How to ask the I Ching a question (with 10 examples)

The best I Ching questions are about one matter, framed around what you can do, and usually open rather than yes-or-no: "What should I understand about taking this job?" works better than "Will I get rich?" The book answers in images of situations and advice on conduct, so a question shaped like that gets an answer you can actually read. Below are the principles, the pitfalls, and ten before-and-after examples.

Why the question matters so much

The Great Commentary (繫辭, one of the Ten Wings) describes consultation like this: 君子將有為也，將有行也，問焉而以言，其受命也如響 — "when the superior person is about to act or to set out, he asks, putting it into words, and the answer comes back like an echo." Two things follow. The question is put into words, so it has to be clear enough to say aloud. And the answer is an echo: it takes the shape of what was asked. A vague question returns a vague echo.

Zhu Xi's divination ritual (筮儀) also has the inquirer state the matter plainly before the stalks are counted — this matter, and the doubt about whether it is advisable. The written question is the anchor that stops you reinterpreting the cast afterwards.

Principles of a good question

• One matter at a time. "Should I move and change careers?" bundles two decisions; the answer will fit neither. Ask them separately, on separate occasions if you like.
• Frame it around your own conduct. The Zhouyi's lines constantly advise: wait, advance, retreat, hold firm, seek help. A question about what you should do or understand lets that advice land. A question about someone else's inner life leaves you guessing; see asking the I Ching about another person.
• Prefer open questions. "What is the nature of…", "What should I keep in mind about…", "What attitude suits…" These let the Judgment and the Image speak fully. Yes-or-no questions can work too, but they need a little more interpretation — see I Ching yes or no questions.
• Give it a time-frame when timing matters. "In the next three months" keeps you from reading a long-range hexagram as tomorrow's news. More in how long a reading applies.
• Be honest about what you actually want to know. If the real question is "Am I making a mistake?", ask that, not a polite substitute.

What to avoid

• Either/or questions. "Berlin or Lisbon?" gives a hexagram with no way of telling which option it addresses. Ask about each option on its own.
• Questions you have already asked. The Judgment of Hexagram 4, Meng is blunt about repeat consultation; see asking the same question twice.
• Trivial tests. Asking what card is on top of the deck treats the book as a trick, and you will learn nothing about your life.
• Questions that belong to a professional. Medical, legal and financial decisions need qualified advice. The I Ching can help you reflect on your attitude to a situation; it is not a substitute for that advice.
• Fishing for a verdict. If you already know the answer you will accept, you are not asking.

Ten before-and-after examples

Work and study

• Before: "Will I get the job?" After: "What should I understand about applying for this role, and how should I present myself?" The first invites a verdict you cannot act on; the second gets advice for the interview.
• Before: "Should I quit my job and start a business or go back to school?" After: "What would leaving my job this year mean for me?" — then, another day, separate questions about each path.
• Before: "Will the project succeed?" After: "What does this project need from me over the next two months?"

Relationships

• Before: "Does she love me?" After: "What is the nature of my relationship with her right now, and what is my part in it?"
• Before: "Will my friend's marriage last?" After: "How can I be a good friend to him during this difficult time?" The first question is about someone else's life; the second is about yours.
• Before: "Why does he always let me down?" After: "What should I understand about the pattern in this friendship?"

Decisions and direction

• Before: "Should I move to Berlin or Lisbon?" After: "What would moving to Berlin next spring bring?" — and a separate cast for Lisbon if you still need it.
• Before: "What will happen in my life?" After: "What do I most need to understand about the coming year?" Too broad becomes merely broad; better still, name an area.
• Before: "Is this a good or bad idea?" After: "What attitude should I bring to this negotiation?"
• Before: "Why does everything go wrong for me?" After: "What is this setback asking of me?"

Notice what the rewrites have in common: one subject, a role for you, often a time-frame, and room for the book to say something you did not expect. For more ready-made phrasings, see good questions to ask the I Ching.

How the answer fits the question

Suppose you ask "What should I understand about applying for this role?" and receive Hexagram 5, Xu, Waiting, with no changing lines. The Judgment speaks of sincerity, waiting, and that it "furthers one to cross the great water"; the Image says the superior person "eats and drinks, and is joyous and of good cheer." Against your question, that reads naturally: prepare properly, do not force the timing, keep your composure. Had you asked "Will I get the job?", the same hexagram would leave you wondering whether "waiting" meant yes or no. The question made the answer legible.

How to apply this when you cast

• Write the question down before you begin, in one sentence. If you cannot, the matter is not yet clear enough to ask about.
• Check it against the list: one matter, your own conduct, open if possible, a time-frame if relevant.
• Cast once — with the caster or with three coins — and record the lines.
• Read the Judgment and the Image with your written question beside them, then any changing lines. The guide on how to read the I Ching covers the full sequence.
• Afterwards, note in a sentence what the answer seems to say to that question. That sentence is what you will check against events later.