Divination In The Book Of Change And The Book Of Change

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines divination as, “the art or practice that seeks to foresee or foretell future events or discover hidden knowledge, usually by the interpretation of omens or by the aid of supernatural powers.” However, many choose to define it as a scam, without taking into account whether or not divination is actually an example of the supernatural at play. As a result, the practice and belief in divination have varied widely throughout history; in fact, the people who believe/practice it have been called everything from witches and con artists, to gods on earth. Nevertheless, whether or not the science behind divination can be proven, the continuing belief in the ¨unknowns¨ represented by it are alive and well.

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The Book of Change, or the Yi Jing, is the ancient equivalent of a magic eight ball. To explain, it began as, “...a collection of linear signs to be used as oracles” (Wilhelm, et al.) used to answer yes or no when a spiritual question was posed. Yet, the need for more precise and in-depth answers soon became apparent and scholars began editing the book until a total of 64 hexagrams comprised it. Each of these hexagrams represented a different symbol, with a different title, ability, illustration, and familial relationship (Eno). As a result of its extensive ability to provide spiritual guidance The Book of Change became a wildly popular means of divination throughout ancient China; however, the real question is why is The Book of Change still being studied and interpreted

In this case, what is foretold is fate, quite independent of what the individual may do or not do. For this reason, fortune telling lacks moral significance”. In those few sentences, Wilhelm not only describes the reason why the Yi Jing (I Ching) is more than just a few symbols with crackpot meanings behind them. His analogy essentially says that whether or not it is wished once a fortune is heard it is self-fulfilling, for an individual's action or inaction will directly affect the outcome of that fortune and by fault defines the fate, or effectively as she receives the letter or she does not. Therefore, although Taoism and The Book of Change are no longer what people discuss to pick their lotto numbers, they represent why human beings today still use divination to define their personal