Spirit Chess
Hold one question in mind, then cast the twelve pieces once.
- What it answers
- One matter, read by the Spirit Chess.
- What you need
- A question held in mind.
- What you get
- One of 125 readings from Ling Qi Jing, with plain words.
Sample cast
大通
Sign of 升騰
Upper
Middle
Lower
從小至大，
無有顛沛，
自下升高，
遂至富豪，
宜出遠行，
不利伏韜。
From small to great, rising without a fall. Good for going far, poor for hiding.
The English line is our plain reading. An old oracle, shown for culture, not advice.
Understanding the Ling Qi Jing
The Ling Qi Jing, the Classic of the Spirit Pieces, is an oracle from before the Tang. Old copies credit it to Dongfang Shuo, but the Siku catalogue calls that a later claim, while noting that the book existed before the Sui.
How it works
- Think of one questionThe book says not to cast twice.
- Cast twelve piecesFour are marked upper, four middle and four lower.
- Count the facesEach group gives a count from nothing to four.
- Find the answerThe three counts lead to one of 125 answers.
How to read it
- Read the nameIt sets the mood.
- Read the verseShort lines give the picture.
- Keep it in proportionAn answer invites thought and decides nothing.
Our method
- Text
- The Wikisource text, checked by name against the table of contents of the Siku edition.
- Corrections
- Five names where the transcription printed 勢 or 教 for 卦, and two verses with extra text from another passage.
- Random cast
- Your browser’s secure random numbers.
- English
- Our plain reading of each verse.
Common questions
Who wrote it?
No one knows. The names on old copies are later claims.
Why only one cast?
The book says a second cast has no force.
Is my cast saved?
No.
Sources
- Ling Qi Jing, Wikisource.
- Ling Qi Jing, Siku Quanshu edition with its catalogue note, Wikisource.