplation and thought in a way that tarot, runes, ogham and the like do not.
In recent years I think concerns about cultural appropriation have definitely impacted the popularity of the I Ching. It definitely seemed to be all the rage back in the 60s and 70s - particularly with men. Perhaps that had something to do with it being more psychological and philosophical, than intuitive. Many of my women friends and those in the goddess spirituality world found the patriarchal language a turn off.
I enjoyed your I Ching course and hope your book will open up the wonders of the I Ching to lots of new people! Your translation is wonderful.
I just recently discovered your content and I can't stop watching, listening, and (maybe)learning!! So grateful for your depth and breadth of knowledge, your sense of humor, and your tuned-in hand on the pulse of current social, political, and cultural layers that intersect with this incredibly rich material. Thank you for being out there and for sharing your soulful observations, insights, and laughs! I have my own thoughts about why the I Ching isn't trending, but I want to finish watching your video. So good!
You are correct in that except for DIY books the money isn't there. But that's not necessarily a bad thing, those that practice the I-ching tend to do so due to love for the art.
As someone who's studying the I ching currently and does tarot and oracle amongst other things, my issue is the lack of sources to understand it more in layman's terms. This is partly due to what some people have already stated in that for one there's a heavy apprehension to looking into occult that isn't of your own culture. I myself don't do anything from mainly Caucasian folklore and practices because I'm not that but I still study it because on a whole my focus is to try and find ways we all connect. Maybe someone like Benebel or myself or anyone else in the community that studies the I Ching can help to bridge the gap in understanding but overall I think it just comes down to people in the community not wanting to touch something they feel isn't theirs to begin with due to the lack of understanding what's closed and what's open. There are still many who do closed practice things that shouldn't be that get in trouble for cultural appropriation while there are a lot of open practices such as the Taoist occult that people just think are closed because it's so far from what they understand due to the pagan and occult community being heavily west centered and therefore rarely if ever touching on eastern occult
I've been reading the book it changes for a long time. And your observations are astounding. So much so I subscribe to your channel. Keep it going
This video really got me reflecting. I’m a Chinese diaspora person who’s lost access to the language and had to assimilate culturally. I think there’s both animosity towards all things Chinese here in the West. As a result, there’s a range of response from lack of nuance and curiosity to downright racism from non-Chinese people towards living knowledge related to ancient China. To add insult to injury, many Chinese diaspora people also had to renounce their own cultures to survive and as a result, developed internalized racism or at the very least resistance towards learning systems like the I Ching.
Additionally, Chinese is not an easy language to speak and I think people shy away from mispronouncing the names of the deities, elements, etc.
I love this video and this discussion, Benebell. Thank you for writing this book for those of us who are curious to learn more. Such a gift.
And thank you so much for stopping by! Know that you are basically the reason I make these videos and what inspires me to continue making these types of videos. Otherwise I have no idea why I would do this. 🤣❤️
@@BenebellWenyou are the Bruce Lee of sharing this information. Same problems Bruce Lee faced; racism on every side.
Pinion translation was and still is horrific.
I started learning Kung Fu around age 8 approximately 1979, Shaolin at 12, 1983. Etc. studied the I Ching, Lao Tzu, Sun Tzu, etc from childhood. American Chinese were very kind sharing and happy to teach me.
Mainland Chinese are very different than Hong Kong or Taiwan Chinese I learned. Vast differences like any large country.
I've seen Texas racist, shocked me back in the mid 90s. As a refugee; I survived Vancouver Chinese racist, the most ruthless racist I've ever seen. Chinese Buddhist were more ruthless gold diggers than catholics; survived catholic abuse since diapers. So it was easy for me to see through the Chinese Opera acts.
Free Tibet; let's see anything any Chinese person will say a word of truth about it? Dalai Lama is correct, Chinese are being short sighted.
Step up, let's here a shred of truth about Chinese racism. Chinese are the most living in denial about their racism that I know of.
There can't be a reverse Bruce Lee, because Chinese are to racist. I know, they will ostracize and kill you; like how they couldn't kill me.
I appreciate your work thanks, it's steps in a better direction. Yet without truth about it; your denial will only continue it.
