I Ching, the Oracle of the Cosmic Way

by Carol K. Anthony, Hanna Moog

This I Ching was written under the guidance of the Sage that speaks through the I Ching oracle. It shows the Cosmos as a system of harmony, the principles of which are clearly described in its 64 hexagrams. The purpose of consulting the oracle is to inquire, before an undertaking, whether you are in harmony with the Cosmic Way. When this is confirmed by the words "success," or "good fortune," whatever you do will be supported by the invisible helping forces of the Cosmos. When your attitude is discordant, the oracle predicts "misfortune," meaning that these helping forces will not support what you do. The answers of the oracle are not to be taken as fortune-telling, but as reflecting the cosmic consequences of your attitude toward your goal. All counsel given by the I Ching is directed toward helping you return to harmony with the Cosmos. To do this you are being given a deeper understanding of the principles of Cosmic Harmony that are involved in the issue at hand. In the light of these principles you will be able to recognize particular mistaken ideas that are the cause of your discord, or misfortune. This book is the first I Ching oracle that shows you how to deprogram the obstructing ideas, and thus reunite with the Cosmic Harmony. Also presented in this book is an innovative method of communicating directly with the Sage that speaks through the I Ching. This method allows you to clarify its message until it assures you that you have reached an adequate understanding. Regularly consulting the I Ching in this way leads to clarifying insights into your life’s purpose, and to a pronounced increase in your own creativity. It was through this method, in combination with meditations and dreams, that the Sage gave the authors the completely new perspective on the nature of the Cosmos, human nature, and the place of humans within the Cosmic Whole described here. Rather than presenting you with fixed answers to every problem, this book allows the Cosmic Teacher called "the Sage" to show you your own path to insight and inner guidance.

Genres: Reference

764 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2002

Reviews

[Charles Frode · Rating 5 out of 5]

Carol Anthony's translation is the best there is. I have used Wilhelm, of course, plus all the other translations, and this is the best. The language is accessible, the advice is applicable in many areas, and I have found this to be the only edition of the I Ching I use now. I recommend it highly to anyone who has used the oracle or who is new to it. Anthony's other books about the I Ching are excellent too.

[River Run · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have several other of Carol Anthony's books on the I-Ching and find her insights invaluable. My copy of her book " A Guide to the I-Ching" is so worn from repeated use the pages have fallen out and I've moved onto my second copy.

If you are interested in understanding yourself and developing yourself by way of reflection on the I-Ching her books are priceless. They are not just books you read once from cover to cover but books you refer to over and over again for insight and wisdom. Her understanding of the I-Ching and it's link to the inner psyche is deep indeed. Reading and working with her books in conjunction with the I-ching have given me a deeper and wider awareness of my connection to the interplay of my inner world with the outer world that surrounds me and how to apply the principles inculcated in the I-Ching.

The " I-Ching: The Oracle of the Cosmic Way" though I've only gotten it a week or more ago is filling in gaps in my understanding of the I-Ching philosophy in a way I did not have before even with Anthony's and other books on the I-Ching that I have. It does a good job of explaining the inner psychology and meaning of the many obscure terms used in the I-Ching. What "fate" means, who the "hidden helpers" are that are activated when we consult the I-Ching, etc...

I'm already impressed with even my brief referencing of the book on hexagrams I have cast. I'm looking forward to deepening my knowledge and practice with the help of this book.
I would highly recommend it to anyone who wishes to work and delve into the I-Ching in a deeper way.. or for self-development.

[M Ng · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first encounter with the I Ching was when I came across Carol Anthony's A Guide to the I Ching ("The Guide") in a used bookstore, in 2017. It spoke to me instantly and I hung to it like a life raft, as I was going through a difficult time personally. Soon, I progressed to other works of hers, including this book ("The Oracle"), which is an updated version of The Guide. I began to check out other translations of the I Ching, as I learned that people use different versions for different purposes. I use O'Brien's The Visionary I Ching: A Book of Changes for Intuitive Decision Making for quick consultations sometimes, but most of the time I use Carol Anthony's The Oracle because it has the most profound and coherent interpretations, and deals with problems in more enduring ways. The most common complaints on Amazon about this version are that (1) it deviates too much from the original text, and (2) it is too difficult to understand. I will attempt to address both problems in my review.

