Frequently asked questions

Yes. The app is available in 11 languages: Spanish, English, Portuguese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Arabic, and Hindi. The AI responds in the language in which you write your question, with no configuration required. If you ask in French, the oracle responds in French. If you ask in Arabic, it responds in Arabic.

Open Chats from the header to browse saved threads, switch between them, or start a new session. Authenticated history is tied to your account as described in the guide and privacy policy.

Each chat thread allows a limited chain of readings depending on your plan. When the cap is reached, start a new session. Check your current thread limit in the Token Center (app header).

Yes, after a consultation you can export the thread as a PDF from the reading card actions where available. Details are in the user guide.

Each consultation allows up to 1500 characters (about 250-300 words). We recommend taking advantage of this space to describe your situation in detail; the more context you provide about your current moment and feelings, the deeper and more accurate the interpretation the system generates from the resulting hexagram will be.

The I Ching works through 64 hexagrams that form an ancient catalog of patterns of change in nature and human life. Each hexagram is a structured figure with classical meaning preserved in the classical works of Wilhelm/Baynes, James Legge, or the original Zhou Yi text. Each consultation begins from your specific question. The mathematical algorithm casts the lines under the classical line-selection rules (Alfred Huang's reduction system) to determine the present hexagram, any moving lines, and the resulting future hexagram. The AI then articulates that already-formed result in your language, applying the classical meaning of those hexagrams to your particular context. That is why every reading is unique and personal: the same hexagrams can appear for different people, but the answer is never the same, because it depends on the specific question, the moment in life, and the personal context of the seeker. There is no universal interpretation that applies to more than one person at the same time.

The app supports two systems for resolving changing lines to the line text, or texts, that governs a reading. Alfred Huang's reduction system (The Complete I Ching, 10th Anniversary Edition, 2010) is the default: a clear, modern rule set that always resolves any combination of changing lines to one precise governing passage. Zhu Xi's classical reading (朱熹, 1130-1200 CE; Yixue Qimeng, in Joseph Adler's translation) is the traditional alternative: an older method that, in several cases, reads both lines or both Judgments instead of reducing to one. Switch between them with the Changing-line reading selector in Options; your choice is remembered for that reading.

Both methods produce the same 64 hexagrams and use the same I Ching texts and the same classical line-selection rules. Three Coins is quick and accessible: you cast three coins six times to build the six lines. Yarrow Stalks is the older ritual method: you work with counted stalks or similar objects through a slower, more contemplative procedure. The choice changes the ritual experience, not the authority of the reading. Use Three Coins for speed; use Yarrow Stalks when you want the traditional rhythm.

Automatic vs manual applies only to I Ching (Three Coins or Yarrow Stalks). In Options the cast-mode controls appear when I Ching is selected: choose Three Coins or Yarrow Stalks, then choose automatic (the cast runs on the server) or manual (you enter the six line totals 6/7/8/9 from your own coins or stalks). Oracle Bones is always automatic; there is no manual bones flow; the oracle synthesizes crack patterns to generate a personal response tuned to your unique situation. Within your plan’s per-thread depth cap, you may freely alternate I Ching and Oracle Bones and switch methods and modes between consultations; your preferences are remembered for the next I Ching reading.

Oracle Bones is a Shang-era divination method inspired by crack reading on turtle plastrons and ox scapulae. In the app it is separate from I Ching: it does not create hexagrams or changing lines. The system forms a crack pattern and verdict first, then the AI interprets that already formed result in your language. The verdict always falls into one of four possible states, inspired by the Shang tradition: 1) 吉: clearly favorable, the pattern confirms the positive charge without ambiguity; 2) 吉 moderate: moderately favorable, confirmation with nuances or conditions; 3) 凶 moderate: moderately unfavorable, the pattern leans toward negation with reservations; 4) 凶: clearly unfavorable, the pattern negates the positive charge without ambiguity. It is useful for concise, ancestral-style answers; I Ching is better for layered change over time. This method draws on a tradition far older than the I Ching, often described as standing at the root of the yin-yang principle. Its full original procedure isn't known with certainty; this is a respectful modern simplification meant to keep that legacy present, not a literal reconstruction.

The mathematical algorithm, not the AI. In I Ching mode, the algorithm builds the hexagram and determines the governing line. In Oracle Bones mode, it generates the crack pattern and verdict. Artificial intelligence intervenes afterwards: it takes that already-calculated result and articulates it in natural language in your language, with the context of your question. The AI is the interpreter. The oracle is the method.

They are authentic. The textual material (Judgments (卦辞), lines in motion (爻辞), and resulting hexagrams) is drawn from three scholarly translations available in the app: Wilhelm/Baynes (Princeton University Press, 1950), James Legge (public domain), and the original Zhou Yi. The AI cites and contextualises the relevant texts with your question, but does not modify or replace them. You can compare any text with the original source.

