The I Ching Connexion is an ever-changing but always consistently interlocking graphic representation of the way the 64 hexagrams interrelate.
As such it is the key to widen and deepen the interpretation of the outcome of a divination.
It features the translation James Legge made (published in 1882, England) of the Imperial Edition of the I (published in 1715, China). This alone makes the program useful for anyone interested in the I Ching.
Besides that it adds two radical new views to the ancient Book of Changes: the Connexion and the Mediator.
It also features an I Ching clock, a presentation of the link between the I Ching and astrology. And it allows you to calculate your natal hexagram.
System requirements
The I Ching Connexion requires a Macintosh with System 7.0 or later, 32-bit Color Quickdraw and at least 256 colors or grays. It works in grayscale, but the program is designed for color!
The program takes about 2.1 megabytes on your hard disk and needs 1.1 megabyte free RAM to run.
It is optimised for both PowerPC and 680x0 Macs (FAT application).
Getting started
Just put the program file anywhere on your hard disk and open it.
There is Balloon Help just about everywhere to get you going.
But to give the right direction...
Use 'Throw & Connect...' from the 'Oracle' menu to get a complete outcome (a throw of the coins and a Connexion) in a new document. This is the safe and easy way.
If you want you can also do this in two steps: using 'Throw...' before or after 'Connect'. Note however that these choices act on the frontmost document (if any), possibly replacing the current outcome. To be safe you have to use 'New' from the 'File' menu first.
When you use 'Throw...', however, you can enter the outcome manualy by choosing every line in sequence from the 'Choose...' menu. If you want the computer to throw the coins, just click the 'Throw' button.
Use 'Hide/Show Connexion' to switch between a simple display (only the actual and future hexagrams and the mediator) and a complete Connexion.
Click any hexagram to view its meaning.
Click a changing line in the 'Hexagram Meaning' window to view the applicable comment (option-click to view the commentaries on the line).
All cross-references are hyperlinked: click on any green & underlined text to view the reference.
Use 'Interpretation' from the 'Help' menu as a starting point in your study of the I Ching Connexion.
It contains more directions on how to use and interpret the I Ching and the Connexion.
Use 'Preferences' from the 'Edit' menu to choose a hexagon colour, a startup action and so on.
Set the location of your Mac using 'Clock Settings' from the 'Astro' menu, if you're going to use the I Ching Clock.
And again: use Balloon Help to skim all windows and dialogs. You may find some surprises.
Shareware Notice
This software is distributed as shareware: if you like it please register.
With unregistered versions of the program you will not be able to save or print I Ching Connexion documents.
Please note that 50% of the contributions I receive will be donated to UNICEF, the United Nations Children's Emergency Fund.
To register, you fill out the file 'ICC Registration Form' and print it (or the other way around) using SimpleText (or any editor). Send it and US$20 (or the equivalent in a major currency) to the author at the address below.
In return you will receive a registration code which allows you to save and print I Ching Connexion documents.
Since cashing international cheques or money orders is very expensive, please send cash only. European (or at least Danish) postal orders seem to be okay, though.
Double the fee if you insist on sending an international cheque or money order, but you're really feeding the banks that way.
Unfortunately, we cannot accept credit cards at all.
Thank you for your support.
Version history
version 2.3:
- All cross-references in the texts are hyperlinked.
- Improved graphics, with a choice of seven colours for the hexagons.
- Allows manual entry of the outcome, so you can throw the coins
yourself.
- Date and time for the natal hexagram can now be entered directly
using the keyboard.
- Clicking on the time-box displays the current outcome;
option-clicking gives you the 'Throw the coins' dialogue.
- Option-click on a changing line in the "Hexagram Meaning" window
brings you to the commentaries on that line.
- Allows entering the question first, followed by "Throw & Connect...".
- Alternates colours when a hexagram is both actual and future
(or waning and waxing).
- Prints waning & waxing hexagrams correctly now.
- Minor text corrections and small bug fixes.
- New e-mail address for Christiaan: freeling@worldonline.nl
version 2.2:
- Added a simple display of the outcome, so the program can easily be
used for traditional divinations (that is: without a Connexion).
- Made the changing lines more visible, and clickable in the 'Hexagram
Meaning' window.
- Switched to using the excellent WASTE text engine,
ｩ 1993-1995 Marco Piovanelli, which brought along:
á Drag and drop
á Undo
á Embedded pictures
á Large texts (so Ta Chuan in two parts now, instead of four)
- Added Colour menu.
- Added support for page navigation and text editing keys on extended
keyboard.
- Optimised for PowerPC and 680x0 Macs (FAT version).
- New e-mail address for me: edvanzon@euronet.nl
version 2.1:
- Added astro calculations (clock, natal) for the southern hemisphere.
Before these were only applicable to the northern hemisphere.
The idea, textcompilation, all texts (except the "Programmer's Intro" and balloontext) and all artwork is from the head and hands of Christiaan Freeling.
The program is written by Ed van Zon, with a little help from the programming community on Internet.
You can reach us on (and send the shareware fee to) this postal address:
Ed van Zon
Solar Software
P.O. Box 266
6700 AG Wageningen
Netherlands.
or using the Internet:
Christiaan: freeling@worldonline.nl
Ed: edvanzon@euronet.nl
Solar Software Home Page: http://www.worldonline.nl/~freeling/