First, the new Oracle was co-written by Carol Anthony and Hanna Moog when Ms. Moog moved to the U.S. and began collaborating with Ms. Anthony to research the applications of the I Ching. Compared to The Guide, which was written largely based on Ms. Anthony's personal experiences, The Oracle drew its materials from the joint consultations that they offered to their clients. Over time, their accumulated insights resulted in The Oracle and two accompanying books, Psyche Revealed Through The I Ching and Healing Yourself The Cosmic Way. Because they have discovered a new approach, a sort of new paradigm, if you will, to solve psychological and physical health problems using the I Ching, the materials cannot be "faithful" to the original text which concerns mostly with ruling countries, politics, and using outer means to solve problems.

Second, because The Oracle is based on a new paradigm, it is inevitably challenging to read, but in different ways for beginners and the experienced. For beginners, it is not as straightforward as The Guide because the commentaries are now on a new level of abstraction, so without some familiarity with the framework and terminologies, they can be hard to understand. Being a long-term students of the I Ching (and having used other "faithful" translations) can be a mental barrier because when people think they already know the I Ching, they might not like this version. On that note, I find The Oracle less of a translation (requiring accuracy) and more of an interpretation of the ancient text (allowing adaptability). While the authors include additional materials in the appendix to explain concepts like "demonic elements," "Helpers," or "projections," I find their book "The Psyche Revealed through the I Ching" ("The Psyche" book) necessary in making sense of the commentaries. This book expands on the new concepts and provides much more context for the lines. In fact, I had read The Psyche book before moving on to The Oracle because I wanted to understand the new terms first, and it proved to be a correct order, even though The Psyche was published 7 years after The Oracle.

In conclusion, both complaints are valid, but I hope my review makes clear why it is the case and what to expect from this I Ching version. Personally, I find the works of Carol Anthony and Hanna Moog extremely valuable and effective, because they open up a whole new way to work with the I Ching that is personal and flexible, which is made possible by using the rtcm method. It allows plenty of room for one's understanding to evolve and, perhaps, transcend even this new paradigm.

So I recommend the following order to study their works:

1. The Guide to the I Ching . It has direct and simple commentaries, and is good for quick consultations about dealing with situations in the short-term. Commentaries are conversational, personable, and mostly concerned with correcting oneself. This is suitable for those who are not familiar with the I Ching, or who need quick counsels.
2. The Psyche Revealed through the I Ching . A study of the elements in the psyche that cause outward disturbances, behavioral problems, and conflicts.
3. I Ching, The Oracle of the Cosmic Way .

Hope this is helpful.

[Rajeev Kumar · Rating 5 out of 5]

A "gamechanger" .

This book will be recognized as a classic in years to come. Its usefulness and value is unfortunately not appreciated / understood and is in this sense probably decades or even centuries ahead of its time.
it is the ONLY translation worth spending your time on as the rest are just literal translations and do not connect with the intrinsic message of the book.

I know you will not appreciate my ascribing all the credit to you ;)

Thank you ladies for giving us this translation

[Cheri Flake · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a great reference and one to read and read as you learn more and more. The I Ching in general is quite a trip, it’s own personality and a powerful force that should not be taken likely. This book is stellar along with the workbook and it’s really all you need to get started.

[Karen Leech · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book to continually read....

[Tom Mcauliffe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Carol Anthony passed away at age 90. She lived a life in harmony with the cosmic principles she so lovingly explored, wrote about, and taught. She was a deeply committed student and teacher who dared to live according to her inner truth, each and every day, unafraid of the consequences, absolutely assured of her place in the cosmic whole. This confidence came from the illumination found in her many decades of work with the I Ching. I will miss this total original but am glad she left us with such a great body of work.

[Dara · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite book on the I Ching. It's easy to understand and explains the ancient translations for the modern day world.