It is shown exactly as published. Wilhelm/Baynes and Legge appear in their original English, and the Zhou Yi in classical Chinese, the same words across all 11 interface languages. Re-translating a translation would replace the translator's own wording with a paraphrase and could distort decades of established scholarship. The goal is to give you direct access to the most reliable published source, not a derivative version of it. This is different from your AI consultation, which always answers in the language of your question: there the AI interprets an already-formed result for you, it does not present a primary text.

Open the Library →

Because there is none to show. The Zhou Yi is the oldest core text, without any later layer of commentary attached: only the Judgment, the Image, and the line oracles, exactly as it circulated before later scholars added their own readings. Wilhelm's tab adds his own commentary plus the Confucian Ten Wings; Legge's tab adds his footnotes plus the Great and Lesser Symbolism from his Appendix II. Zhou Yi has neither, on purpose: it is the root text those later commentaries were written about, not a version that received one of its own.

Open the Library →

Reliability means the oracle text you read, the Judgment, the Image, and each line, is never written or altered by AI. It is a direct citation checked word for word against a named published source. The English text comes from Richard Wilhelm and Cary F. Baynes (The I Ching or Book of Changes, Princeton University Press, 1950) and from James Legge (The Sacred Books of the East, vol. XVI, Oxford, 1882); the classical Chinese Zhou Yi comes from the Chinese Text Project. The changing-line rules come from Alfred Huang (The Complete I Ching, 10th Anniversary Edition, 2010) and, for the classical alternative, from Zhu Xi's Yixue Qimeng in Joseph Adler's translation (Introduction to the Study of the Classic of Change, 2002). The AI interprets these already-cited texts for your question; it never generates or rewrites them. See the Fidelity Audits page for the full verification log.

No. Interpretations are cultural and reflective tools, not medical, financial, or other professional advice. See the method notes for context and the terms for disclaimers.

For up-to-date information on packs, token prices, and your current balance, open the Token Center from the app header. It shows your available tokens, the thread limit per plan, and a direct link to purchase. Access requires a valid account.

For billing and token purchases, open the Token Center from the app header. Access requires a valid account. Commercial terms and acceptable use are in the Terms of Service.

The app draws on three classical translations of the I Ching, shown as separate tabs. Richard Wilhelm and Cary F. Baynes (Princeton University Press, 1950) is the most widely read Western edition, with extensive commentary. James Legge (The Sacred Books of the East, vol. XVI, 1882) is the pioneering English scholarly translation, with his own footnotes and symbolism. The Zhou Yi is the original classical Chinese text itself, the root all later commentaries were written about, shown with no added commentary layer. All three describe the same 64 hexagrams; they differ in scholarly voice, language, and how much explanatory material surrounds the core text.

Free includes I Ching (Three Coins or Yarrow Stalks, automatic or manual) and Oracle Bones, with the Wilhelm/Baynes translator. Seeker adds the full Library and the Legge translator. Practitioner adds the original Zhou Yi text. Master adds the Master (3) synthesis, which triangulates all three translators at once. For current token amounts, thread limits, and how to purchase, open the Token Center from the app header.

The Master (3) function performs a Personalised Synthesis: it simultaneously triangulates the three root sources (Wilhelm, Legge, and the original Zhou Yi) to distil a coherent verdict. The result is a unified interpretation that offers a powerful and immediate 'Concrete Answer', followed by an in-depth comparative analysis crafted uniquely for your situation and adapted with complete fidelity to the personal context of your consultation. Each Master (3) consultation consumes 2 tokens.

The Library is the complete compendium of the 64 hexagrams and the three full literary works. Access is permanently unlocked upon purchasing any paid pack (Seeker or above).

Yes. Your questions and readings are yours. They are not shared with third parties, not used to train AI models, and are not visible to other users. Only you can see your chat history. You can delete any conversation at any time from the Chats section. If you enable two-factor authentication (2FA) available in Options, you add an extra layer of protection to your account.

The privacy policy explains categories of data, retention, and how readings and images stay private to your account. It complements (and does not replace) the in-app guide.

Optional 2FA (authenticator and/or email codes) can be enabled from account security in the oracle. The guide summarizes how it interacts with consultations.

Open the Chats section from the app header. Tap the delete option shown on each thread. Deletion is immediate and permanent.

Open Options in the app (button at the bottom of the screen), scroll to Delete account, and tap Delete my account. In the confirmation dialog, type DELETE and confirm. Your account is deleted immediately and you are signed out automatically. What gets deleted: your user profile and login credentials, all consultation sessions and chat history, token balance and usage records, two-factor authentication configuration, and all personal preferences. Our payment gateway providers retain purchase records for tax and billing purposes as required by applicable regulations. If you cannot sign in, email support@theoriginaliching.com with your registered address. We will process your request within 30 days.

For more information, see the account deletion page →