You are a messenger of spirit intelligence benebell!!!! Love this so much
I sometimes explain the situation or my question in detail to chatgpt and then insert the hexagram I got. And the interpretation is just flawless and almost always on point.
I am so happy to find your channel.
I feel like we could totally be friends if we were geographically close.
Your channel is amazing ❤
As mexican I love these videos and I've always been intrigued by the chinese philosophy. Now as an adult I find myself learning more and more about it and I hope to one day be fluent enough to read the texts as close to te original as possible
Hi Benebell, six months later your video washes up into my feed.
Entertaining video, enjoyed all the sidebars along the different trails you explored around the video topic.
I wondered if you’d had any further reflection or hand movement imagery 😊 in regards to (5:45) Hex 6 Conflict; ‘heaven moves up, water moves down’?
It appears conflict is not ONLY two people or things butting heads but ALSO a force or feeling drawing them apart; whether vertically in the case of Hex 6 or horizontally. Curious how you might you touch on these ideas in relation to Hex 5 in your book?
This contrasting idea of conflict as towards and away from is the kind of paradoxical meditation or enlightening insight I’ve experienced over the years with the Yi Jing. Thanks.
I think Taoist Cosmology is just very remote to a lot of people in the west and it is considerably more complicated then the Tarot. It was fascinating to hear these perspectives on the I-Ching from western occultists... I also find it to be very clear and pure compared to my experiences with tarot, etc. I never thought of it as being related to the oracle itself -- but this makes a lot of sense. The I-Ching is extremely old... I think it is closer to the true order of change -- and so that might account for it being clearer and less prone to distortions.
Edit -- I'll add that the perception in the west that the I-Ching is more difficult could also be cultural. Tarot is built off playing cards which most are familiar with from a young age... but the dynamics of yin & yang are not really engaged with in the west with any nuance... so that alone is a barrier to entry mindset-wise.
When I see people use tarot cards I immediately think its overly simplistic compared to other techniques they could learn about...I don't mean to be critical of people but I'd immediately be compelled to ask them if they have heard of the I Ching or Sahaja Yoga instead.
Oooohhh, I love you!
Shhhh... you're gonna get in trouble :P
the i-Ching mixed with some Salvia Divinorum is especially transcendental in a manner of speaking.
I just bought your book this week!
I’m interested in I Ching for a long time but there aren’t many modern books in the market and the old ones look intimidating to study.
Anyway, last month there was the I Ching class taught by the i ching master in my country! So I went to the class and shortly after that I am so invested by iching right now!
Conceptually, I found it very intimidating... but I am very much looking forward to learning more and your new book!
The system I personally found eerily similar to the Yi Jing is IFA.
Excellent video 🙏🏽
Yes they both use a binary system.
I have wondered about this before many times, and i think many westerners find it abstract enough that it is hard to understand; but i think many more would deeply appreciate the I Ching in the ways i do if they had a teacher like you. Your treatment of the subject is brilliant, inspiring, and illuminating; and without wishing to idolize you, i think you have in every way earned the title
Simu Benebel Wen.
Thank you for being a shining light in the darkness, and an inspiration during tdoubled times.
Thank you for this! As I'm watching through this, I was wondering what do you think of the new ager's fixation on "manifesting" and the origins of this? I was just thinking about feeling there's a difference between divination and, what is termed, manifestation. Maybe there are some overlap? Idk. Not deep into either enough to understand, but I have some serious hesitations towards people who preach about manifestations, as a Chan Buddhist.
The Book of Changes is my absolute favorite. The Sage has never misled me. I have done tarot before and sometimes it’s good, okay, or way off. There certainly is a Mystical Intelligence in the Yi-Ching or Book of Changes.
I’m not Asian and I see Chinese Divination, Philosophy, Daoism, Buddhism, Feng Shui (geomancy), and Tea culture fascinating. I think many are sectarian , thus attached to dualism. The concept of non-duality, non-self, or even Bodhisattva way are concepts that transcend Western cultural norms, in fact I would posit, that it is a superior Way of Life.
Your Book of Changes is excellent and high quality. Very generously priced as well for all the information one would get in any book I know of and I own five different Yi-Ching books.
You have done an excellent service to the English speaking people. I have thus ordered your Taoist Book and look forward to cultivating sagely qualities. My experience is The Book of Changes is par excellence Oracle.
