Total I Ching

I have been a student of the I Ching for over 40 years. I started off with the Wilhelm translation and found this work by Karcher to be a powerful balance. If you are looking for an "oracle" than this is not the book for you. In fact, if you are looking for an oracle I don't even know if any version of I Ching would be of use to you unless you lived in the era of oracles. On the other hand, if you are looking to seek out unique and alternative framings for various challenges, problems and questions you have in life around various people, places, ideas and things...than the I Ching (in general) and both Karcher's and Wilhem's works are for you. I realized just how powerful of a critical thought partner the I Ching could be as I engaged in the study of both shamanism and meditation practice. No, I'm not a shaman and I'm not any kind of an enlightened guru. However, I have had some success in extricating myself from the oblivion of a traumatic childhood and in assisting others in translating private/personal struggles into identification of common and public issues that we might take collective, mindful action on together for the greater good. In that work I find the I Ching to very much like a tool that Arthur Koestler might have recommended in his seminal work, The Act of Creation, wherein he describes the eureka moment of realization and discovery as a bi-sociative experience - equally familiar and essential to the humorist, the artist and the scientist - that is the catalyst for creativity, innovation, "out of the box" problem solving we, as a species, are in dire need of today. In that sense the I Ching is an oracle insofar as approaching the 64 hexagrams and the lines of each hexagram and each of the dynamic "instances of change" each hexagram describes is very similar to how an eccentric, wise, loving and sometimes irascible elder might respond to us if we approached them with a particular "problem" or wondering or their own take on something, someone, anything, anywhere that is on our mind. It's not meant for yes or no answers...but it often "responds" with a kind of "would you consider looking at the situation from this angle"...and it also will also "guide" you to key responses that - by chance - will knock your socks off for it's uncanny exactness, care and recommendations. This is a text that has never failed me. To say I love it is such a low-ball word to describe my feelings and gratitude for those ordinary, imperfect human beings, from all walks of life, who - from ancient taoist shamen, emperors, farmers, families and young lovers...to neuroscientists, computer code writers, artists, dancers and makers - have kept this text alive and well as a living document for our times that are telling us these days to "change or die" in ways that right in front of our faces...in our behavior as human beings, in the burning of our planet, in our covid pandemic times. Certainly, based on what I offer above...this books warrants investigation, no? What do we have to lose? Nothing. It's a book of change...and the one thing that needs to change and does change in our world is...everything.

The I Ching has been an immensely important influence on my life. For well over three decades, I have sought its advice, judgment and solace. It has remained an unchanging spiritual lifeboat for me, like the shoals of dolphins that rescue and secure the shipwrecked to safety. I credit the Wilhem/Baynes/Jung edition for saving my life and, in particular, the editions by Carol K. Anthony, Sam Reifler, Brian Brown Walker, Sarah Dening, R. L. Wing, John Blofeld and Stephen Karcher for enriching it. This latest of Karcher's books on the I Ching, Total I Ching: Myths for Change, is a masterpiece. Karcher successfully takes the original texts and jettisons almost all the moralistic moorings that are at times difficult to get around in other translations. He takes a shamanistic and pragmatic approach, eschewing doom-and-gloom predictions for succinct, somewhat dispassionate advice. For instance, rather than hearing hopelessly negative news from the 6th changing line of Hexagram 24 (Return), Karcher says "Trap!...You are returning to an old delusion, blinded by self-deception and infatuation. If you go on in this way, your hard-won growth will be destroyed. It will take at least ten years to deal with the repurcussions of this catastrophe. The Way is closed. Think about where this desire comes from. Whatever you do, don't act this out....Take things in. Be open and provide what is needed." I find this type of advice far more useful than the the stark proclamation of horrific bad luck given in some versions of the I Ching, which could almost cause the susceptible to contemplate jumping off the Golden Gate bridge. His commentary on the 2nd line of Hexagram 49 (Skinning/Revolution) is: "There is excellence in moving now. This is your time. Move into the dance. You can change the world. Put everything into solution. Don't be shy. Be a hero. Vigorous action opens the Way. This is definitely not a mistake. Be resolute. You are connected to a creative force." This successfully communicates the positive energetic information without quite making one giddy. I enjoy and need a slightly sober reminder that my good fortune lies in remaining connected to the creative force, from which all blessings flow. Total I Ching provides this without the puritanical tone found in some other versions. It is easy to bypass some of the more esoteric information on each hexagram and go directly to the sections most important for divination. The tone is helpful and grounding, yet invigorating. I personally am more interested in that than the scholarly details, but those who seek them won't be disappointed. My only criticisms are that it would have been far, far more helpful to have the Hexagram numbers placed on each page. You have to go through pages and pages to get your bearings in the text, rather than being able to flip easily to the hexgram you want. Also, I really wish this book was available in hardback. For those of us that actually use and refer to the I Ching on a regular basis, this is essential as well as aesthetically preferable. The text deserves to be preserved in a hardback edition. This is a wonderful, wonderful book.

Just a bit about my journey with the I Ching. I became interested in the I Ching since last December. Let me start by saying that, unless you have alot of patience to work through all the information presented in this book, this is NOT for beginners. But please, do not let this detract you from puchasing this book. I have translations from Hilary Barrett (good for beginners), Wilhelm/Baynes, Huang and finally this book from Dr. Karcher. This book is very technical and deep in the application of the oracle. This work was made with the design of presenting the I Ching in a holistic light: offering the many shades of meaning from different cultural points of relevancy, starting with the shamanistic background of a mythical world of spirits, while showing a growth of understanding of the oracle's meaning and application down to today. Presenting the information in this manner, one can distill the essence of the oracle's meaning. To me, this book is an excellent and very thorough work. I will certainly work with this book to glean more insights into this fabulous oracle.

Libro fresco e interessante, pone l'accento su tanti particolari della società e della mitologia della Cina Antica, all'interno della quale il Libro dei Mutamenti ha preso forma nel corso dei millenni, fornendo una versione dell'opera fresca ma non semplicistica, contemporanea ma non riduttiva. Karcher condivide con noi una preziosa esperienza, risultato di uno studio appassionato e costante. Lo consiglio.

Yes, I really rate Stephen Karcher. He has clearly dedicated his life to this work and it shows. He is steeped in Chinese alchemy, and his writings on the Trigrams are second to none, being written from three viewpoints that could be seen as "Head, body and heart/soul". He is familiar with the Tradition, yet does not hesitate in translating the Work in ways that enhance our understanding and make the Book of Changes relevant both to our everyday lives and our spiritual understanding. Perhaps not a book for anyone totally new to the I Ching...perhaps start off with his "How to read the I Ching" which is better for novices.

Le meilleur auteur, à mon sens, sur le sujet. C'est ici ce que je considère être la plus complète, fidèle et claire traduction et vulgarisation du livre du changement - et j'en ai de très nombreuses versions. Idéal pour les lecteurs bilingues. C'est l'outil (car on interroge ce livre, on ne fait pas que le lire) vraiment indispensable pour réaliser dans quelle énergie évolutive chacun évolue dans sa vie à un moment donné. Je recommande vivement.

This fresh version of the I Ching is a poetical and inspiring entry into the immense world of divination. The shamanic input would have pleased Terence McKenna. Terence had made a intensely serious contribution to the potency of the hexagrams. It has the scholarly approach of the Wilhem translation as well as making the myth vibrant and real. A truly beautiful and unique book amongst the very many writings on the subject.

molto interessante ho trovato questo testo non troppo criptico direi lo trovo buono per approfondire oltre lo studio dei Ching