I Ching Reading Record: A Copyable Six-Line Template

Answer First

An I Ching reading record should preserve the exact question before casting, six line values from bottom to top, changing positions, original and relating hexagrams, method, edition, quoted text, personal interpretation, one real-world action, and a fixed review date. Never erase the original lines when drawing the relating figure.

Definition: An I Ching reading record is a dated worksheet that separates what was asked, what was cast, what a source says, what the reader inferred, and what happened next.

Why: Memory edits a session. Without line values and an edition, a later reader may preserve only a keyword that seems accurate and lose the method, conditions, or failed assumptions.

Example: “Hexagram 24—good sign” is too thin. “Coin totals 7, 8, 8, 7, 8, 8 from bottom to top; no changing lines; Minford 2014, page X; action: ask when the project restarts; review Friday” can be checked.

Key Facts

• Write the question before generating the first line.
• Save local date, time, and timezone. They establish record order even when they have no role in the casting method.
• State whether you used coins, yarrow stalks, an app, dice, or another procedure.
• Number line 1 at the bottom and line 6 at the top.
• Preserve totals or explicit line states, not only the final Unicode glyph.
• Mark changing lines and retain both the original and relating figures.
• Cite translator or editor, title, publication year, page or stable section.
• Put quotations and paraphrases in different fields.
• Write interpretation as a question or hypothesis, not a verified fact about the future.
• Close with a practical action and review date tied to the real decision.

Clear wording comes first. The I Ching question wording guide helps convert a vague prediction request into a bounded prompt.

Copyable I Ching Reading Record

Copy this block into a note. Code blocks are used only so the fields remain easy to select.

I CHING READING RECORD

Record ID:
Local date and time:
Timezone:
Location (city/country only if needed):

EXACT QUESTION — written before casting:

Situation in two sentences:
Decision or responsibility I control:
Real deadline or review event:
Known facts:
Unknowns:

CASTING METHOD
Method:
Tool or app version:
Line-value convention:

SIX LINES — generated from bottom to top
Line 6 (top):
Line 5:
Line 4:
Line 3:
Line 2:
Line 1 (bottom, generated first):

Changing positions:
Original lower trigram:
Original upper trigram:
Original hexagram number/name:
Relating lower trigram:
Relating upper trigram:
Relating hexagram number/name:

SOURCE
Translator/editor:
Book or site title:
Edition/year:
Page or section:
Changing-line rule used:

TEXT
Short quotation with page:
My paraphrase:

INTERPRETATION — label as interpretation
Observation from the record:
Question this raises:
Assumption I might be making:

ACTION
One action based on ordinary evidence:
Person responsible:
Due date:

REVIEW
Review date/event:
What happened:
What I did:
What remains unknown:
What I would phrase differently next time:

How to Fill the Six-Line Table

If using a common three-coin convention, record the total for each toss as 6, 7, 8, or 9. Do not convert immediately to an unlabeled broken or solid line.

Fill line 1 first even though it appears at the bottom. After all six lines are recorded, identify the lower trigram from lines 1–3 and the upper trigram from lines 4–6. Then copy the original diagram to the relating column and switch only the marked changing positions.

The I Ching changing lines guide gives a detailed transformation example. The I Ching hexagrams guide explains how line diagram, received number, pinyin name, English title, and source text remain separate fields.

Keep Source Text and Interpretation Apart

Use four labels:

1. Output: the six generated line values.
2. Source: a quotation or accurate paraphrase from a named edition.
3. Interpretation: the reader’s proposed connection to the question.
4. Action: something checked through ordinary evidence.

Suppose line 4 changes and a translation uses language about proceeding carefully. The source field quotes the relevant sentence with page number. The interpretation field says, “I may be rushing the vendor decision.” The action field says, “Before 15:00 tomorrow, compare the two written service-level agreements and ask counsel about the termination clause.”

Do not write “The vendor will breach the contract.” That claims a future fact the casting does not establish. The practical action is still useful because it leads to documents and qualified review.

A Completed Short Example

Maya must decide whether to submit a course application. She writes the question before casting: “What should I examine before submitting this application by 12:00 SGT on 4 August?”

Her coin totals from bottom upward are 7, 8, 7, 9, 8, 7. She marks line 4 as changing. She records the app version only because the app simulated coins; if she had used physical coins, she would describe the coin-value convention instead.

She identifies the figures with a named edition and records page numbers. Her interpretation is: “The changing line makes me question whether the portfolio evidence matches the claim in my statement.” Her action is: “Ask Priya to compare the statement with the three portfolio captions by 18:00 today.”

At the review, Maya notes that two captions used dates inconsistent with the statement. Fixing them improved the application’s factual consistency. She does not say the hexagram predicted admission. The record shows a prompt, an evidence check, and an action.

The Observation-Interpretation-Action Record

The original framework behind this template is a three-column discipline:

Only the observation is directly preserved by the session. The interpretation is provisional. The action should be safe, proportionate, and checkable.

An I Ching reading record is valuable even when the interpretation later looks weak. The mismatch becomes evidence about how the reader framed the situation. A journal that deletes misses teaches less than one that keeps them.

Privacy and Storage

Use a record ID rather than a full name when notes concern another person. Do not paste identity documents, medical records, financial account numbers, private messages, or a precise home address into an app merely to improve the story.

If using cloud notes or an online reading service, check access permissions, export options, retention, and deletion. Share only the page required for review. A six-line table rarely needs another person’s date of birth or contact details.

If the record touches a consequential decision, attach or link the real evidence separately: contract, official form, clinical instructions, safety notice, or written consent. The symbolic note should never become the only file.

Expert Explanation: Why Edition Matters

The Chinese Text Project Book of Changes, accessed 2026 provides a digital route to primary textual material. The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy entry on Chinese philosophy of change, revised 2022 describes the text’s divinatory and philosophical development.

Richard Smith’s Oxford Academic chapter “Yijing Divination,” published 2022 situates consultation within the Yijing’s history. These sources help establish why translator, edition, and interpretive rule belong in the record.

For a parallel journaling practice, the Tarot journal guide also separates card observation, interpretation, action, and review.

Key Takeaways

• Preserve the exact question before casting.
• Record line 1 first at the bottom and line 6 last at the top.
• Keep original values, changing marks, and the relating figure.
• Cite a named edition and page or section.
• Separate quotation, paraphrase, interpretation, and action.
• Use one bounded action based on ordinary evidence.
• Choose a review date from the real situation.
• Protect private information and keep consequential evidence outside the symbolic note.

FAQ

What should I write down during an I Ching reading?

Record the question, context, date, timezone, method, six line values, changing positions, two figures, edition, text, interpretation, action, and review date.

How do I record changing lines?

Keep the original values. Copy the figure into a second column and switch only the changing lines. Never erase the original.

Should I record the translation or edition?

Yes. Save translator or editor, title, year, and page or section because wording and interpretation rules differ.

When should I review a reading?

Use a real event or date: after the meeting, deadline, conversation, or a seven-day test. Review actions and facts before judging symbolic fit.

Sources

• Chinese Text Project, Book of Changes, digital primary text accessed 2026
• Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Chinese Philosophy of Change, revised 2022
• Oxford Academic, Yijing Divination, published 2022