I’m surprised you didn’t mention how absolutely obsessed Terence McKenna was with the I-Ching. We’re definitely in a psychedelic renaissance of sorts. Joe Rogan for example (pop culture) is a huge McKenna fan.
As far as why I-Ching isn’t trending… I’m happy it’s not. It deserves time & depth, & needs it to penetrate. I knew of it through attending The Jungian Institute in SF. But it took me nearly 10 years before I really became obsessed myself.
All of that being said. I think it’s on the brink of great popularity. I hope your book is doing well. I’ll be ordering it myself now that I know of it. 🖖💗
yes not to be a snob but everything gets so watered down when it becomes popular. That's why I refer to "white people Buddhism" not because is for anyone of a particular skin color or culture but the orientalist baggage that gets brought into it. Same thing with Native American "spiritual teachings" the popular stuff like Sun Bear, Lynn Andrews etc is all fake. I just hate to see this wisdom packaged into spiritual McNuggets.
I think there are many reasons and I'll choose the snarky one because I can: you can't look at the hexagrams and feel crap while feeling special and "intuitive", which seems to be a popular approach to tarot for a while now. You have to take a book and read and think and that's like super haaaardddd.
My guess is that the western capitalist market makes tarot and oracle decks more prevalent since there are new decks coming out all of the time and less so with I-Ching. There are I-Ching decks but that is not the usual manner to consult the oracle. There are a lot of layers to understanding the I-Ching which many books previously only scratched the surface, so many people in the West are either not familiar with the it or are minimally informed. My hope is that your new book will create more understanding and interest in the I-Ching here in the US and throughout the world. I really appreciate your previous I-Ching self study course and can't wait to read the added material to the subject!
I’ve been studying the I Ching for 34 years. Excuse me 35 years , it has been an invaluable guide
throughout my life, and I still don’t have as deep understanding as you do. I would gladly buy your Translation
I’m really excited about this book. I only have one book with side by side translations in English and Chinese, but it’s the Mawangdui texts. I can’t exactly read Chinese but I know some kanji… but when I want more depth, it really helps.
Also, a more thorough explanation of cultural references will be extremely useful. 😄
Deep. Asian Martial Arts uses it at different levels. Those who practice styles like Tai Chi, Bagua etc use it on many different levels Nuff said.☯️🙏
I’ve found over the years that serious students of Magick work with I Ching. I came across the I Ching way, way back when I was about thirteen. I’m 56 there were practicing magicians in the town where I grew up that owned our first ever occult shop. Which caused a lot of controversy. They would discuss current world affairs using both the I Ching and astrology. I thing you hit the nail on the head. It’s not commercial and turned in to business as in mass produced yarrow sticks etc. but serious students get it and recognise it value.
My mom had that version of the I Ching you mention, and it was my initiation into everything occult. I pre-ordered your book and cannot wait to read it.
Great observation
I'm so glad I found you. You are awesome. I have so much to learn from you.
I Ching was the first thing I got into when I walked away from the cult I was in. I really like it, although I never read that whole book. I haven't used it since starting tarot. Hmmmm, now I'm wanting to pull it out again. 😊❤
Maybe it’s not talked about in USA but I feel like it is more accessible in the UK. I remember learning about the I Ching in my 20’s through various uk based new age and divination based magazines. There were books in my local libraries, and I’ve seen a few oracle decks based on it that are current. I’ve met a couple of people who utilise the system, and in Glastonbury (the home for spirituality and Wicca in UK) I’ve come across workshops about the system.
15 years Wang Chung,
And I don't know who to fall in love , now!!! Thank you.
You peromed pantimim. 3 min in
You " yous ii too time to look,". joke
Kenneth John Chapin. 5'6" o-o 28" o-0.
The I Ching has a completely different cultural context for most of the West. Tarot, Western Astrology, etc. are all a part of the greater Western culture, even if you don't know much about them. There's familiarity in tarot because of how much it relates to modern playing cards, plus it has clear visuals that depict easy to understand characters and symbols. The I Ching by comparison is much more abstract and requires starting from zero for most Westerners, and even Easterners now. Additionally, tarot cards have been very easy to commodify and there are tons of versions with different art, all of which causes people to promote it more because of capitalism too. In more recent years, there's also likely a fear of cultural appropriation for non-Chinese people practicing the I Ching. Also, racism.
