What it is
A reading is a full consultation of the I Ching: not just the hexagram you get, but the whole path from the question to what you understand. It has two halves: the cast, which is mechanical, and the interpretation, which is yours.
The steps
- The question. Write it down before you start.
- The cast. With the three-coin method, with stalks or another method, you get six lines, from the bottom up.
- The hexagram. The six lines make the primary hexagram: where you stand now.
- The moving lines. If any moving line comes up, you read its text: it's the most specific part of your answer.
- The hexagram of change. The moving lines flip and give the relating hexagram: where the situation tends.
- The interpretation. You read the judgment and the image, and ask what they have to do with your question.
The two layers
In Cambios every text has a practical layer, telling you in plain words what it means for you now, and a poetic layer, with the images of the old book. You can read one, the other, or both.
Afterward
Keep your readings and come back to them. An answer often makes more sense weeks later. A reading isn't a prediction: it's a way of thinking about your situation in a different light. More in How to Read a Hexagram and Using the I Ching Well.