Ask about one thing at a time. An “and” usually means two questions.
← I Ching
LAYER 01 · COURSE 3 · FREE
Casting and Asking
The first two courses taught reading; this one starts from the beginning: how to ask, how yarrow and coins work, and reading your own cast first.
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About 8 min
How to ask
Four marks of a good question, four rewrites, two old rules.
ONE THING TO REMEMBER
A cast answers the question you asked. One matter, about your situation and action: a clear question gives the reading somewhere to land.
Four marks of a good question
A cast reads your situation and what you can do; it does not read other minds.
Turn “will it happen?” into “how should I act?” or “what should I watch?”.
Say which matter and roughly when: “these three months”, “before signing”.
Same concern, better question
- Before
How will my work and love life go this year?
AfterOne matter per question; work and love are two questions.Over the next six months, what should I watch for as I go for a promotion here?
- Before
Does he really like me?
AfterDo not ask what is in someone else’s mind; ask about your situation and your action.I want to ask him to talk properly. Is this a good moment to do it?
- Before
Will I get rich?
After“Will it happen?” asks for fate; ask something you can act on.I plan to put some savings into a side project. How should I approach the next three months?
- Before
Will it work out? (without saying what)
AfterA specific question gives the hexagram somewhere to land.For the partnership with Company A, what should I watch most before signing next month?
Do not cast without doubt; do not ask again and again
Youthful Folly · Judgment
蒙：亨。匪我求童蒙，童蒙求我。初筮告，再三渎，渎则不告。利贞。
Youthful Folly: success. It is not I who seek the young fool; the young fool seeks me. At the first divination I answer. Asking two or three times is disrespectful; when disrespected, I do not answer. Favorable to remain correct.
“The first divination is answered; asking two or three times is disrespect, and disrespect is not answered.” Recasting until you like the result means you only want to hear yourself.
The Zuozhuan adds: “Divination resolves doubt; without doubt, why divine?” If you have already decided, there is no need to cast. A hexagram helps when you truly cannot see the situation clearly.
Where Astro Lens stands
Here the I Ching is a tool for seeing a situation and organizing your thinking, not for making decisions for you. For serious medical, legal or financial decisions, rely on professional advice.
One matter; about you, not other minds.
Turn “will it happen?” into “how should I act?”.
No doubt, no cast; no asking again and again.
Try it now
4 small points in this lesson; get each right once and you pass. A miss is fine: it comes back two questions later, asked a new way.