What are “Present”, “Changes” and “Future”? Why are they sometimes without text?

When you cast a hexagram, six lines are generated, and some of them may be changing lines indicating that the subject of your inquiry is changing (as indicated with an x or a dot). Present indicates the present situation, Changes indicates what is changing within that situation, and Future indicates what the situation may become. Future may also refer to the broader context in which the change is occurring, or a relating situation.

When there are no changing lines, it means the situation is fixed or static, and the Changes and Future tabs in the Journal will indicate that there are no changing lines. The Future tab will additionally show a reference to the Mutual (or Nuclear) hexagram (formed from the inner trigrams of the hexagram). Consulting the Mutual hexagram may reveal hidden potential. You can learn more about this in one of the hardcopy books on the I Ching, or online.

© Brian Arnold 2020