Three Old CoinsHexagramsCalculatorPricingCast the coinsAbout Three Old Coins
Three Old Coins is a site for consulting the I Ching by casting three coins. It is free, has no ads and brings the book's text, with a guide if it is your first time.
The I Ching, or Book of Changes, is a three-thousand-year-old Chinese book. Its 64 texts describe situations we all live through, and the coins choose which one to read.
Cast the coinsWhy it exists
Three Old Coins began when we came across the I Ching and were amazed by what it showed. Looking for it online, we found draws hidden behind animations, cut-down texts and pages full of ads.
We set out to do the opposite. To let more people consult the I Ching, and to do it with the care a three-thousand-year-old book deserves.
How it works
The coins decide
What you watch fall is what decides your reading. Each coin spins, bounces and settles like a real one, and the side that ends up facing up draws your line.
They came up in the same proportions as three coins in your hand, and no throw had any effect on the next.
| Line | Three real coins | Here |
|---|---|---|
| 6, broken and changing | 12.5% | 12.50% |
| 7, unbroken | 37.5% | 37.49% |
| 8, broken | 37.5% | 37.48% |
| 9, unbroken and changing | 12.5% | 12.52% |
Real coins are not perfect either. In a study of 350,757 thumb flips, they landed on the side they started from 50.8% of the time (Bartoš et al., 2023). The ones here, 50.0%.
The book's text
You read Richard Wilhelm's translation, the one that made the I Ching known in the West. Of the book you read the judgment, the image and the lines of all 64 hexagrams, without Wilhelm's commentary. In English, in Cary F. Baynes's version, and in Spanish, in D. J. Vogelmann's. Each text was copied from its printed edition and compared with other copies, and where they differ, the book decides.
If it is your first time
After you cast, a guide takes you through your result in the order the book is read. Each part says what it is for, so you need to know nothing beforehand.
The interpretation
It is optional. It reads your hexagram alongside your question, with the book's text on the same page so you can compare. The AI explains the text, it does not replace it, and the coins decide your hexagram, not the AI.
What it is and what it is not
The I Ching does not predict the future or ask you to believe in anything. Its texts describe situations and how it is wise to act in them, and reading them with a matter in mind helps you think it through. Three Old Coins is for reflection and entertainment, and it does not replace the advice of a professional.
How it is paid for
The cast, the book and your readings are free, with no ads. The site is paid for by those who buy the interpretation. We do not sell your information or use it for advertising, and what you write is yours. The details are in the privacy policy.
Who makes it
Three Old Coins is an independent project made in Chile, which also exists in Spanish as Tres Monedas. To report a mistake in a text, or for any other reason, write to contact@threeoldcoins.com.