I can’t wait to read your book (again) I previewed it on Netgalley, and then I preordered a hard copy a few pages in. Reading about the I Ching on your website even before this was such a revelation for me. It was like finding an old friend. I used to practice and rely on the I Ching 30 years ago, yet the memory had faded. I gave up bcz I could find very few books and they were contradictory. 21yo me didn’t trust my intuition enough and then I turned to runes and tarot and then I gave it all up until a few years ago. All of that to say, I am so grateful you wrote the book I wish I had in my hands decades ago. I hope it finds the audience it deserves.
This is a fundamental part of how I plan my future
I got a copy of I Ching recently translation by Alfred Huang. I hope you approve of this one. I'm getting through it . There's a lot in it-
Very interesting video!
As a Thelemite, I'm have recently started studying the Yijing only reading the hexagrams (without using the text), and so far, despite my inexperience, it has been very effective, and surprisingly accurate.
Westerners want results in 18 months not generations. We want it now and we want it fat free, free trade, organic in a sustainable plastic free cup ....now.
You would've been funny in the 1980s
No, we want it deep-fried and we're not using chopsticks!
Thank you so much Ms Benebell for all your information! You are one of the very few links to Chinese culture that I have discovered (so far) that is not only knowledgable but interesting.
I personally find the I Ching to be incredibly useful. My theory about your question is simple language barriers. I started my divination journey with Tarot and still use cards most often because of their popularity and ease of use. Despite that, I treasure the I Ching so much more than Tarot. In my experience, I personally find the I Ching to be directly linked to God. The Sage is the Great Teacher who does not put everything in simple black and white because a true chun tzu will meditate on the ambiguities presented and discover truths for himself. Ironic since the I Ching is literally just black and white. Plus the I Ching is incredibly difficult to understand and doesn't come with pretty pictures to back it all up. (I have used I Ching cards...but they just don't offer the same oompf with the insight they provide as a traditionally cast hexagram.) If the I Ching got as much love as the bible gets, it would be so much easier to understand. The bible has like a trillion translations, the I Ching has like 10. 😂
I still struggle on intuitively reading hexagrams without the ancient commentaries, and even then some of the imagery is just so hard to relate to today. The imagery of maidens and old kings and references to stocks and cangues are just a bit much for the vast majority of everyone. Plus while cards just pop out of a Tarot deck, you have to have such focused attention to your query when you create a hexagram ESPECIALLY if you use the old school yarrow stalk method. Yarrow stalks I reserve for deep conversations with God and simply doing it properly without losing track of how many sticks I am holding can be deceptively difficult. I'm definitely ADHD and focus is so easy to lose mid-cast. It just takes more Work, and (personally) I think that makes God so much happier when I communicate to Him through this method. (Of course we know it is Him communicating to me, not the other way around.) It shows I truly value what He is trying to say.
Basically in a nutshell, I find I Ching to be directly linked to Source, and let's be honest: not everyone who practices divination is looking for advice from The Sage let alone how to advance the Work. I am. I hope my viewpoints aren't offensive, and I am grateful for all of your knowledge you share. I know I use the I Ching is a slightly different way than it is traditionally used...mainly in who I believe I'm talking to. Thank you so very much!! 🤩☺🙏
First off, thanks for this! I’ve hadn’t thought about it and now have to think a lot about my own past neglect of the I Ching, even as an Asian male, who’s dabbled in tarot, runes, and geomancy before dabbling in the I Ching - despite very much enjoying the Tao Te Ching.
I want to anecdotally validate your idea of “I Ching” / Taoism “bros” because as someone who has also benefitted a lot from… “self improvement bros” I think a lot of “hyper efficiency gurus” hit a critical mass inevitably ten years plus after their initial popularity that usually leads them to Eastern philosophy and so the I Ching, Tao Te Ching by proxy. I feel that this allows a lot of men, myself included even despite being gay, to engage with more “femininity” in life philosophy that can still be tucked away under a lot of abstraction. Phrased another way, it’s easier for a lot of men, I think anyways barring exceptions, to relate to the idea of embracing “feminine energy” through abstraction- an open vessel, the receptivity of land and water, a void space - than to connect to an archetype - queen of wands, the empress, the high priestess.
