The Book of Yi
The essential word in the name of the I Ching is i, or yi, as it is written in contemporary pinyin romanization, which refers to chaotic or unpredictable change. The I Ching can in fact be seen as a tool to deal with those moments when chaos irrupts into our life and the usual bearings no longer suffice for orientation. Such times can be very fertile – and extremely painful, disconcerting and full of anxiety. ‘Accessing the light of the gods’, as the ancient Chinese would put it, or accessing our own deeper wisdom can be crucial at such times. Being itself a system perched on the divide between order and chaos, the I Ching, the Book of Yi, can be a precious tool for introspection in those stormy passages of life.