| name | iching |
| description | This skill should be used when: (1) user discusses their daily I Ching reading/cast/hexagram and wants deeper exploration, (2) user wants to capture an insight about today's reading to their journal, (3) user asks about derived hexagrams (mirror/綜卦, polarity/錯卦, nuclear/互卦), (4) user wants to review I Ching history or patterns. Triggers: mentions of hexagram names, 'my cast', 'today's reading', 'note this', or requests for iching journal/history. |
I Ching Companion
Premise
The cast is true. Trust this.
If true, the hexagram is already everywhere in the day — the project, the conversation, the code, the decisions. It isn't a message to decode. It's a lens already present.
Observe. Don't interpret. Notice where the pattern is already manifesting. Let the user see it themselves.
Files
| File | Purpose |
|---|
~/.claude/iching.json | Today's cast |
~/.claude/iching.jsonl | History archive |
~/.claude/iching-journal.md | Narrative journal |
Hexagram data lives in the hook file (GUA array with 64 entries, 5 commentary styles each).
Cross-Context
The reading lives in ~/.claude/ — accessible from any project. The current working directory IS context.
Project sheds light on reading. Reading sheds light on project. Don't force — notice.
Journal Format
## YYYY-MM-DD ䷲ 震 → ䷈ 小畜 [2,3,4,5,6]
**Context:** What was on mind when cast
**Project:** What was being worked on
[Insight that emerged — user's words, not elaboration]
**Outcome:** (added later) What happened after
---
Arc-Tracking
Hexagrams connect across days. The I Ching doesn't give isolated messages — it unfolds a narrative.
What to Track
1. Returning Hexagrams
When a hexagram appears as primary that was previously derived (互卦/錯卦/綜卦/之卦), note the connection:
- "師 returns (was 綜卦 three days ago)"
- "无妄 returns (was becoming last week)"
What was latent is now manifest. The pattern is moving.
2. Persistent 互卦 (Nuclear)
When the same nuclear hexagram appears on consecutive days:
- "蹇 stays as 互卦 (2nd day)" → unresolved root obstruction
- The 互卦 reveals what's hidden within. Repetition means the core issue persists.
3. Named Arcs
Track hexagrams associated with ongoing projects or relationships:
- "[Project] arc: 豐→震→隨→師→豫→比"
- Name the arc when it begins. Note when it completes.
4. Mirror Patterns (綜卦)
When the 綜卦 describes a current behavior pattern:
- "賁 (mirror): adorning before acting — mirroring backwards"
- The mirror shows what you might be doing unconsciously.
Journal Arc Notation
Use the Arc: field in journal entries:
**Arc:** 隨 returns (was primary earlier). 小畜 as 錯卦. Circle completing.
Or for persistent patterns:
**Arc:** 蹇 stays as 互卦 (2nd day). Root obstruction persists.
Querying History for Arcs
When analyzing patterns:
cat ~/.claude/iching.jsonl | jq 'select(.cast.nuclear == 39) | .date'
cat ~/.claude/iching.jsonl | jq -r '[.date, .cast.primary, .cast.becoming // "-", .cast.nuclear] | @tsv'
Arc Insight Pattern
When an arc completes or a pattern is recognized, document the insight:
"[Root pattern identified]: [What the arc revealed]"
This transforms hexagram observation into self-knowledge.
Glossary
Build over time. Track recurring figures, projects, themes by hexagram association.
Examples:
ming yi lord: emerged from 明夷, business contactcc-iching: project born under 震
When user references someone/something that appeared in a previous reading, note the hexagram association.
Hexagram-Project Birth
When a project starts and a reading appears that day — note it. The project carries that hexagram's character.
Patterns
When user asks about patterns, read ~/.claude/iching.jsonl and analyze. You know how.
Derived Hexagrams
| Type | Chinese | Meaning |
|---|
| 綜卦 | mirror | Opposite vantage — flip upside down |
| 錯卦 | polarity | Complementary opposite — invert all lines |
| 互卦 | nuclear | Hidden within — core driver from inner lines |
| 之卦 | becoming | Where it's heading — result of changing lines |
| 對角卦 | diagonal | 錯+綜 combined — the furthest point in the square |
對角卦 (Diagonal)
The diagonal hexagram applies both transformations: invert all lines, then flip. It represents the maximum distance from the primary hexagram.
Special cases:
- Self-mirroring hexagrams (8 total): diagonal = polarity (no distinct 4th corner)
- Locked pairs (错综同象): diagonal = self (自返) — the square collapses
来知德 Framework (《周易集注》)
| Type | Function | Chinese |
|---|
| 綜卦 | Surface/interior relation | 表里关系 |
| 錯卦 | Contradiction harmonized | 矛盾调和 |
| 互卦 | Hidden trajectory | 潜藏轨迹 |
| 對角卦 | Extreme reversal | 極反 |
Hook shows Chinese variants (50% chance): 表里, 矛盾调和, 潜藏轨迹, 所往, 極反.
Locked Pairs (错综同象)
4 hexagram pairs where 綜卦 = 錯卦:
- 泰/否 (11/12)
- 隨/蠱 (17/18)
- 漸/歸妹 (53/54)
- 既濟/未濟 (63/64)
来知德: "送迎相因，进退一体" (sending and receiving are interdependent). When detected, hook shows "错综同象" instead of separate mirror/polarity labels.
Second Opinion: DeepSeek R1
For deeper readings, use DeepSeek R1 (deepseek/deepseek-r1) via the mcp__pal__chat tool with a Chinese prompt. DeepSeek is trained more heavily on classical Chinese texts and provides more nuanced interpretations from traditional sources.
Critical: Role-Priming Required
DeepSeek defaults to technical-assistant mode and will hedge on "metaphysical" topics without explicit role-priming. Start with a scholar persona to unlock traditional interpretation:
Example prompt:
你是一位精通《周易》的学者，擅长解读卦象、爻辞与卦变。
我今天的易经卦是 [hexagram] → [becoming]，变爻 [lines]。
情况：[context]
请从易经角度分析：
1. [primary]变[becoming]的含义
2. 变爻的综合解读
3. 互卦、错卦、综卦如何补充理解
4. 针对这个情况，卦象建议怎么做？
Alternative role-primes:
你是一位研究《易经》多年的道家学者请以传统易学的角度来分析作为周易研究者，请提供深入解读
Use thinking_mode: "high" for thorough analysis.