So then you have bros who have come from bro quotation culture who then sort of… evangelize “a new modality” for men that allows them to embrace more feminine modalities - but you can’t ever fully remove the bro from the BRO. But it’s a funny observation, and I can definitely validate, even if it’s just anecdotal 😂.
I absolutely love your content. Thank you 🌹
I wonder how many of those millions of influencers talking about the Tarot discuss it with the level of intellectual integrity and seriousness you bring in this channel. Probably a few, but I would bet not many more than the couple hundred thousand talking about the I Ching.
Cool search! Excited for your book release!!!
As someone who loves Tarot and other divination methods and also a student of Human Design for the last 5 years … I dived into learning more about the I Ching which led me to your work and this channel! I think the I Ching can SEEM like very intimidating text and therefore less people want to delve deeper. But I have been so fascinated and interested in I Ching for its history and longevity
I will add that Ra (founder of Human Design) is really just an imperfect messenger for the system - it was channeled through him by non-human entity that he dubbed “the voice” and I would like for people to at least try the HD experiment for themselves before disregarding it.
I’ve always seen the I Ching as a book of processes in humans represented by nature. How a tree grows is how you should grow.
oh i’m super interested in the latin america connection. I know that Brazil has a history with Japan and we have many people of japanese descent here, they brought a lot of their culture and brazilians are the biggest weeaboo anime loving population you will get. Maybe it’s a similar situation with China and the spanish speaking countries? Is there a significant immigration event we can trace back in regards to them?
thank you for speaking about the yijing 😊
Great video sis
Learned I Ching and Tarot at the same time. I love the I Ching more. It's elegant and I love that it inspired Leibniz to devise the binary number system.
I discovered the I Ching through the writings of Joseph Murphy. I bought several of his books including "Secrets of the I Ching" about 17 years ago when I decided to be 'naughty' and read material that was not authorised by the church I was raised in. Just recently I wanted to re-acquaint myself with the I Ching so I had another look at the Murphy book. While Mr Murphy is certainly 'on to' something, I've been bothered for a while by how many times in his many books he quotes dramatic examples of how peoples lives were saved through spiritual insights... and while his stories may be true, it seems strange to me that this guy knew so many people who avoided being in car and plane crashes. So... I figured I should look at another book on the I Ching. After watching a 'Foolish Fish' review of the Benebell Wen book, I downloaded a Kindle version and I am appreciating what seems to be a more pure approach to the subject. It is likely that I will get a paper version of the book as it is a really good one. Thanks for your incredible devotion and knowledge Benebell... best wishes from New Zealand.
love your style, it is funny and so encouraging for an Y-Ching beginner like me!
The I Ching is amazing. Good question!!!
I actually studied I Ching before tarot and absolutely love your translation, I used to have an I Ching reading up in my shop but during a certain time when a lot of conversation around appropriation was strong, I received a good amount of push back of not inhabiting that space as someone without Chinese heritage. Obviously, if I took this to the extreme I would only be using Runes and Oghams, maybe some bone casting would be a shared human experience, I suppose. I also find that everything with sigil based imagery such as Runes, Oghams, Geomancy and even getting into Playing Card divination has a much much smaller appeal to modern readers. And by readers I don't mean professional, but for people wanting to learn things to read for their own practice. I think people often dabble in runes, oghams, I can't even say geomancy with a straight face, I Ching, etc but because there isn't the stunning imagery that we can find on Tarot or Oracle decks (maybe the collectability effect?) and it requires a more studied approach, it seems to remain a side interest very often. Runes are often incorporated with people who have a spiritual practice outside of just divination, in my experience, and is perhaps seen as more accessible in that at least the shapes of the letters are easier to make sense of then, say, Oghams. That is just a guess, but in terms of my personal experience, card based systems with images always trump playing cards (technically more symbol based with numbers and pips) and sigil based systems by a long mile in my shop and classes. I love anything that involves casting, and I seem to remember in the 90s when I was diving into things, casting systems, including I Ching, seemed more popular than they are now. Maybe an avalanche of gorgeous card decks since then (no hate, I have a LOT of them) just buried them? O.o :D
Hello, I think perhaps that the i ching is very high 'sattva' and as such it is really only the more sattva folk who are drawn to it, the 'mystery' that is added in other traditions, is rather like putting sugar on top. In the kashmire tradition, we say that there are three upaya or means, to my mind that which is laced with 'sugar' is the most mundane, easiest to adhere to. Where as the uttara, or higher forms are less appealing to those who do not have a such a direct connection with the means itself, rather than the objectification of the means. Thanks again for your videos, and now also your book which has just been delivered to me, I treasure it already! I absolutely love the way that it is bound too, it really is a truly valuable addition to my library, and l think that your book is imbued with such a high dose of sattva, that it will endure for many lifetimes!
