Notes from the practice
Liu Yao & I Ching essays
Essays on the classical Chinese hexagram method, how to ask the I Ching a useful question, and what each hexagram tends to reveal in practice. Written by Master Shen.
Hexagram Reading·June 9, 2026·13 min read
Hexagram 64 (未濟 Wèi Jì / Before Completion): A Liu Yao Reading
What Hexagram 64 (未濟 Wèi Jì, Before Completion) means in a Liu Yao reading — the I Ching's last hexagram, the one that ends the book unfinished, and why the unfinished state is its teaching.
Practice & Questions·June 9, 2026·10 min read
When NOT to Consult the I Ching
Not every question belongs in front of the hexagram. Here are the situations where a Liu Yao reader will gently decline to cast — and why declining is part of the practice.
Liu Yao Method·June 8, 2026·9 min read
Why Three Coins Instead of Yarrow Stalks: The Method Behind Liu Yao Casting
Most contemporary I Ching readings use three coins, not yarrow stalks. Here is why the method changed, what the probabilities actually are, and whether one is more 'authentic' than the other.
Liu Yao Method·June 8, 2026·11 min read
Reading the Changing Line: What Most Translations Miss
The changing line is where a Liu Yao reading lives — but most Western I Ching translations treat it as a footnote. Here is what it actually does, and why isolating it changes the reading entirely.
Hexagram Reading·June 7, 2026·13 min read
Hexagram 50 (鼎 Dǐng / The Cauldron): A Liu Yao Reading
What Hexagram 50 (鼎 Dǐng, The Cauldron) means in a Liu Yao reading — the hexagram of transformation, nourishment, and the institutional vessel, and why the changing line tells you which stage of cooking you are in.
Liu Yao Method·June 7, 2026·11 min read
Liu Yao vs Wilhelm I Ching: A Side-by-Side
What changes when you read the I Ching through Liu Yao instead of Wilhelm/Baynes — a side-by-side on the same hexagram, the same question, and where the two methods agree and diverge.
Hexagram Reading·June 6, 2026·13 min read
Hexagram 2 (坤 Kūn / The Receptive): A Liu Yao Reading
What Hexagram 2 (坤 Kūn, The Receptive) means in a Liu Yao reading — pure yīn, the earth that carries everything, and why receptive power is not the same as passivity.
Practice & Questions·June 6, 2026·13 min read
I Ching for Relationships: What You Can Ask, What You Cannot
Most relationship I Ching readings go wrong because the question goes wrong. Here's what a Liu Yao practitioner can read in a relationship — and what no honest reader will pretend to.
Hexagram Reading·June 5, 2026·11 min read
Hexagram 5 (需 Xū / Waiting): A Liu Yao Reading
What Hexagram 5 (需 Xū, Waiting) means in a Liu Yao reading — the hexagram of strategic patience before danger, and why the changing line tells you what kind of waiting is being asked of you.
Practice & Questions·June 5, 2026·11 min read
I Ching for Career Decisions: How to Frame the Question
Career questions are where most I Ching readings go vague. Here's how a Liu Yao practitioner frames a job-related question so the hexagram can actually answer it.
Hexagram Reading·June 4, 2026·11 min read
Hexagram 31 (咸 Xián / Influence): A Liu Yao Reading
What Hexagram 31 (咸 Xián, Influence) means in a Liu Yao reading — the hexagram of mutual feeling, and why the changing line tells you what kind of influence you're inside.
Practice & Questions·June 4, 2026·11 min read
How to Ask the I Ching a Useful Question
Most vague I Ching readings come from vague questions. Here's how a Liu Yao practitioner frames a question so the hexagram can actually answer it.
Practice & Questions·June 3, 2026·10 min read
From I Ching to Liu Yao: Deepening Your Reading Practice
If you've read Wilhelm I Ching for years and feel the readings have grown vague, Liu Yao is the classical Chinese practice that sharpens them. Here's what changes.
Hexagram Reading·June 3, 2026·8 min read
Hexagram 1 (乾 Qián / The Creative): A Liu Yao Reading
What Hexagram 1 (乾 Qián, The Creative) means in a Liu Yao reading — and why the changing line, not the hexagram, tells you what to do.
Liu Yao Method·June 3, 2026·9 min read
What is Liu Yao? The Classical Chinese Hexagram Method
Liu Yao is the classical Chinese hexagram method behind I Ching readings. Here's what it is, how it differs from Wilhelm I Ching, and why the changing line matters most.