ANIMAL TOTEMS AND THE I CHING

​

​

This book is an exploration of the I Ching alongside the language of indigenous animal totems.  The classic I Ching translation, popularized in America by Wilhelm Baynes, is summarized and compared alongside the Human Design Systems' 64 gates and the Gene Keys' 64 chapters, hexagram by hexagram.  Each hexagram in this book is linked to an animal archetype that holds a similar meaning to the insight provided by the hexagram.  The comparison of these four systems can both expose the reader to new tools of divination while also bridging Native American archetypal totems with the advice of the Chinese hexagrams of the I Ching.

​

Four Tools for Clarity

​

This book is an introduction and cross-comparison of four tools of personal navigation.  The I Ching, an ancient guidance tool, is paired with the closest corresponding animal totem from indigenous cultures.  Accompanying the traditional I Ching translation are the perspectives of the Human Design System and the Gene Keys, two modern systems that incorporate the I Ching into the context of human energetics.

 

The Author's Perspective

​

I have been using and studying the I Ching for 10 years. The I Ching is a 3000-year-old divination tool that can provide insights or clarity about any given situation. I deeply love and trust this tool and find it invaluable for periods of lostness or when faced with a difficult choice. I also am passionate about practical use and study the archetypes of animal totems. Both the I Ching and animal totems have guided me reliable since I was a teenager. After years of using these systems separately, I found that many totem archetypes carry the same message as many of the I Ching hexagrams. Over time I noticed that often a totem meaning and a hexagram/gate/gene key meaning would be synonymous. For instance, the 28th gate in the I Ching, Human Design, and the Gene Keys have the theme of living alongside and facing fear.  The rabbit totem is also about living alongside fear.  Looking at these systems side by side can open pathways of understanding by simply approaching using a novel perspective.

​