An Elementary Doubt

[t_30]

Hello Members

I bought my copy of I-Ching by Alfred Huang. I have a very elementary doubt in how to cast a Hexagram using 3 coins method. On this site and everywhere else I have read that 'Each head counts three; each tail counts two'. Whereas, as per Alfred Huang book, 'Two faces [I read it as heads] and one back [I read it as tail] equals lesser Yang' (refer page 10-11). This would mean head counts 2 and tail counts 3. This is confusing and actually will reverse the outcome of all my readings. Does 'Face' here mean a tail?

Thanks Again

 

[Sparhawk]

Hello Members

I bought my copy of I-Ching by Alfred Huang. I have a very elementary doubt in how to cast a Hexagram using 3 coins method. On this site and everywhere else I have read that 'Each head counts three; each tail counts two'. Whereas, as per Alfred Huang book, 'Two faces [I read it as heads] and one back [I read it as tail] equals lesser Yang' (refer page 10-11). This would mean head counts 2 and tail counts 3. This is confusing and actually will reverse the outcome of all my readings. Does 'Face' here mean a tail?

Thanks Again

It doesn't really matter. Just assign a 2 to one side and 3 to the other and "stick to it" for eternity... Seriously. In my case, I like to assign 2 to the obverse of a coin and 3 to the reverse (obverse is where you usually see face, bust, head, etc., and reverse is the side that usually has a value number, the so called "tail".

Then is just a matter of adding numbers. Don't bother with "two tails and one head", "three heads", etc. Just add the numbers: 3x2 is a 6; 2x2+3 is a 7; 3x3 is a 9; etc.

6 is an Old Yin
7 is a Young Yang
8 is a Young Yin
9 is an Old Yang

L

 

[magictortoise]

I agree with Sparhawk that it really doesn't matter. Choose one and then remain consistent.
I myself don't bother with the numbers: two tails and a head = unmoving yang
two heads and a tail = unmoving yin
three tails = moving yin
three heads = moving yang

Been doing it this way for 35 years. Check out a new age shop for Chinese coins, too.

Best regards,
Ken Wanamaker