I'm with you, Benebell. I love the I Ching and consult it at least once a week. It can be a chore to suss out what it's saying at times but that strikes me as a good thing because you really have to look deeply into the question (and answer). Maybe that's why it doesn't trend; it asks the person reading to think. A guy named Z. Mann Zilla has made up a set of cards to do readings. I haven't bought them because I live in Cambodia and mail isn't that reliable. They can be purchased at Artisan Tarot and I plan to buy a set when I go home on a visit. I imagine it will be a bit superficial but that might spark some interest in others. He does recommend looking at books to supplement his cards. I do weekly readings using a translation by Jon Saint Germain because they are simple, but then I consult the Baulkin translation and, since your book has come out, I add that, too.
Because there are not so good translations from Chinese literature. That's the reason I found your good book about this. Thank you! 🐯
the more I watch your videos the more exited I become for your new book. One of the hexagrams you read struck me as a type of internal alchemy or a change in perspective/consciousness, and I've become deeply interested in eastern and western alchemy. Also the Asian gentleman talking about the human energy field reminds me of being in alignment Crowley's idea of the true will. As one of my favorite witches Ariel Gatoga would say, if everyone in the world was aligned with their true will, there would be no conflict in the world.
I’ve always looked into reliable stuff. I’ve researched a lot of different stuff superficially.
Few of those practices remained solid.
Jyotish (vedic astrology), planetary magic, Vajrayana buddhism practices and, now, Traditional Chinese Medicine.
I’m just getting into Taoism and other forms of chinese occultism, but I’m absolutely into it! Also studying Chinese language and calligraphy - I don’t have someone in-person to train and guide me at the moment, so I’m doing all I can to immerse myself in Chinese culture, history, mindset, etc.
I’m happy to see that other people find the I Ching reliable, so I’ll surely study more about it!
Thank you for the video!
I would absolutely LOVE to hear what you know about IRON ABACUS divination!
-a Tao-Yo from a mountain in Taiwan
Also, I do think you're right about this bro energy around I Ching; probably more "erudite" and elitist bro energy gathering to study I Ching (because of the intimidation many have around studying it. The I Ching being a specifically Chinese, and less "universalizable" text for Westerners, does not seem as accessible in comparison to Tarot in that many non-Chinese do not have exposure or proximity to something that seems deeply intertwined with the Chinese language component? (honestly, i dont have the knowledge to strongly suggest this lol). As a Chinese-American, I actually have felt similar feelings of intimidation that you mention surrounding the I Ching. I'm feeling a bit more encouraged with this video to take a look!!! I did back in college when I did some research for my Asian humanities professor doing work on the I Ching but felt overwhelmed then too LOL.
I am glad Benebell demonstrated the He Tu and Luo Shu square because those definitely should be learned first before studying the hexagrams or trigrams.
Im growing yarrow so i have stalks then im getting your book im so excited!
Also I saw the bro energy and that’s why I share the Kwan Yin book of changes - the Iching written in matriarchal form- I’m excited to see the feminine coming back to this plane ❤❤
do you maybe have a newsletter?
I often oscilate around your content, but would love to have some updates on my email
There is a lack of ritual and mythical context in western consciousness to connect with i ching, a matter where your work is meaningful. Thank you.
Still new but found the channel via the dao videos.
Because it requires a deeper level of study and a fast food commodification doesn’t approximate the true knowledge. I think there’s also a perception that it is only for people of Chinese ancestry.
You’re right. I was really big on iching in high school- ah, before the internet.
what is the I Ching translation you were reading from?
