An I-Ching reading draws on the I-Ching, an ancient Chinese divination text built around 64 hexagrams, each representing a different life situation or principle. A reading typically involves tossing coins or yarrow stalks to generate a hexagram, then interpreting its traditional meaning in relation to the question being asked.

Because the I-Ching's meanings are rooted in a much older philosophical text than most Western divination tools, a reader often blends the hexagram's classical interpretation with intuitive insight specific to the client's situation.