Emeraldgirl said:
I have just won this item on Ebay and I am now REALLY looking forward to receiving it. Can anyone tell me if the book goes into any detail on i-ching? It also looks as though it would be a great deck for meditation.
Hi, Emeraldgirl...
You're right about the meditation application. On the other
hand, I don't think there is much in the way of explaining
the I Ching with any detail. You might consider another text
for that, but the book for the
Bamboo Oracle has plenty of
it's own merits. I think it's purpose, in conjuction with the
cards, is to be a gentle and soothing personal advisor.
It would be great for meditation. Each hexagram in the book
is beautifully presented in bold Chinese calligraphy with the
respective traditional title; that aesthetic along with the deck
artwork will give you plenty to meditate on for hours! Also, the
judgements (summaries) for the hexagrams are presented very
poetically, then move into prose: a paragraph or two of advice,
with some predictive insights here and there. Overall, the writing
has a meditative style well suited for that purpose.
The changing lines are not included, which is a major reason
why I accompanied the cards of this set with my own favorite
translation of the I Ching. However, if you are not concerned
with changing lines, then the book from the set will be quite
adequate. In fact, this package is a great doorway into the Book
Of Changes, and may even be all you'd ever need. For serious
study, I've turned to other books on the subject, but I'd still go
for the
Bamboo Oracle if I needed some simple, gentle
guidance from the I Ching.