It's my own! I just had it printed for myself. 😁
Funny question, blends the surface and the depths. People might be embarrassed, perhaps lacking courage, returning to selfish ways, not knowing how to ward off curses or heal the damages? Another question is why, or more accurately, when the I Ching should become conspicuous? Personally, I've been attracted to it, seen it misused, left it on the bookshelf against my desires, and finally decided to open it once my interests were converging on an unavoidable condition, which happened also to answer the "where" question (at an insect release ceremony in the mountains with a woman friend of mine who I had just met minutes later in time). One of my advisors told me that there is no such thing as luck, but I have a very great feeling about the timing of making this decision. When the future is strongly divided and the incense (or candle) smoke changes into burning war fires, the people are suffering from indecision or from the anxiety of potentially making a wrong choice between two opposing forces. The practitioner has a responsibility to weave the tapestry back together and give people a vision of the future that they can say yes to, and one that won't lead them into any wrong doing or harm. This is even a historical question, since there were many times in China's past where calamity did happen. We could potentially look to see if there's any correlation where the I Ching gets louder as these certain events happen, and then look for responsive causation and what beneficial outcomes could be obtained. A long-winded non-answer, great, so much fun!
Interesting. I had no idea, but really hadn't thought about it. I just assumed that everyone into the occult was also into iChing. Anyway, I have your book preordered as I haven't found as much about it as I would like and I KNOW that you'll fix that void.
Iching is very profound. When I want a very good advice and a right approach to a complex situation, I ask iching.
Loved this! Thankyou ❤
I have pre-ordered your book as well!!!
I absolutely greatly respect and adore the I Ching
Your Practitioner course was what helped me to begin my understanding of the I Ching.
Thank you
I look forward to your book
I recently purchased ICHING The Oracle and have binged your content, it’s absolutely wonderful, the historical representation is riveting! I throughly enjoy human design and gene keys and figured a traditional iching source would be a better way to understand and embody the wisdom. Glad you mentioned human design-as human design and gene keys heavily rely on a “progressive” interpretation of hexagrams. (lol) Human design is headquartered in Singapore and is becoming popular in western metaphysical circles, have you considered content for us lay folks that found a profound love of the iching through these two lenses? Thank you!
I read Tarot and I wil sometimes throw the Iching to accompany a reading for further insight into the situation and i' ve had wonderful results from doing this.
I would SO SO SO value an (as deep as reasonable) video on how you evaluate the human design system.
My start to witchcraft was I-Ching. The I-Ching is amazing. I have learned so
much. It is so much more interesting than Tarot.
Confuscious said he wished he had another lifetime to stubyt it. Carl Young was equally impressed
I would like to get a better understanding of the elements in the I Ching system because I don't think their difference from western concepts of the elements is all that hard to get over and appreciate. I worry that I have a limited feel of Mountain, Lake, Heaven etc when I look at hexagrams.
I have a video in the works on just that subject! 😁 I'm just having tech difficulty so it's taking longer than I expected. 😅 Creating all the images and slides and stuff is a CHORE. 😂
I’d love to learn the I Ching! I can’t wait until your book comes out.
Your videos are always so thought-provoking! I'm so excited for your new book. I'm an absolute sucker for anything resembling a textbook (bonus points if it comes with a curriculum *cough* Holistic Tarot *cough*) and I always enjoy your writing style - somewhere between academic and casual conversation - because it makes it easier to take in information. Loving the influx of videos lately. Thank you, as always, for choosing to promote your book in a way that benefits everyone with free content, insights, and materials.
I can think of two things. Tarot is more popular because pretty pictures. Yeah there's a few I Ching Oracle decks but it's not the same as three coins or yarrow. The other thing is yijing just feels more academic. It's 2000+ years old. Gotta get a reference book out to do a reading. I like that but most people want the pretty pictures. It would be cool if you made a yijing oracle deck.
Anyway interesting video. Can't wait for your book!
