I Ching Coin Method: Six Tosses and Changing Lines
Cast an I Ching hexagram with three coins. Use the 6–9 chart, six-toss example and paper worksheet to record changing lines and build the relating figure.
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YesNoOracle Editorial Team
Published
Reading Time
6 min read
Three Coins, One Question, Six Lines
Put three coins beside a sheet of paper and choose one situation to reflect on. Toss all three coins six times, recording the first line at the bottom. With heads worth 3 and tails worth 2, each toss totals 6, 7, 8 or 9. Keep that number: it tells you both the line's shape and whether it changes.
This walkthrough gives you a complete paper record to use with an I Ching translation. For the broader introduction, start with our I Ching guide.
1. Prepare Your Question and Record
You need three coins with distinguishable sides, a pen, paper and a translation or reference for the 64 hexagrams. Ordinary coins work. Decide which side is heads before you start and keep that assignment throughout.
Write a question about one situation, such as “What should I consider before taking on this project?” Leave space for the date, six totals and your notes. This gives you something concrete to revisit after reading.
The Divination Foundation's coin-casting instructions use heads = 3, tails = 2 and six tosses built from the bottom up. That is the convention used here; follow your chosen book consistently if it assigns the faces differently.
2. Turn Each Toss Into a Line
Shake and toss all three coins together. Add the values and record one line using this chart:
| Total | Line to draw | In the relating figure |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | Broken yin, marked changing | Becomes solid |
| 7 | Solid yang, stable | Stays solid |
| 8 | Broken yin, stable | Stays broken |
| 9 | Solid yang, marked changing | Becomes broken |
For example, two heads and one tail give 3 + 3 + 2 = 8: draw a stable broken line. Three heads give 9: draw a solid line and mark it as changing. A solid line alone does not tell you whether the total was 7 or 9, so save the number as well as the drawing.
3. Build From the Bottom Up
Your first toss is line 1, the bottom line. Draw the second above it, continuing until the sixth toss becomes the top line. Do not reverse the order when copying the figure into your book or journal.
Here is an original worked example. The rows follow the order of the tosses, starting at the bottom position:
| Toss / position | Coins | Total | Record |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 — bottom | H + T + T | 7 | Solid, stable |
| 2 | H + H + T | 8 | Broken, stable |
| 3 | H + H + H | 9 | Solid, changing |
| 4 | T + T + T | 6 | Broken, changing |
| 5 | H + T + T | 7 | Solid, stable |
| 6 — top | H + H + T | 8 | Broken, stable |
On paper, the primary figure looks like this. Read the line numbers to keep the top and bottom clear:
6 (top) -- -- 8
5 ----- 7
4 -- -- 6 changing
3 ----- 9 changing
2 -- -- 8
1 (bottom) ----- 7
4. Make the Relating Hexagram
Copy the primary figure, reversing only the positions recorded as 6 or 9. A changing broken line becomes solid; a changing solid line becomes broken. Leave every 7 and 8 alone.
In this example, only lines 3 and 4 change:
6 (top) -- --
5 -----
4 ----- changed from broken
3 -- -- changed from solid
2 -- --
1 (bottom) -----
Check both figures against the lookup chart in your chosen translation. The lower three lines form the lower trigram, and the upper three form the upper trigram; keep those in the right order when using a chart. Record the names or numbers you find beside the two drawings.
The I Ching Online coin-casting page offers a different way to work with a hand-cast reading: it lets you record coin results online. Our digital I Ching reflection is a separate experience, rather than an input form for the six totals on your paper.
5. Read the Result Without Losing Your Place
Start with your question and the primary hexagram's text. Keep your recorded changing positions beside you so that, when your translation refers to a line, you can locate it correctly.
No changing lines? Your totals contain only 7 and 8. There is no different relating figure to construct; begin with the primary hexagram as a whole.
One or several changing lines? Follow a stated reading approach from your translation or teacher. The arithmetic that produces the second figure is separate from the choice of passages to interpret. Do not change the recorded cast to make it fit a preferred reading rule.
There is no single universally followed rule for selecting passages when several lines change. Russell Cottrell's comparison of interpretation systems sets out different approaches, while Hilary Barrett describes her own approach to multiple moving lines. Use a named approach consistently rather than treating one rule as compulsory. Read a relating figure as material for reflection, not a guaranteed future event.
A Paper Worksheet You Can Reuse
Copy this before your next cast. Fill the numbered slots in toss order, then draw them with line 6 at the top:
Date:
Question:
Heads value: 3 Tails value: 2
Toss 1 / bottom: ___
Toss 2: ___
Toss 3: ___
Toss 4: ___
Toss 5: ___
Toss 6 / top: ___
Changing positions:
Primary hexagram:
Relating hexagram, if different:
Translation / reading approach:
One observation to carry forward:
Before interpreting, check three things: you made six tosses, the first is at the bottom, and only 6 or 9 changes. If the record is sound, take your time with the text and choose one practical observation to revisit.
For entertainment and personal reflection.