A guide to the reading
Six lines. Room to reflect.
The I Ching, also called the Yijing or Book of Changes, offers a way to consider change. Ink & Stillness brings a cast, an AI perspective and your own notes onto one page.
Begin with a question
Describe what you are sitting with, or leave the question empty for an open reading. A question such as “What could help me approach this transition?” leaves room to examine your situation.
Choose Cast my reading for an automatic reveal, or One line at a time for a slower pace. Both reveal a cast recorded when you begin; the animation does not change the result.
Read from the bottom up
The app uses browser-generated randomness for six independent digital three-coin casts. Each coin has a value of 2 or 3. Their sum gives one line, starting with line 1 at the bottom and ending with line 6 at the top.
| Value | Primary line | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | Broken · yin | Becomes solid |
| 7 | Solid · yang | Stays solid |
| 8 | Broken · yin | Stays broken |
| 9 | Solid · yang | Becomes broken |
The six-line pattern identifies one of 64 hexagrams. Circles mark changing lines. Select Becoming to see the relating hexagram formed by changing every 6 and 9. If no lines change, there is no separate relating hexagram.
Keep source and perspective distinct
Open the changing lines to read each line's passage from James Legge's 1882 translation directly in your reading. Read source shows the judgment for the displayed hexagram, with a link to its full chapter.
The AI receives those exact passages, your question and the judgments of the original and relating hexagrams. Its reflection explains each changing line and connects the resulting hexagram to your situation. The historical translation and AI interpretation are labelled separately. On an older saved reading, choose Reflect with the source texts to request an updated reflection, then save it.
Ask a follow-up, notice what fits your circumstances, and leave room for disagreement. A reading offers a perspective rather than a prediction. Your decisions remain your own.
Make the reading your own
Add a note, then choose Save reading. The app keeps up to 30 saved readings in this browser. Save again after editing or receiving another reply. Unfinished work lasts only while the page remains open; follow a guide link after saving anything you want to keep.
AI generation sends reading context to OpenAI. Read how your information is handled before sharing personal details.
Begin a reading