The My Ching Tour
Next: Editing Journal Entries
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Journal Page Tabs
Clicking on link in a page of journal search results, will open the journal page in a separate tab.
(Click on screenshot for full size)
Hexagrams
The hexagram on the right is the result of any changing lines in the main hexagram on the left. If there are no changing lines, only one hexagram is displayed.
Title display
By default the "paper tags" on the journal page banner display the journal title and the search result page number, but by rolling the mouse cursor over any hexagram figure, the text changes to show the hexagram titles in English and Chinese.
Ruling lines revealed
Also, rolling the mouse cursor over the primary hexagram will cause the ruling lines of the hexagram to be indicated by small circles.
(Click on screenshot for full size)
On-line Hexagram Resources
A variety of hexagram translations, interpretations and commentaries available on the internet can be accessed from the journal page by positioning the mouse cursor over any hexagram figure and clicking with the right mouse button. A menu of web links appears. Clicking on a link will open the web page in a new tab.
Selecting Wilhelm from resource menu
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On-line resource example
Here is an example of one such on-line resource for hexagram 50: Cary Baynes' translation of Wilhelm's I Ching. It's also possible to open resources in your default Internet browser with a change in the application preferences. Only the Windows version has the ability to display resources in a My Ching application tab.
Online resource tab
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Edit and Delete Buttons
By rolling the mouse cursor over the left hand side of the journal page banner, some hidden buttons are revealed. Clicking the Edit button will change the display to "input mode" allowing you the edit the journal entry. The Delete button will pop up a "confirmation window" asking if you want to the delete the current journal entry.
Edit entry
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Linked readings
It is common for I Ching users to explore a question with a series of related readings. My Ching allows you to link related readings together. Linked readings are displayed at the bottom of a journal page as a list of hyper-links. Clicking on a link opens the reading in a another tab.
Related readings
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Advanced Hexagram Figures
For expert I Ching users, My Ching offers the possibility of displaying at the end of each journal page various extra hexagrams derived from the basic reading. By default they are turned off, and must be enabled in the Application Preferences menu option. These advanced hexagram perspectives* are as follows:
- Steps of change
- Hidden possibility
- Outer and inner change operators
- Rotational and symmetric pairs
Advanced figures
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Hexagram Illustrations
My Ching is designed so that the primary hexagram for each journal entry will have a symbolic photographic illustration. For example: hexagram number 1, has an image of an Edison light bulb (or a reproduction). The inspiration which lead Thomas Edison to invent the first electric light bulb is a good example of the creative inspiring force associated with this hexagram. Hexagram 1 is also associated with the brightness of the sun and an electric light is a symbolic sun. Also the coils of the filament can be seen as abstractedly symbolizing the Dragon also associated with this hexagram. It is of course impossible to capture all the meanings of a hexagram in one illustration.
The illustrations mainly reflect the translation of the I Ching scholar, Stephen Karcher. For example, hexagram 25 shows a woman on a psychotherapist's couch. This reflects Karcher's naming and interpretation of the hexagram to mean disentangling oneself from a negative emotional state.
The initial release of My Ching will only illustrate a small fraction of the 64 hexagrams, but over time these will be gradually added to until there is a full set. New illustrations can be downloaded separately from the My Ching program. See the download page.
Maximized window with artwork
However the illustrations are only visible when the My Ching application window is maximized to cover the entire screen. By default the Window is not maximized.
(Click on screenshot for full size)
Footnotes
* Advanced hexagram perspectives are referred to using Stephen Karcher's terminology
