The I Ching - Ancient Oracle of the East
Saturday May 5th 2007 - "A Day with the I Ching"
Do we live in a universe in which objects and events are individual and disconnected, or one where everything that happens is part of a single, vast, interconnected whole, an awesome stream of meaningful coincidences reaching from first causes into the remote future?
The ancient traditions, mysticism and many modern theoretical physicists suggest the latter.
Consultations with the I Ching oracle require us to accept that there is in a real sense no such thing as chance. Every happening, the turn of a card, or fall of a coin, is caused by a chain of preceding events, whether these are apparent to the senses or not.
The I Ching, or Book of Changes, one of the oldest methods of divination known to humankind, connects us to the wonders of this vast inner universe, the real prime mover of all that is, and reflects the philosophy of interconnectedness. For, in the last analysis, the cosmos and man obey the same law - that nothing is permanent.
According to Chinese Philosophy, one can determine the meaning of a given moment by consulting the oracle. This oracle has eight basic trigrams which are brought into various passages of the text as symbols for certain inner processes. From these emerge a total of 64 double trigrams or hexagrams, depicting basic symbolic life situations.
The I Ching or Book of Changes has been elaborated into a deep philosophy of existence. Chance, which the eminent psychologist Dr Jung called "synchronicity", or meaningful coincidence, is taken into the centre of attention.
The counsel that the I Ching offers involves adopting an awareness and respect for the fact that we are inwardly as well as outwardly interwoven with the cosmos, and the ebb and flow of its cycles.
Individual readings can reveal profound insights into our everyday lives, and invariably bring depth and perspective to the many situations that challenge us on a daily basis.
Through an essentially interactive and participatory workshop, we will approach an understanding of this ancient system from the East.
Participants will be shown how to consult the I Ching - from the formulation of the question, the throwing of three coins or the selection of the yarrow stalks, through the construction of the hexagram, to the interpretation of the oracle’s response.
By calming the mind, and entering an attitude of respect, we prepare ourselves to engage the oracle’s help.
The workshop will be conducted in the unique, historical setting of Stanley Palace, Chester CH1 2LF (black and white building on lower Watergate Street towards the race course). The session runs from 10.00am to 4.00pm (with an hour's break for lunch).
Fee: £35 per session
No previous experience is necessary. All sessions will be led by Terence Moore (author & workshop leader) and Lynette Howells (artist, writer & teacher), who have both been involved in the study and practice of the I Ching for over twenty years.
The workshop will utilise the Richard Wilhelm version of the I Ching, with its introduction by Carl Jung, as the main (although not exclusive) reference document.
For further information, e-mail info@alphacentre.org.uk