I Ching (pronounced "ee jing") is a 5,000 year old book of Chinese philosophy, wisdom and divination. "I" means Change and "Ching" means Book - hence "Book of Changes". The I-Ching is the world's oldest known book, the sourcebook for Taoism, the martial arts, Chinese medicine and Feng Shui. In addition, it has doubled as an intuitive decision- making aid used by emperors, sages and leaders for over 3500 years. It was popularized in the West by the founder of depth psychology, Carl Jung, who studied its "synchronicity principle" for some 30 years.

As a divination tool, the I-Ching is generally used for gaining insight into, and timely advice about, the kind of dilemmas that logic can't handle-- things like major personal decisions, negotiating strategies, relationship issues. The I Ching, as any oracle, does not give definitive answers, but forces the inquirer to look within for answers. The I Ching requires intuitive thought, and an awareness of the flow and flux of energy throughout the universe.

Avid users have included Confucius, Liebniz (inspired by its yin-yang system to invent binary mathematics), Albert Einstein, von Neumann (inspired by its permutations to invent digital computers), Alan Watts, Bob Dylan and Sting.  It is perhaps the oldest book in existence and gives amazingly accurate insights into life.

There are numerous theories about the origins of the I Ching. However, the true origins of this amazing oracle are lost in the mists of time. Even the most common theory has a number of variations to it.

However, the basic thread is as follows: I Ching dates back about 5,000 years to the time of ruler Emperor Fu Hsi. Fu Hsi was said to have found the eight trigrams that later formed the sixty-four hexagrams on the shell of a tortoise. King Wen doubled the trigrams into the 64 hexagrams we know today, and wrote the first summary text of attributes and advice on each of the sixty-four hexagrams about 3,000 years ago. He wrote them while in prison from a vision on the prison wall.

A variation of this story goes as follows: Around 1042 BC, Wen, king of the Chou, invented the sixty-four hexagrams and their names. He is said to have done this while in prison at the hands of Chou Hsin, king of the Shang. To save himself, Wen used his I Ching to entertain Chou Hsin and his court. While telling his stories, he drew illustrations to help everyone remember the points he wanted to make, to explain omens and to offer bits of wisdom and advice. Chou Hsin was so impressed, that he eventually released Wen and even gave him his daughter's hand in marriage.

Another variation on how Emperor Fu Hsi was inspired to the I Ching goes as follow: The story goes that Fu Hsi was watching his camp fire one night and noticed within it three logs that reminded him of a trigram. As he walked around his campsite, he happened to see the same three logs, but from the opposite side of the fire pit. It was at this point that a great enlightenment washed over him, and he began on the path of his work which would be memorialized in the I Ching.

Another story of the origins of the I Ching is completely unrelated: It states that the I Ching was given to us by a civilization alien to this planet. The statement is backed by looking at the following: The I Ching has the same structure as the Genetic Code. The sixty four images of the I Ching are the same as the sixty four codons (basic instructions) of the genetic code. For example the codon for "Stop" is called "Mountain Stillness" in the I Ching.

The I Ching and the Table of Elements also have incredible similarities. Each of the sixty four images of the I Ching is connected to a particular element. For example: The element-gold is represented by the "Golden Cauldron," symbol of the power of the Emperor and the security of the Empire. There is a great deal more to discover in the I Ching besides its obvious value as an oracle of profound wisdom.

To begin developing an understanding of the I Ching, we begin with a description of the Trigrams. Each Trigram represents one of the eight elemental forces of the I Ching, and embodies a quality needed to navigate through life.