The I Ching and BaZi
Divination within
the Healing Arts
“Before one studies Zen, mountains are mountains and waters are waters; after a first glimpse into the truth of Zen, mountains are no longer mountains and waters are no longer waters; after enlightenment, mountains are once again mountains and waters once again waters.”
The Taijitu, Differentiating Into Yin and Yang
Ancient Pathways of Insight
For thousands of years, the Chinese tradition has offered tools not only for medicine but also for understanding life itself. Among the most influential are the I Ching (Book of Changes) and BaZi (Four Pillars of Destiny). These are not methods of fortelling the future but cosmological systems, rooted in the same foundations as Chinese medicine: yin and yang, the Five Phases (Wu Xing), and the Daoist vision of harmony with nature.
In the ancient world, the arts of healing, divination, philosophy, and governance were not separate fields. They formed a continuous whole. A physician might study the I Ching to sharpen their ability to perceive patterns. A statesman could consult BaZi to understand the strengths and challenges of his people. A seeker on the spiritual path might turn to both to align with the rhythms of nature and thus walk more closely with the Dao.
At Kusala Healing Arts, we value these connections. The I Ching and BaZi both remind us of what Chinese medicine teaches every day: health and life are dynamic, ever-changing processes. The patterns that move through our bodies and minds are woven into the larger fabric of the cosmos itself.
I Ching Divination Coins
The I Ching and Transformation
The I Ching (易經), often translated as the Book of Changes, is among the world’s oldest classics. Its origins trace back over 3,000 years to the Zhou dynasty, though its layers of commentary and interpretation have grown over centuries. Philosophers, scholars, and sages — including Confucius, Laozi, and countless unnamed practitioners — studied and preserved it.
The Structure of the I Ching
The text contains 64 hexagrams, each composed of six lines. A line may be yin (broken) or yang (solid), and each line can shift — yin turning to yang, or yang to yin. These transformations generate the imagery and wisdom of the text.
To consult the I Ching, one traditionally casts yarrow stalks or coins to determine the pattern of lines. The resulting hexagram points to a chapter of the book, where judgments, images, and commentaries reveal perspectives on the question at hand.
Beyond Prediction
While sometimes misunderstood as a tool of predicting the future, the I Ching is best approached as a mirror of the present moment. It does not decree an unalterable fate; it reflects the dynamics at play and the potential directions of change. In this way, it trains the practitioner to recognize cycles, timing, and the interplay of forces.
For example, a hexagram may counsel stillness, patience, or retreat — qualities that align with yin. Another may suggest advance, clarity, or initiative — qualities of yang. Rather than telling us “what will happen,” the I Ching invites us to move in harmony with what is already unfolding.
Resonance with Healing
The philosophy of the I Ching parallels Chinese medicine in striking ways. Just as the body cycles through rest and activity, fullness and emptiness, warmth and coolness, so do the hexagrams embody these polarities. Both medicine and the I Ching ask us to listen for the appropriate response in the moment, whether that is nourishing yin, dispersing stagnation, or cultivating stillness.
BaZi Calculator
BaZi, The Four Pillars of Destiny
Where the I Ching is a tool of situational reflection, BaZi (八字) is a system for understanding constitution. Literally meaning “Eight Characters,” BaZi refers to the eight symbols that arise from the year, month, day, and hour of birth. Each pillar is made up of a Heavenly Stem and an Earthly Branch, which together reflect the balance of the Five Phases and the Twelve Animal signs.
The Structure of the Chart
Year Pillar: Connects with ancestry, family background, and the broader cultural field one is born into.
Month Pillar: Reflects the influence of early environment and parental conditioning.
Day Pillar: Represents the core self, often regarded as the most essential expression of character and constitution.
Hour Pillar: Reveals tendencies in later life, legacy, and the cultivation of one’s inner world.
These Four Pillars combine to form a unique energetic map. Like the rings of a tree, they reveal tendencies of strength, weakness, and interaction.
