How does the three-coin method work?

Toss three coins together. Heads counts as yang, tails as yin. Three heads gives Old Yang (a changing line), two heads gives Young Yin, one head gives Young Yang, and three tails gives Old Yin (a changing line). Repeat six times, stacking lines from the bottom upward.

What is a changing line?

Old Yang and Old Yin are changing lines. They mark positions that have reached an extreme and are transforming. Flipping every changing line produces the derived hexagram, which shows where the situation tends to move. With no changing lines there is no derived hexagram.

What is the difference between the primary and derived hexagram?

The primary hexagram comes directly from your six tosses and describes your present situation. The derived hexagram results from flipping the changing lines and describes where things tend to go if the current movement continues.

Is my reading stored anywhere?

No. Everything is computed locally in your browser. Neither your question nor your result is uploaded. Recent readings are kept only in your own browser storage and can be cleared at any time.

I Ching Coin Oracle — Free Three-Coin Hexagram Casting Online

1Ask
2Toss six times
3Read

The 64 Hexagrams (tap any to view details)

How casting and interpretation work

◆Casting rules

Three coins. The inscribed face counts as yang, the plain face as yin. Toss all three at once:

Three yang (three heads) → Old Yang: yang at its extreme, a changing line that becomes yin
Two yang, one yin → Young Yin: a stable yin line
One yang, two yin → Young Yang: a stable yang line
Three yin (three tails) → Old Yin: yin at its extreme, a changing line that becomes yang

Toss six times. Lines build from the first (bottom) to the sixth (top), stacking upward into one hexagram.

◆Key terms

Primary hexagram: The hexagram formed by your six tosses. It describes your present situation.
Derived hexagram: If changing lines are present, flipping them yields this second hexagram, showing where the situation tends to move.
Changing line: Old Yang and Old Yin. These mark where transformation is already underway.
Upper / lower trigram: Each hexagram is two three-line trigrams: the upper (outer, external conditions) and the lower (inner, yourself).

◆The eight trigrams

☰QianHeaven
☷KunEarth
☳ZhenThunder
☴XunWind
☵KanWater
☲LiFire
☶GenMountain
☱DuiLake

◆Reading your result

Start with the primary hexagram to understand your present conditions. If changing lines appeared, read the derived hexagram for direction. The changing line texts themselves are usually the most specific part — expand "Full hexagram detail" on the primary card to see them.

The quality, tendency and guidance shown on each card are editorial reflections written for this site, not classical scripture. Hexagram qualities are not fixed outcomes: context and response matter more than the label. For cultural reflection and entertainment only — not a basis for any decision.

Going deeper: the three-coin method, understanding changing lines, asking a good question.

◆Your Question◆

The reading follows the hexagram and its changing lines, and picks a focus area from the words you type (keyword matching — tap a chip to correct it). For reflection only.

◆Cast◆

Line 1 of 6

Heads = yang, tails = yin · three heads = Old Yang (changing) · three tails = Old Yin (changing)

◆Hexagram◆

Tap "Toss Coins" to build your hexagram from the bottom line upward

Yang Yin ○Old Yang · changing ✕Old Yin · changing