My opinion, and it’s just based on my narrow personal world view and experience with social media (mainly Instagram), is that the I Ching is not “aesthetic”. In Instagram we see lots and lots of cool looking pics and videos featuring not only illustrated Oracle and Tarot cards, but also crystals, talismans, altars, grimoires, old alchemical texts and illustrations, even intricate sigils, images of gods and goddesses, and even if the intention of the post is to educate or to entertain, there’s (most of the time) a aesthetic value to it. After all, Instagram is a social media based on aesthetics, isn’t it? It think that’s why I Ching Oracle cards show up when we search for I Ching, because it is a way of aesthetically present the Oracle in such social media. But it’s just my personal opinion and I more than open to change it.
I agree. I think you're right!
So basically not commodifiable!
I suspect the lack of widespread popularity has something to do with that old Asian adage that a picture is worth a thousand words, and many people don't find the hexagrams visually intuitive, whereas so many readers heavily rely on their intuition in the picture book quality of illustration in tarot decks. I do have an I Ching deck of cards that is illustrated, but it's limited to black and white slashes of brushstrokes with some red accents and the images aren't particularly evocative in a symbolic manner. Should somebody come out with a fully pictorial deck accented with hexagrams, I think I Ching could become more popular. I admit I'm a bit lazy when it comes to study, but I found the textual nature of I Ching confusing. I couldn't seem to follow or sort through the poetic interpretations. I haven't managed to track down my own Rosetta Stone of connecting information to make it a more usable system for me. ....yet!
Ma Deva Padma's Tao Oracle is based on I Ching, with very attractive and relatable artwork.
This is a total sidebar but when I was in Jr High School in my library there was this "Chinese stick fortune" set and I legit would skip lunch to go to the library and get my fortune on every single say :D I recently found them once again online but was wondering if you know if they are a legit practice or something made up ala' egg yoo yung style. I know we can use yarrow for I-Ching but is this also related to I Ching? I so want to buy a set! And play with them AND your book?! How exciting!
Yes! The fortune sticks are totally a thing! There are a lot of different systems, so it is really hard to generalize. Essentially there are numbers or words on each stick. It's like casting lots. Once you pick one, it matches to a divinatory message. It is often the divination method of choice found at temples. It's often a tradition to go to a temple and get your fortune sticks red either on your birthday or on the lunar New Year. I'm not aware that there is any historicity of that particular divination method being connected to the I Ching, but I can certainly imagine that such a system has evolved to exist. 😊 So it would make sense that it's a thing!
As an older person I came to the I Ching through the Wilhelm translation and that was a translation from the Chinese to German to English. Today we have any number of translations directly from the original ancient Chinese text directly into English. I purchased your translation for the context that you bring to the historical setting in which the I Ching was created and how it developed over time.
I have come to think the the I Ching is not so much about divining the future but more about understanding the Now.
My introduction to the I Ching was the ongoing sidebar story found printed throughout The Last Whole Earth Catalog, where it was mentioned in passing a number of times as one or another character used it. (Come to think about it, now I gotta go look in my folks' basement, I think the book is still there.) It took a couple of years, but it stuck in my memory and I've been using it on & off since my early college days. So far, the worst "barrier" to entry that I've found is that, unlike tarot, there aren't really a lot of decent *free* smartphone apps for it...
Oh man, thanks for mentioning there aren't a lot of I Ching apps. It's true! I want to connect with others about it via social media, and I'm also not super clear on where to turn in that regard as well. I'm super inspired to do something about it, though, especially moreso after watching this video and reading comments like yours.
You are absolutely correct!..I have often asked myself the very same thing. I have all sorts of decks, and Lenormand decks….Charms casting is my true love. But, my favorite, and really, my only oracle deck that I use, is the “Tao Oracle” by Ma Deva Padma. For me, I like to cast the coins and then pull the card/or image that corresponds. I really do love some of the images in this deck. I see so many oracles being published. And in my opinion, nothing comes remotely close. ????
Perhaps you are correct, when you say, we may feel that the ancient wisdom of the IChing is to extraordinary for us to wrap our heads around. 💐 Thankyou for the conversation.
I want to get your book on the I Ching when its made available in September. Do you recommend I get a copy of the I Ching text itself to read alongside your book? If so which English translation do you suggest?
The deep end of the pool can be scary for those who aren't confident in their swimming ability.
The I Ching has been trending in my house I’ll tell ya but that’s mostly because I got the SKT and it’s made it easier for me
Edit: I feel an I Ching Revolution coming