Wu Xing — The Five Elements of Chinese Philosophy
A Portrait of Constitution
In Chinese thought, the Five Phases are not just elements of nature but processes of transformation. Each person’s BaZi chart expresses a particular balance of these processes:
Wood relates to growth, flexibility, and vision.
Fire represents vitality, expression, and joy.
Earth embodies stability, nourishment, and integration.
Metal reflects clarity, discernment, and structure.
Water conveys depth, wisdom, and adaptability.
For example, a chart rich in Metal but deficient in Wood may describe a personality that is disciplined but prone to rigidity. In health, this might correspond to tendencies toward Lung or Large Intestine imbalances. Conversely, abundant Water with weak Fire may signal depth and intuition, but also susceptibility to fatigue or cold conditions.
Not Fate, but Potential
Importantly, BaZi does not bind us to a fixed destiny. Instead, it highlights the terrain we travel through life. Just as a mountain climber prepares differently than a sailor, understanding one’s BaZi chart allows for more skillful navigation of challenges and cultivation of strengths. In this sense, BaZi complements Chinese medicine by offering a preventive and constitutional perspective.
Channel Palpation
Divination and Diagnosis as
Complimentary Lenses
In the classical world, the boundaries between divination, philosophy, and medicine were more porous than they are today. A skilled physician was expected not only to treat illness but also to understand timing, cycles, and destiny.
Practical Applications
I Ching in Healing: The I Ching trains awareness of timing — knowing when to act, when to nourish, and when to rest. This sensitivity mirrors clinical judgment in acupuncture or bodywork.
BaZi in Healing: A BaZi chart can suggest where vulnerabilities may lie. Someone with weak Water may need to pay special attention to Kidney health, conserving energy, and avoiding burnout..
In practice, these tools are best viewed as adjuncts. They enrich perspective but do not replace tongue and pulse diagnosis, channel palpation, or a patient’s unique circumstances. A practitioner might notice that a patient’s BaZi chart suggests Earth imbalance, and then use that awareness to pay closer attention to digestive health during clinical evaluation.
Shared Philosophy
Both systems emphasize that life is in motion. The I Ching reveals how change is expressed in the present moment, while BaZi describes the inherent pattern of constitution. Chinese medicine stands at the intersection, offering practical methods of harmonizing body and mind with these larger patterns.
The Receptive Qualities of Yin
Living with Nature’s Rhythms in Daoist Practice
Underlying both the I Ching and BaZi is a Daoist worldview: life is best lived in alignment with nature’s cycles. Just as the moon waxes and wanes, and seasons follow one another, so too do human beings thrive when they flow with — not against — the currents of change.
In Daoist practice, divination was not about control but about listening deeply. To consult the I Ching was to ask: what is the Dao teaching me now? To study BaZi was to ask: how can I honor the inherent qualities I was born with? Both cultivate humility, reminding us that wisdom is found in moving with the Way, not in forcing outcomes.
Modern Relevance
Why revisit these systems today? In a world of speed, stress, and disconnection, tools that slow us down and reconnect us with cycles are invaluable.
The I Ching can serve as a practice of reflection, encouraging pauses before decisions and inviting alignment with timing.
BaZi can deepen self-awareness, reminding us of our constitutional gifts and vulnerabilities.
Chinese medicine, informed by the same philosophy, offers concrete practices — movement, diet, meditation, and therapeutic bodywork — that bring these insights into daily life.
For anyone navigating life’s transitions, these systems affirm a message of resilience: life is change, and within change lies renewal.
An Invitation to Reflection
At Kusala Healing Arts, we honor the wisdom of these traditions as part of a broader circle of healing. Though I Ching readings have not yet been offered as a service, we recognize the insights of the I Ching and BaZi as central to the healing arts. Each emphasizes that health is more than the absence of illness — it is the ability to move with change, to balance strength with vulnerability, and to live in harmony with the cycles of nature.
May these teachings inspire you to pause, reflect, and listen more deeply to your own rhythms. May they remind you that healing is not a destination but a path — one walked step by step, in balance with the unfolding of life.