Gaskill/Olson Gallery: What is I Ching

Joanie Govedare: "64 Attitudes"

What is the I Ching?
First developed in China during the third millennium BC, the Book of Changes has been used throughout history as a source of guidance in human affairs. Confucius, around 500 BC, and Carl Jung, in the 1950's , used the I Ching to develop broad guidelines for personal character development. What was helpful and significant about the sixty four hexagrams over the last thousands of years, will continue to provide insight far into the future.

I have been consulting the I Ching regularly since 1987. I am intrigued and inspired by how consistently it offers me sound advice and direction. I have created a series of ceramic vessels titled "64 Attitudes" , which explore the intricacies of the wisdom contained in the Book of Changes. Each piece comes with a write up describing the attributes of the hexagram that it depicts. The six lines are visible, carved as part of the design of the pot. The number of the hexagram is also carved on the bottom of each piece.

Accurate constellations are a part of almost all of my work, and are hand painted with acrylics. The pots are raku fired in pine needles before they are painted.

The I Ching asks us to develop and listen to our intuition. It asks us to look beyond visible reality toward the underlying rhythms of nature. It asks us to compare these to the human condition, and specifically to our own circumstances and growth.

What is a hexagram?

Here is an example:
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                            __                             #43 Resolution
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Each hexagram is composed of six lines. This one has a broken line at the top and five solid lines below.

The person consulting the I Ching poses a specific question and asks for guidance in that area. One way of determining the sequence of the lines is by throwing three coins six times. Once the six lines have been drawn, a chart is used to show which hexagram or hexagrams need to be read. Here is the text that accompanies hexagram number 43:

"There is now a break-through , after a long accumulation of tension. Applied to human conditions, this hexagram refers to the time when inferior people or inferior character traits gradually begin to disappear. In the struggle between good and evil, there are definite rules that must not be disregarded. First, resolution must be based on a union of strength and friendliness. Second, a compromise with evil is not possible. Under all circumstances evil must be openly discredited.

Third, the struggle must not be carried on directly by force. This only invites entanglement with the negative elements. The image is of a lake rising. There is reason to fear a cloudburst. All gathering is followed by dispersion. The superior person begins to distribute while still accumulating. In developing character, one avoids obstinacy, and instead remains receptive to the helpful impressions of strict and continuous self examination."

The write ups offered are my own interpretation, using the book titled "The I Ching" , by Richard Wilheim and Cary F. Baynes. There are times when their words are used verbatim.