(If you’ve already purchased the Foundations Course, you can access it here.)
This course is designed to clear away whatever obstacles stand between you and confidence in your own I Ching readings. If you…
- have trouble applying the imagery to your own situation and question
- are baffled by apparent contradictions between different parts of a reading
- worry that your biases may be distorting your interpretation
…and sometimes find yourself giving up on a reading when you want and need its help, then this is for you.
Looking back through my own handwritten journals from the 1990s, I see a fair sprinkling of ‘aha!’ moments – I’d never have persisted without them, of course – but also a lot of entries that tail off into ‘??!?’ – where I never really grasped what the reading was telling me.
My journal now, by contrast… still has plenty of ‘??!?’. But they’re at the beginning of the entries, not at the end. Then come specific questions, and – eventually, as I let my intuition respond – the understanding. The one important change between then and now is that I’ve learned the questions to ask and which elements of the reading will show me the answers. This sounds simple – it is – but it makes all the difference, and it’s something you can learn.
Syllabus
I designed the course syllabus by 1) asking a lot of people what problems and sticking-points they had in interpretation and 2) asking myself, ‘What do I use to solve those problems – and which of these techniques or insights could I absolutely not manage without? What’s essential to understanding a reading?’ The resulting course covers:
1. Essentials before you start
What you need to have in place to start building a relationship with the oracle: a good translation, a Yijing journal, and the means to cast a hexagram.
2. Discovering the question
This is the invisible obstacle: often, what seems to be an interpretation problem is really a confusing-question problem.
3.Connecting to images, part 1 – the trigrams
Probably the single most important element of confident reading: really experiencing the connection between the Yi’s imagery and your question. No matter how complex a reading gets, you will always be using that inner touchstone. So we have several weeks to build confidence in that – starting with something as simple and elemental as the trigrams.
4. Connecting to images, part 2: single hexagrams
Developing the skills of connecting to and applying a reading, and getting a feel for a hexagram as a whole – through both ancient text and component trigrams, together.
5. Reading structure part 1: primary and relating hexagrams
The framework for good interpretation: knowing a reading’s basic structure and how its elements ‘talk to’ one another. (No more puzzling over apparent contradictions!) Primary and relating hexagram first, then…
6-7. Reading structure parts 2 and 3: moving lines
– understood through both line positions and steps of change, so you can handle multiple moving lines without confusion.
8. Foundations for a reading practice
Different ways you can integrate readings as part of your life and keep growing a strong working relationship with the I Ching.[/vc_column_text]
Course Format
Bite-sized lessons
The modules are divided into manageable lessons, each with a video of 10 minutes or so – mark each one complete to keep track of your progress through the course…
Learner-friendly formats
Each module is presented in three formats, so there’ll be something for your preferred way of learning:
- video – with advanced controls so you can replay sections as often as you want, accelerate playback, pause or skip ahead through the table of contents, or even run a full text search
- audio – extracted from the video to take with you and listen on the move
- pdf ebook – for swift learning, and for convenient reference
Absorbing the material in all three ways – watching, listening and reading – helps it to ‘stick’ in your mind, so the information’s there when you need it.
Practise as you go along
There’s a variety of suggested experiments, quizzes, exercises, and ways to apply what you’re learning. (Which is important, because information without experience is just an unopened book – and, since it’s all digital, not even useful as a doorstop…). I’ve included answers and extensive worked examples for comparison.
Apply it to your readings
In the ‘Downloads’ section for each module you’ll find the complete text as a pdf ebook – and also often additional reference guides and worksheets and templates that provide a straightforward, step-by-step way to apply what you’re learning to your own readings.
Getting more individual support and feedback
The regular I Ching Foundations course includes three months’ access to the Yi Academy forum, where I’ll be happy to give you some feedback on your assignments, and you can also discuss them with other course participants.
If you’d like more individual support and help to integrate what you’re learning, you have two options:
- Change Circle membership, which includes Foundations Course access as well as 30 minute ‘I Ching chats’, or
- the Course with mentoring
If you sign up for the Course with individual mentoring
…then you also get lifetime access to one-on-one support with your assignments. Here’s how this works:
As soon as you sign up for mentoring, we’ll arrange a time to talk, and discuss your relationship with Yi, what you’re looking for from the course and how I can help. Then each time you complete a module assignment, you can send it in to me, and we’ll talk it through. I’ll be able to help you directly with interpretation and show you how to access your own natural understanding of a reading.
There is no time limit to this: you can go through the course at whatever pace you choose, and send me your next assignment whenever you’re ready. You could complete the course in a couple of months, or spread it out over a few years – either is fine.
The Foundations Course with Mentoring costs £50/month (about $63 or €60) for 12 monthly installments, or you can make a single payment of £500 (and save £100).
I Ching Foundations Course
Just the course
£75
lifetime access
Lifetime access to the complete Foundations Course
Video, audio and pdf versions of the course materials
Assignments and activities to integrate what you learn
3 months’ access to the private Yi Academy forum for support and feedback
Change Circle
Full Clarity Membership
£10
per month
Access to the complete Foundations Course for as long as you remain a member
Video, audio and pdf versions of the course materials
Assignments and activities to integrate what you learn
Unlimited access to the private Yi Academy forum for support and feedback
Access to more advanced courses, ebooks and resources
Access to Reading Circle, Clarity’s main private forum for sharing readings (it also includes the ‘Dreams and Yi’ subforum)
Extensive Change Circle archives of call recordings with members’ readings
Access to WikiWing, our collaborative, experiential Yijing book
The option of booking 30 minute one-on-one ‘I Ching chats’ with me for extra help as often as you want
Member-only discounts on other Clarity products and services
I Ching Foundations Course with Mentoring
Individual help and support
£50
per month for 12 months
Lifetime access to the complete Foundations Course
Video, audio and pdf versions of the course materials
Assignments and activities to integrate what you learn
Customise mentoring for your needs with an introductory call
7 further calls for in-depth individual feedback and support on course assignments. (Note: there is no time limit to ‘redeem’ these calls: take a few months or a few years, whatever works for you.)
Bonus: a year’s full Change Circle membership (including everything listed under ‘Change Circle’)
Please note that the Foundations Course without mentoring is basically a digital product, and so the EU requires that I charge VAT on the purchase to all EU residents. That’s why the order form requires your address even though there’s nothing to post. So the course costs £75 (about $95, or €90) plus any VAT chargeable where you live.