Answer:
I'm glad you asked that! (No, really I am...)
When one of the lines of a hexagram is in the process of changing to its opposite, the text associated with that line is a pivotal point in the answer. When there's just one changing line, it's not hard to understand it as the heart of the answer - such as in this reading about connecting to unseen spiritual guides.

When there's more than one 'pivotal point', though, a dazzling (or should that be dizzying?) range of expressive potential opens up. Perhaps the most useful understanding is that the energy passes through a hexagram from bottom to top, so that higher lines are later in time. Often, it's the 'future' lines that are hard to relate to. A woman at the forum asked what she could expect from a completely new relationship, and received two moving lines: 1 and 6. The first spoke of the immediate emotional storms of a new relationship, and the last - well, definitely in the future! (The reading's here)

Of course, the changing lines don't always tell a story. They can also represent different people (see this reading about love) or - especially with two different lines - alternatives. Take the image of a growing business given by Hexagram 1, Creative Force, changing to Hexagram 34, Great Vigour. Of the two moving lines, one reads 'A flying dragon in the heavens. Beneficial to see the great person.' The other: 'Arrogant dragon. There will be regrets.' And of course, Great Vigour shows a driving strength that needs to abide by the rules if it is to avoid causing damage. So this business was treading a fine line between success and over-confidence. There often seems to be a hint of challenge in this kind of answer: here are two possible futures, which one will you create?

There's another possibility that shouldn't be ignored. Some situations - especially emotional ones - simply are confused and contradictory, and don't make sense. And the I Ching's answer will reflect this! Once there are four moving lines or more, then a line-by-line interpretation becomes less than useful: it's just too complex to take in. The lines could be outlining possibilities, or factors at work in the situation, or telling a story: the only certainty is that the situation will be a multi-faceted! I've noticed a definite pattern in my own consultations: 'multi-line' answers tend to come up when I ask a long series of questions, or when I'm consulting the I Ching as a substitute for independent thought. The hidden message, I think, is 'haven't you realised yet that there is no simple answer?'

Sometimes you simply have to accept that things are confusing. However, when there's a forest of moving lines, the Patterns of Change (explained towards the bottom of this page) can help you to see the wood for the trees. This very helpful interpretative aid portrays the overall nature of the change - the inner Pattern of Change deals with the questioner's inner world, the outer with their relationship with the outside world. This reading is an attempt at coping with 5 moving lines.

Please send your own DIY questions to diy@onlineclarity.co.uk

™Discussion point—

This survey may be closed, but the debate continues!

New survey
The new survey is about using a computer program to consult the I Ching - thanks to Cheryl for the idea! She writes:

"I found your interactive reading by computer concerning, …Kind of hokey, really different from the numerous sources I have consulted for the past thirty years, having done various methods pennies, chinese coins, yarrow stalks: each one requires my personal metaphysical input for accuracy. This electronic method you propose does not. I hope you approach the I Ching with reverence, and are not simply making it a source of entertainment."

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