Thank you to the moderator of r/divination for allowing this standalone post. We were also very happy to contribute I Ching divination books to the r/divination 14th anniversary giveaway. We appreciate this community’s long-standing support for many forms of divination study, research, and practice.
I would like to introduce I Ching Stream.
I Ching Stream is the first platform created to systematically bring classical I Ching divination texts into English. Our goal is to preserve China’s traditional divinatory methods, terminology, case records, and practical reasoning in clear, precise English for serious learners, practitioners, and researchers.
Many readers outside the Chinese-language tradition know the I Ching mainly through the Judgment and Line statements, philosophy, symbolism, or spiritual reflection. These are important parts of the tradition. However, over more than two thousand years of development in China, I Ching divination also became a practical system for judging real-world questions.
Historically, I Ching divination was not limited to private spiritual reflection. It was used by Chinese rulers, officials, scholars, and ordinary people to judge real-world matters, including war, state affairs, official appointments, marriage, illness, travel, business, family matters, and major life decisions. Classical sources also preserve famous divination accounts associated with major cultural figures, including accounts of Confucius divining about his own fate. Readers who are interested in this historical dimension may refer to Studies on Ancient I Ching Divination Cases (Zhouyi Gushi Kao, 《周易古筮考》), which records about 170 historical divination cases preserved in Chinese historical sources, together with interpretations and discussions by scholars from different dynasties.
In China, this practical I Ching divination system is commonly known as Six Lines Divination (Liu Yao, 六爻, literally “six lines”). In actual practice, it can combine several layers of interpretation: the Judgment and Line statements, image-number methods such as Plum Blossom Numerology, and the Na Jia method (纳甲), also known in practice as Wen Wang Gua (文王卦).
In the classical system represented by Zengshan Buyi, the primary analytical framework is Na Jia / Wen Wang Gua. It is especially useful for judging timing, relationships, obstacles, development, and outcomes, while the Judgment and Line statements and image-based methods can serve as supporting references.
I Ching Stream is dedicated to making this practical historical system accessible in English, especially the Na Jia and Wen Wang Gua tradition, which remains underrepresented in English-language I Ching resources.
Our main recommended title at the moment is:
I Ching Divination: Complete and Restored (Zengshan Buyi, 《增删卜易》)
This is not a general introductory I Ching book, but a practical reference work for serious learners, practitioners, and researchers. Zengshan Buyi is one of the most important classics in the Chinese I Ching divination tradition. It is also one of the key texts studied by Chinese learners of I Ching divination and one of the most commonly discussed and referenced works in later classical I Ching divination literature.
This is not a general I Ching commentary or a symbolic interpretation book. This English edition contains about 200,000 words, 460+ real divination cases, and detailed translator’s notes designed to help readers outside the Chinese cultural and textual tradition understand the historical context, technical terms, and interpretive logic behind the cases. Rather than offering general reflections on the hexagrams, these cases show how classical I Ching divination was used to judge real-world questions, including likely outcomes, timing, the development of events, and the final feedback from actual cases.
Our goal is not to simplify the I Ching into abstract philosophy, nor to turn it into quick fortune-telling entertainment. The purpose is to present the traditional Chinese I Ching divination system as completely and clearly as possible, including its methods, structure, case logic, and practical reasoning.Zengshan Buyi is part of a larger classical I Ching divination library we are building in English. Current available titles include:
• I Ching Divination: Complete and Restored (Zengshan Buyi, 《增删卜易》)
• The Orthodox Method of I Ching Divination (Bushi Zhengzong, 《卜筮正宗》), also known as Golden Strategy
• Fire Pearl Forest: I Ching (Six Lines) Divination Classical Text (Huo Zhu Lin, 《火珠林》)
• Undersea Eye: The Core Principles of I Ching (Six Lines) Divination (Haidi Yan, 《海底眼》)
• Collected Insights on I Ching Divination (Yi Donglin, 《易洞林》), including Donglin Secret Manual (Donglin Mijue, 《洞林秘诀》), Guo Shi Donglin (Guoshi Donglin, 《郭氏洞林》), and Zhouyi Donglin (Zhouyi Donglin, 《周易洞林》)
• Hidden Principles Ode: A Classic of I Ching (Six Lines) Divination (Chan Ao Ge Zhang, 《阐奥歌章》)
• Principles and Odes of I Ching Divination: Including Mysterious and Subtle Discourse and Celestial Mysteries Ode (Tong Xuan Miao Lun, 《通玄妙论》 and Tian Xuan Fu, 《天玄赋》)
• Studies on Ancient I Ching Divination Cases (Zhouyi Gushi Kao, 《周易古筮考》)
• Encompassing I Ching Divination (Yi Mao, 《易冒》)
These works are intended for readers who want to understand I Ching divination as a practical historical system, not only as a philosophical text or a set of Judgment and Line statements.
They may be especially useful for:
• I Ching readers who want to move beyond general symbolism and understand practical divination methods;
• tarot readers, astrologers, spiritual consultants, and other divination practitioners who want to explore a structured Chinese divination system;
• practitioners of Chinese metaphysics, traditional Chinese medicine, or related traditional systems who want to understand how I Ching divination was used to judge real-world matters;
• researchers and serious learners who want access to classical Chinese divination cases, technical reasoning, and historical practice in English.
For readers who are new to this system, we also recommend starting with I Ching Divination: A Practical Study Roadmap, which is available on Amazon. This short guide gives readers a broad overview of the mainstream I Ching divination system used in China, including how classical I Ching reading, Six Lines Divination, Wen Wang Gua, Na Jia, images, lines, time factors, and practical judgment fit together. It is a good starting point before moving into the larger classical translations.
For readers who prefer Kindle, several titles are also available through Amazon. Because Kindle is managed through Amazon’s platform, this Reddit reader offer can only be redeemed through ichingstream.com.
Community reader offer for Reddit readers:
Code: divinationreddit
Offer: $29.99 off selected major I Ching Stream digital editions over $200, including Zengshan Buyi and Zhouyi Gushi Kao
Valid through: June 30, 2026 PT
Personal use, one use per reader.
Useful links:
Books: https://www.ichingstream.com/books/
Author profile, sample materials, and related papers: https://columbia.academia.edu/XuanWanyan
Case studies and study notes: https://substack.com/@ichingstream
I Ching Stream community on Reddit: r/ichingstream
More classical texts are in preparation.
Questions, feedback, and discussion are very welcome, especially from readers interested in I Ching divination, historical divination practice, Chinese divination, Wen Wang Gua, Na Jia, Six Lines Divination, and the broader history of practical divinatory systems.
